Old Speckled Hen - Greene King / Morland Brewery

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

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

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

HopHead84

California

3.38/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

7/1/2012

Nitro can poured into a snifter. Thanks, Mike! I guess I should have used an imperial pint glass. Too late.

A: A cloudy nitro pour with a slow rising clarity. The body is dark amber with a thick and creamy beige head that never fades.

S: Caramel and bready malt with a touch of metal. Surprisingly fruity, with banana, apple, and pear. There's some earthy hop notes with toffee. The more I smell this the more it seems stale. I'm not exactly sure what I mean by that, but I think it's an accurate description.

T: Rich caramel presence with toasted biscuit malt notes. Low earthy bitterness. The beer is pretty estery, with a little banana and apple.

M: Medium body with a great creamy mouthfeel.

Overall: A strange beer, but not without merit. I wasn't expecting such a firm ester profile.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-01-2012 18:37:30 | More by HopHead84

rundocrun

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- body is amber and light brown. Quite clear. Head is a creamy tan color with excellent retention and lots of lacing*.

S- lots of butterscotch, fruity aromas, and caramel. Very mild and smooth herbal hop smell.

T- uber-smooth caramel and toasted malt flavors. A subtle acidic tang underlies everything. Also a good dollop of ripe banana esters. Very mild mineral flavor and some earthy hops in the finish.

M- very smooth and drinkable. One of this beer's best attributes. How much of that is due to the nitro can I'm not sure but frankly I dont care!

*to be expected from a nitro can

Serving type: nitro-can

05-16-2012 02:57:08 | More by rundocrun

Luigi

North Carolina

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

Rich amber color with that nitro can creamy white head that retains a finger high. Plenty of lacing. But, this is the case with most nitro canned ales.

The aroma is rather light, but sweet with roasted malt. Some diacetyl butterscotch, and a mild hop profile.

The flavor is rich in sweet mat, but light in hop bitterness. The hop come out more in the finish. The hops to linger for a bit.

Semi-dry and thirst quenching, while maintaining a medium light body.

This is one of the better nitro canned version of an English Pale Ale out there. Not something I would keep in my fridge at all times, but still tasty!!

Serving type: nitro-can

05-05-2012 02:42:08 | More by Luigi

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the nitro widget can, Old Speckled Hen has a roiling, thick, creamy head, and a clear, amber appearance. Lots of thick lacing is left down the glass. The aroma is sweet, musty, creamy, and one even gets a cafe-au-lait aspect here. Taste is of sweet caramel, cream, hop bitterness, and clean water. Mouthfeel is medium and soft, but an underlying wateriness does present itself. Old Speckled Hen finishes semi-dry, clean, and easy drinking. Overall, this beer is all upside and no downside. Get some!

RJT

Serving type: nitro-can

04-27-2012 23:36:12 | More by RonaldTheriot

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Clean dark amber color. Pours a nice filmy half finger head that stays around quite long. Thanks to the nitro-can, this looks and feels like it's just been poured from a tap. Lacing retention is very nice!

Smell - Apple Cider, Caramel, Bready Yeasts and with a slight malty scent. Pretty sweet smelling overall.

Taste - Caramel, Apple Cider and yeasts. Flavor is surprisingly bland however compared to the smell. It's like I'm drinking water almost. Aftertaste is rather bitter tasting and a bit unpleasant

Mouthfeel - It's light bodied and has no carbonation to speak off. It feels like I'm drinking water so it doesn't have a crisp feel to it.

Overall - Disappointing beer overall, despite all I had heard about how great this was. It's easy to drink but it's about as watery as beer can get without being actually being considered water.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-25-2012 04:03:16 | More by NuclearDolphin

jktedder12

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 14.9oz nitro can into a chilled pint glass. Beautiful coppery color with a creamy 1/2 head which remained after the initial foamy cascade. Minimal lacing. Very nice malty aroma with an equally nice creamy mouthfeel. Taste is malty with a minimal amount of hops. Hints of caramel also present. Overall a very drinkable, enjoyable English ale.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-11-2012 23:15:43 | More by jktedder12

Immortale25

Florida

4.16/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured into an Evolution Brewing pint glass. You can hear the widget bursting after the can is popped and there's even a faint whistle that accompanies it.

A- Pours a pure white at first that then steadily cascades upward leaving a caramel brown body and eventually settles at a finger's worth of white head whose retention time is indefinitely long.

S- Smells of sweet, buttery malts and a bit of wet cardboard.

T- Buttery diacetyl and rich caramel malts plus a faint metallic/glassy taste. Very easy to drink. Barely any hop bitterness.

M- The best part. Smooth as silk and soft as a pillow with a creamy texture. Medium-high carbonation and a semi-full body.

O- I like Boddington's better. Has just as good of a mouthfeel with a more suitable flavor.

Serving type: nitro-can

02-22-2012 05:21:30 | More by Immortale25

bnes09

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Transparent copper colored ale. Creamy, cascade effect on the pour. Thick, creamy head that sticks around forever.

Fresh bread and grassy hop aroma.

Mild bready malt flavor. Leafy hop character. Weak flavor overall. Not much depth.

Ultra-light feel. No carbonation. Slick texture that finishes clean.

Nothing special. I still don't understand the point of injecting beer with nitrogen. A lighter, less flavorful beer is just not as good in my opinion.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-23-2012 05:15:23 | More by bnes09

gkunkle

Oregon

2.78/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours an amber color with a 1/2 in white head. Head is dense, due to the nitro-can, retention is great, as I drink it leaves concentric circles of lacing. Smell is sweet like caramel, I think I'm also getting some malt and dark fruit sort of scent. Taste starts with a overly clean sort of taste, maybe it's just a dry flavor. Then I get a touch of English malt and more of that dark fruit taste. Aftertaste is a touch bitter. Mouthfeel is thin. Not terribly impressed with this beer. Don't think i'll buy it again unless I am in England.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-05-2012 07:26:28 | More by gkunkle

unclejazz

New York

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

Had a nitro-can of this with lunch at Jones cafe on 4th Street off Bowery.

A-a rich creamy tan head on an amber body. The head stuck around but very little carbonation otherwise.

S-i did not get much from this, roast malt and a bit of raisin.

T-aside from a bit of a dank malt flavor there is not much else. I have had this in a bottle and remember it being more flavorful. This could be an old can and maybe past its date.

M-the body of this flattened out rather quickly. The malt help give it some body much less than I would expect from a nitro-can.

O-meh. People at small breweries are working too hard, this just doesn't measure up.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-21-2011 20:48:00 | More by unclejazz

rangerred

Tennessee

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 14.9oz nitro can.

The beer is a clear deep copper with a thick head typical of nitro beers. The color and clarity are quite nice.

The nose is english malty goodness. Dark rye bread with some toffee sweetness.

The bitterness is quite noticeable from the first sip. Hop flavors take a back seat, however, to the malt in this beer. A nice breadiness is present along with toffee and caramel. Maybe a hint of some sweet dark fruits. Could perhaps be a little more pronounced, though.

Overall I really enjoy this beer. Probably one of my favorite EPA's.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-18-2011 21:40:04 | More by rangerred

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a Nitro-Can. Big fluffy head on an amber beer. Solid retention, minimal lacing. Very clear.

Aroma is quite mild, a bit sweet and malty. Faintly bready with a very modest bitter undertone.

Flavor is light and appealing, a little sweet, a little bitter. Biscuity malt; caramel; herbal notes.

Creamy mouthfeel with very low carbonation and a medium-light body make for a very easy beer to drink. Fairly low ABV; nice English session beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

11-23-2011 14:41:52 | More by tobelerone

TheAlamoWrocker

Texas

2/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a 440 mL nitro-can into a Blue Star Brewery Pint Glass.

A: The head is a solid one fingered head that appears nice thick and creamy. This appears as a nice Mahogany. The head does last, but does not lace.

S: This simply appears to have a slight malt smell. Maybe it's the thick head that it pours that makes it difficult to smell.

T: The taste of this is slightly malty when first taking this in. While this is firmly in the mouth a caramel taste makes a nice appearance. The aftertaste is really nothing to speak about, either you get nothing or you get a undesirable spice to it.

M: Since this is a nitro-can it holds a creamy head so when you take it in you can feel it. The body is watery and not very appealing. I hardly feel any carbonation to this.

O: I will avoid this in the future. The consistency is what really killed this drink for me. In all reality the reason I picked this up was just because it was a nitro-can and this was obviously a bad way to pick a beer. If you enjoy a watery beer then you might enjoy this, but this is not for me.

Serving type: nitro-can

11-11-2011 20:41:33 | More by TheAlamoWrocker

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Clear and copper-color. Thanks to the nitro-widget, it has a thick, creamy head that fades to 1/4" that lasts to the bottom of the glass.

S: Sweet malt dominates, with a faint sharpness (almost artificial) in the background

T: The taste is not strong - a mixture of mildly-sweet malt, diacetyl, and slight citrussy tartness. The finish has mild hops bitterness. It's quite good, but lacks any "wow" factor.

M: Smooth, moist, but a little flat (I think all the bubbles ended up in the head).

O: Tasty and drinkable, but not a stand-out. A good, safe-bet for everyday drinking, either alone for quenching thirst or with mild-flavored foods (fish and chips comes to mind as a good pairing for this English pale ale).

Serving type: nitro-can

10-30-2011 19:48:05 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

codfeast

California

3.33/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Nice Mahogany, 1/4 creamy off white head, lots of carbination and lacing.

S: Malt, tea leaves, hints of fruit and chocolate.

T: Sweet malt start, hints of bananna, turns a bit roasted and then a bitter end.

M: Thin and watery, dry finish.

O: All fur coat and no trousers, a decent pint, nicely balanced just not a huge fan of the balanced flavors

Serving type: nitro-can

10-19-2011 03:10:38 | More by codfeast

tony223366

California

3.65/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From my beer journal. Reviewed on July 13, 2011

A: Dark reddish brown color. Amber. Fantastic head that is thick, milky and dense. This head sticks around throughout. Thank you nitro can!

S: Sweet malts, caramel and slightly fruity

T: Definitely get that butterscotch then immediately hit with a roasted malty backbone. Finishes with a nice bitterness.

M: Thin and lots of smoothness from the head

O: This is a nutty and very clean beer. Much better than I anticipated.

Serving type: nitro-can

10-18-2011 01:37:56 | More by tony223366

chinchill

South Carolina

3.74/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

440ml can of Old Speckled Hen was poured into a .6L Austrian mug. Lots of foam from the nitro can; in fact, I was left with a glass completely full of creamy, dense off-white foam .. no liquid!. {And no problems with overflow either}. This settled after a few minutes to a fine looking clear amber liquid with about 2 fingers of exceptionally creamy looking head. This remaining head had excellent durability, with nearly a finger high amount still left when all the liquid had been drained.

Aroma: The beer smells of toasted caramel malt with hints of hops and brown sugar.

Mouthfeel: exceptionally smooth and creamy! Medium body.

The flavor features caramel malt with some over-matched hops, although reaching a nice sweet/bitter balance. Trace of over-cooked flavor, probably from the malt.

O - Old Speckled Hen is a fine English pale ale. It exceeded my expectations. This style, however, is overall underwhelming and hard to get excited about.
Paired well with Mexican food.

Serving type: nitro-can

09-27-2011 00:24:48 | More by chinchill

chocosushi

Oklahoma

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

First Nitro-Can not consumed straight from the Can.
440ml->Young's Pint
A ~ One of the finest looking UK beers I have ever seen. The "Fall" effect is a joy to watch. Carbonation is in rows with the head literally not going anywhere. Lacing is akin to heavy cream.

S ~ White bread, Barley, & Oak leaves..not much else. A bit of banana skin.

T ~ Buttered bread & Banana Bread notes ... There's savory toffee & walnuts as well with hints of vanilla-cream. Leafy/Organic flavors similar to spinach or tobacco are also abundant. I'm reminded of of pepper & dried apricot, but these are mostly just whispers in the background.

M ~ Nice creamy texture that is butter-like, while remaining the thin feel of an English pale. At times the nitro was a bit off, I must admit.

D ~ Session level beer with tons of flavor & a pretty decent price tag. Check it out if you haven't had it (out of the can). Even if you don't prefer English brews, this is still a must-try.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-28-2011 01:43:06 | More by chocosushi

flagmantho

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 14.9oz nitro can into a pint glass.

Appearance: beer is a rich orange hue with a huge creamy cascading nitro head. What you'd expect from a nitro widget but I like the color as well.

Smell: rich caramel malt aroma with a touch of sweetness and a touch of biscuit. I like it.

Taste: sweet caramelly malt with a little bit of a dryer backend. Nice balanced bitterness as well, with just a little bit of an earthy hop flavor coming through. Good stuff.

Mouthfeel: medium body with that nitro creaminess. I love a good creamy body, but the nitro just seems ... unnatural. I would like to try this some time on just CO2.

Overall: tasty beer which I would like to try on draught or just on CO2 sometime. Quite refreshing and satisfying.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-13-2011 02:14:41 | More by flagmantho

tdm168

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can.

Pours a deep amber with large amounts of foamy head. Head develops much like a Guinness. Smells of caramel malt. Taste is creamy bordering on soapy with a slight sweet malt. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

I'm glad I tried a this classic, but not sure I'd seek it out again.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-22-2011 17:32:13 | More by tdm168