Old Speckled Hen - Greene King / Morland Brewery

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pinkish brown with excellent, excellent tan foam and perfect lacing.

Smell: Cotton candy..very faint.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Fairly light flavor. Very creamy with a maple cotton candy flavor. Mouthfeel is like thin Guinness, definitely not my favorite.

Overall: Kind of a niche beer. Very similar to Boddingtons, and definitely better.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2013 01:07:57 | More by tjsdomer2

keeganfrank

Ohio

4.09/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Medium brown ale with a thin head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of nuts, caramel and wood. Flavors of mild spice and wood/leaves. Has a light, sessionable body and plenty of flavor. There was some mild skunk when the bottle was first opened but it became imperceptible after pouring. A great example of English ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:03:04 | More by keeganfrank

kilustration

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Light reddish in color, not much head or lacing.
S: Ok smell, taste was better.
T: Sweetish at first than bitter. Somewhat nutty or carmely. Pretty decent overall.
M: Was expecting a heavier mouthfeel, but was light - not at all watery.
O: Would drink again if it was presented.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 03:43:51 | More by kilustration

teromous

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Medium shade of brown with a hint of orange. The head is a thick creamy eggshell white. Brilliantly transparent, and the head coats the glass like thick cream, leaving a sheet of lace.

S: It has an interesting smell. At first it smells spicy, kind of like a gingerbread cookie. There's a bit of caramel scent in there as well.

T: It tastes just like it smells. There's a spicy character to it, which interlaces itself with the hop bitterness. There's a caramel cookie flavor to the beer.

M: The mouthfeel is very thin and watery, but it feels light with smooth carbonation.

O: Overall it's what you'd expect from an English Pale Ale. Easy drinking with just enough bitterness, but not too much.

Serving type: can

05-05-2013 21:04:17 | More by teromous

ONUMello

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Transparent amber with a one-finger head that settles quickly
S: Light malt, a hint of caramel and citrus
T: Like the nose - malt up front, some caramel on the midpalate and a light citrus note towards the end. Simple but unoffensive
M: Light-bodied with pleasant light carbonation
O: Nothing special here but I would drink this any day over anything in the BMC portfolio

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:21:45 | More by ONUMello

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

3.64/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

The bottle gets points for being reusable, but it's clear and so not exactly the best for storing beer for a long time because of UV exposure which makes beer taste skunky. But when I reuse these bottles I drink the beer first from the clear bottles.

The beer pours a crystal clear and deep amber color with a nice thin off-white head that remains throughout the drink as a thin ring around the glass with nice, but minimal lacing.

Initially cold out of the bottle the beer smells more skunky than malty. Not terribly skunky and definitely not detracting from the beer, really. As the beer warms in the glass the beer becomes more caramel malty sweet in aroma and notes of dark fruit and light bread come out. The skunky becomes barely noticeable.

The flavor is pretty much the same as the beer starts off sharp with carbonation then mellows to a lightly sweet flavor and as the cabonation completely flattens out some bitter from hops comes through with a faint skunk taste. Amoung the sweet there notes of caramel and dates, but very light. It finishes with a hoppy note a bit dry, but ultimately sweet overall and could be balanced a little better.

The mouthfeel is lightly sweet and medium to light bodied and it really drops off flat near the end and gets a bit watery. This may be a function of the carbonation which seems plenty enough until you get half way through the sip and it dies. There is a bit of a slimy feel on my tongue in between sips.

Overall I would give this beer high 3s out of five. It's an excellent beer, but not what I would call world class. Would I seek this out. Probably not as I have built up a list of beers in this realm that I like better. I do like it though! Would I recommend this beer? HAYLE YES! Just as I would recommend trying any new beer just to try something different because you never know if this could be the one! There is the chance this could be it for you.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 23:37:35 | More by WissBrauSean

JGargano

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This classic english pale ale is a good example of a well sessionable ale. Slightly on the sweet side this beer has a great up-front aroma and is very satisfying in the mouth.

An easy beer to drink for all occasions. Pairs well with almost any hearty food and can be enjoyed just as well on its own.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:05:37 | More by JGargano

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.56/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a pub draught can into a Fullers Imperial Pint glass. The pour is absolutely beautiful. The color is clear and coppery and the head cascades from bottom to top and forms a fine foam in pure draft-beer fashion that has outstanding retention and remains in tact at the bottom of the glass when you finish the beer (I freaking LOVE the pub draught can and I only knock it 0.25 points because, frankly, it's artificial). The nose is a little bit sulfery and skunky, but otherwise I get some toasted malt and toffee.

The beer has a medium body and a mild flavor. The taste is actually a bit better than the nose. There are soft bready malt flavors and just a slightly bitter hop note. The hops primarily contribute a peppery, herbal, tea-like character. The beer could definitely use more malty goodness as the feel is a bit thin.

Overall, a beer that is mild and drinkable and should accompany many dishes well (for you somaliers out there). I have been on something of a British Beer kick lately and will probably try several other new ones (new to me that is) before returning to this one.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-13-2013 01:56:52 | More by deadonhisfeet

doktorhops

Australia

3.45/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Old Speckled Hen is one of the many classic English ales I tried when I was visiting old Blighty. I do not recall if I enjoyed it at all (not a good start), however it comes in a fancy presentable bottle which in most cases means there is a fancy presentable ale awaiting, chip chip cheerio.

Poured from a puny 355ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Almost a startlingly clear orange in beerplexion with a creamy beige 0.5cm head.

S: Smells about as British as an ale can get: toffee toasted malts, touch of bread yeast, and light fruity hops with a dash of rustic earth hop notes as well. Darth Vader voice: "The aroma of a farmhouse English ale is strong with this one".

T: All the above notes present: toffee toasted malts, bread yeast, fruity/earthy hops with an additional knockabout on the palate from (I kid you not) barnyard hay. Intriguing in the totality of the essence of a farmhouse this ale presents, I feel transported to a sheep farm in Oxfordshire just from tasting this brew. There is a slight tingle of bitterness at the end just to let you know that there are hops in this ale.

M: Typically English with its mid to light body and light carbonation.

D: Pretty easy on the taste buds, well balanced but not easy on the wallet, and there are few English ales that you'll find here in Australia, aka "Expensalia", that are, which is a shame as I do enjoy an English ale. That aside how does it stack up to something more reasonably priced like "Old Hooky"? Fairly well, it has a rustic taste that Old Hooky comes close to but is it worth the added cost? You decide.

Food match: Old speckled roasted hen would go great with this.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 08:55:21 | More by doktorhops

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.04/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Pours a ruddy amber with a thin off-white head that recedes rather quickly.

S: Bready, biscuity malt comes through on the nose with just a hint of gingery, peppery, leathery English ale hops. Fairly simple aroma. Nothing particularly outstanding.

T: Notes of lemon rind, orange marmalade, pepper, leather, ginger, caramel, toffee, biscuit, and minerals swirl around the palate. The finish is crisp and dry with pronounced earthy, lemony ale hop notes.

M: Medium-to-full in body, very dry, and very firm. Carbonation is crisp and active. Very, very drinkable and not terribly filling despite the heavier than average body. I could easily have more than one of these in one sitting.

O: A nice, basic English ale. The mix of very traditional malt and hop flavors and the bigger-than-average body makes this an excellent readily available brew. It's not explosive, innovative, or exciting, but this is very tasty and very well-crafted for a mass-produced ale. Definitely worth checking out for fans of English ales and those curious about them.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:45:09 | More by mrfrancis

breakingbland

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A rich copper color. Small head that disappeared rather quickly. No lacing.
S: Not much aroma but a very slight skunkiness (which didn't carry over to the taste).
T: Lots of toasty and caramel notes. Starts out malty sweet then goes to a mild hoppy bitterness that fades rather quickly on the tongue. Leaves a pleasant lingering sweetness in the mouth.
M: Although this beer does not have a big character, it is not at all watery or thin.
O: I would definitely have this beer again. It's a pleasant, easy-drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 20:49:43 | More by breakingbland

Mendelbaum

4.1/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I'm on a Pale Ale trip right now. I tried this, Mirror Pond and Belhaven at the same time. This beer placed third behind Belhaven and Mirror Pond. I enjoyed it but like the other two better. It was third in flavor. Third in finish. If it were on sale I'm in.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:25:45 | More by Mendelbaum

silverking

Florida

3.88/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

It pours a nice, clear amber with a white head that fades fast. very little lacing. The smell is a little earthy. Notes of fig and molasses with a slight vegetative quality on the nose, with a little butterscotch as well. The taste is comparable to that of an oatmeal raisin cookie. There is also a slight underlying bitterness. The carbonation is delightfully light and it has a heavier mouthfeel than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 18:35:55 | More by silverking

harrymel

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Canned: unk

Nice amber color with a thick cream top a la nitro-can. Smells of light, sweet malts, some caramel, some milk, some tea and light grassy hops. Pleasant nose. Flavor carries plenty of amber malts, some tea, some slight wood character; overall not particularly complex, but quite well balanced. Full bodied with nitro carb and a forgettable finish. Overall, I find this can of beer pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-01-2013 05:26:31 | More by harrymel

fauxpunker

3.4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Very pleasing to look at. Nice, clear amber color. Love nitro cans for the head they leave. Thick, creamy, and white. Looks great holding it up to the light.
S: Very malty. Not much else to it other than straight malt. Not a bad smell, just not very exciting.
T: Very thin. Definitely tastes like the malty smell. Even then, it's muted. Very middle of the road. Not bad, just "meh".
M: Clean and light. Felt watery even. Could drink a lot very fast.
O: I bought this to use in a beer cheddar soup (naturally I drank some while I cooked). Definitely a beer you can drink with food. Not offensive, not super high alcohol, thin, and easy drinking. For a session beer, it gets the job done. Worked very well in the soup. Nothing spectcular here, like a good bar band. Fits in, makes things feel right, but never going to have a gold record.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-07-2012 15:32:23 | More by fauxpunker

jsisko01

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a deep amber/copper color with a centimeter thick head that dissipates instantly. Leaves a very nice lacing.

Smell - Sweet, buttery biscuits, earthy, and bitter.

Taste - The taste is actually pretty light.. Has a medium bitterness that follows throughout, herbal and earthy notes, butter, and caramel.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with light carbonation.

Overall - This is just a simple, light pale ale. Pretty drinkable

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 03:53:13 | More by jsisko01

Dave1999

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a transparent dark amber with a small white head.

The smell is sweet toffee and earthy hops.

The taste is sweet, a little buttery, toffee and pretty bitter.

The mouth feel is light to medium with quite a lot of carbonation.

A pretty decent bitter English pale ale. Quite different to it's American counterparts.

This was the bottled version, I would like to compare it to the nitro can.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:38:54 | More by Dave1999

williamjbauer

West Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled served in pint glass

A - ice tea brown amber with 1 finger khaki head with moderate retention and poor lacing

S - biscuit, tobacco, spice, earthy hops

T - slightly bitter pale ale with spicy herbal notes and a touch of tobacco, I'm not really digging this

M - medium body, moderate carb. Wet, smooth

O - I'd pass on this one, nothing about it really entices me

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 13:25:43 | More by williamjbauer

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle pour for the 4th Annual LA Beer Week Beer Festival at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and some slightly fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but nothing too exciting.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 04:14:11 | More by UCLABrewN84

Sco

New York

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a kind of ecru color, which I quickly realized was the head slowly cascading upward (Nitro tap). Always a cool effect. This resolves into a perfect, creamy white head atop a translucent, deep amber body. Nice.

S- Malty, I think, with an earthy, dirty overtone. Not as pleasant as the appearance, fer shure.

T- Malty sweetness (also my college nickname), followed by a not overdone bitterness that doesn't linger long. Fairly clean finish. Not bad.

M- Pretty smooth, easy to drink. Low carbonation.

O- I would have no problem sharing a couple of these with "me mates" (*receive 2 points for apropos British ref), although it wouldn't be my choice were it my turn to buy a round.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2012 21:31:55 | More by Sco

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.48/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On nitro-tap served in an Old Speckled Hen pint glass at White Beer’D, Bangkok.

A:
The showcase is shaded by clear rich brown amber color and thick creamy head with faultless retention. It everlastingly stands atop until the last sip and yields splendid lacing patch and cluster along the way down.

S:
Caramel, toffee, sugar, trait of somewhat roasted and citrus hop.

T:
Malt builds its base by a note of caramel, sweet toffee and toasted bread. Hop together shines in balance with decent bitterness along with citrus snap.

M:
The body is medium with very creamy smooth mouthfeel, rather low carbonation but active enough to zest the palate, rather dry finish.

O:
Well balance and very easy drinkable ale, the overall feeling is not too thin and not too bold with great mouthfeel by the way.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-01-2012 15:46:38 | More by Everydayoff

BierStein711

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Old Speckled Hen, is a brilliant beer

The draught can does this great beer justice!!

The head retention was impressive. Two finger head lasted the entire time I imbibed!!

Aroma was of dried fruit, the head was beige in color

Taste: Bready malt, biscuits, warming malt, with a mellow finish

Mouthfeel was moderate

Overall, I would seek this beer out again in the draught can. Very good beer at a very good price. Worth your time if you want to explore English beer, like I am doing so now.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-31-2012 17:32:54 | More by BierStein711

JamesPGH

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A nice orange brown when held up to the sun. Because of the nitro ball it poured a thick creamy of white head, not very tall though, and has heavy lacing.

Smell: Smells slightly skunk, with a hint of molasses and grains.

Taste: Has a nice malty backbone with hints of caramel and molasses. Really taste a biscuity/ bread flavor. Has a slight sour flavor at the end which really throws me off.

Mouthfeel: I imagine its because of the nitro ball but it is verging on the level of thickness of a milkshake. Surprisingly extremely pleasing.

Overall: Very good beer and looks beautiful in a glass but the sourness at the end of the sip becomes cloying towards the end of the glass. I imagine it would be great to pair this beer with steak. Definitely couldn't finish the four pack I have in a night or even probably a week, it has too much going on to be anything more than a sipper through the night.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-15-2012 17:39:34 | More by JamesPGH

TownDunkel

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Old Speckled Hen - I saw this english ale, had it before months ago and finally rated it

Appearance - A nice deep dark red to brown, I really enjoy this color that really appealed to the taste

Smell - The smell is sub par on this one. To me it is just alcohol with a hint of molasses

Taste - I did enjoy that complex grassy/earthy taste. It is almost vaguley sweet with a mild to rich aftertaste that seems to change every so often

Mouthfeel - A good amout of carbonation that helps it along and gives it a satisfying flavor

Overall - I enjoyed this beer, but it is almost too much like a india pale ale and not my daily drinker. This would good with a steak or a fine saucy meal

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 02:13:00 | More by TownDunkel

Jemonster

California

2.33/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: A very pretty color, I don't know if I've ever seen another beer that looks like it. A pale ruby and copper with a thin white head.

S: Skunky, slightly smoky, burnt marshmallows. Not pleasing.

T: Light hops, skunk, mild sweetness, peanuts, toffee.

M: Thin, light, refreshing in a way. High carbonation.

O: Not my favorite. A friend showed up with six of these. This is the first and maybe the last. She thought I would like it.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 04:02:00 | More by Jemonster