Minchews Stinking Bishop Perry

Brewed by Minchews Real Cyder & Perry
Style: Perry
Tewkesbury, England

Plastic cask at GBBF 08. Very pale clear gold. Bit of green to the colour. I’m sorry but that tastes like my dad’s homemade cider. Really quite poor. Some dryness, but just not a good perry.

Polycask at Merton Summer Beer Festival July 19th This is one of those drinks that has to live up to its famous name following the instant popularity, courtsey of Wallace and Grommit. We had a good chat with Kevin Minchew the owner/producer of this cidery and were shown around his wonderfully chaotic but very historic machinery, Kevin knew his stuff and this Perry shows that quite magnificently. I also couldn’t help but think that the strange aroma had more than a passing similarity to the cheese (or just chess in general) or was that just the name playing in my mind? I don’t think so it was a touch cheesy. Poured light gold and quite interesting for a Perry in that i didn’t get the big juicy overipe pears that I often get, this was a bit more complex quite dry at times but the sweetness was there it just that it was well reined in, a hint of rhubarb played across my tongue once or twice and all in all a most enjoyable Perry. BTW I note that Kevin informed us that this Perry is actually the excat same Perry as the Malvern Hills version he does, Kevin said that he is ofetn requested to change the name depending on what side of the Malverns he sells it. It must be a Herefordshire and Worcestershire thing.

A Mes rate: Barrel at Fin’s excellent Merton Beer Festival.
Very pale hazy yellow colour. Lovely pear aroma, some wood and slight pear skin. Quite cheesy, I can really see why they wash cheese in this stuff. Flavour is wow. This is a bloody good perry. Just the right balance of sweet pears and woody sourness, a huge hit of both. Wine like full bodied feel. Impressive length in the sweet and sour finish that ends up very dry. Lovely stuff and with no hint of alcohol what so ever. A bloody good, well made perry.

Appearance
Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 2   Pale(1)->Dark(5) : 3   Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 3
Aroma
Intensity : 2  
Yeast : 2   Bread : 2   Hay: XX   Brett : XX   Floral: 2   Wood: 2   Leather: 2   Barnyard : XX   Medicine : XX   Phenols: XX   Cheese : XX   Vinous: 3  
Notes: Caramel : XX   Honey : XX   Applesauce: XX   Appleskin : 1 Pear : 1   Tropical FruitsXX  
Flavor
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4 Juicy: 2   Sourness : 1   Bitterness: XX   Farmy : 3   Complex: XX   Length : XX
Palate
Light(1)->Full(5) : 2   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 3 Chewy: XX   Sharp: XX   Chalk : XX   Astringence : 1   Tea tannins : 1   Alcohol : X
Comments: Rather sweet, sulfury and woody perry with a soft natural effervescence.

750ml bottle from ciderstore.com, July 2007. Stinking Bishop achieved fame as a type of cheese mentioned in the Wallace & Gromit film, "Curse of the Were-Rabbit". However, Stinking Bishop is actually a variety of Perry pear and the name of the cheese comes from the fact that it is washed in Perry made from that variety. This is a clear, pale yellow Perry, without that silvery sheen that is often seen in Perries. Plenty of fruit in the aroma, with some petrol notes. Although this is described as a medium-dry Perry, I found it to be on the sweet side of medium, with plenty of fruit, reminiscent of stewed pears. A pleasant and easygoing Perry.