Old Speckled Hen Fails to Impress Jul 07 '05    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Refrigerators LG LFX28978 (27.6 cu. ft.) Bottom Freezer French Door Refrigerator From $1250 Avanti Ewc-1201 Wine Cooler From $111 The Bottom Line This beer isn't the best English export and its skunky aroma is unappetizing. But the canned version might be acceptable. England is known for making many great beer products. It is home to Samuel Smith, Young’s, and many other breweries that rank high among my list of import favorites. Among the many breweries in England, Morland Brewing is one of the more successful in terms of exports to other countries. And it is best known for its flagship product, Old Speckled Hen, an English ale. Basic Characteristics of This Beer: This beer has a light orange/red color and a clear body. The foam level is average/low with tightly packed bubbles. The aroma of this beer is a little bit fruity and a little bit like caramelized sugar, with some skunkiness that makes it less appetizing. The flavors present in this beer include caramel, toffee, and just a touch of fruitiness up front. When the finish hits, the palate is greeted with some earthy hop tanginess that is bitter, but only slightly. The aftertaste of this product is metallic and malty- sweet. Morland brews this beer using pale malt and crystal malt, along with challenger hops and Goldings hops. The final product has an alcohol level of 5.2 percent by volume. Food Compatibility: If you must look for food to consume with this beer, then I recommend pizza, cheese, fish, and salty snack foods. It isn’t the most complex beer in the world, so it matches up best with simple food items. Final Thoughts: Old Speckled Hen is one of England’s best- known export products. Named after a classic MG automobile that was often referred to as “Owld Speckled Un”, Old Speckled Hen was brewed to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of this classic car. This beer is pretty well- balanced and it has a thinner body than most other English ale. I was surprised when I read some facts about this beer via the internet and discovered that they consider this a version of a pale ale. Of course, what the English refer to as pale ale and what we Americans brew and sell as pale ale are two different things. Still, compared to other English pale ale, this beer didn’t really seem to fit the bill. And it’s a little lighter than what I prefer in this style. Old Speckled Hen isn’t too difficult to find if you live in the Eastern U.S. If your residence is in the West, then you might have some difficulty tracking down a bottle. West of the Mississippi, this beer is a rarity, with California ranking as one of the few places you can find it for sale. Probably the main reason that I don’t like this beer as much as I should is because of the skunky aroma and taste, thanks mainly to the clear bottle used for bottling. This is a common occurrence with clear and green bottles and I don’t know why manufacturers continue to bottle beer with anything other than a brown bottle. I have been told that Old Speckled Hen is also sold in a nitro can. Based on my experience with other beer packaged in this manner, I would bet that the nitro can version tastes better. With its thin body, skunked aroma and taste, and ordinary attributes, Old Speckled Hen is not one of the British Isles better exports. I’m going to rate this beer 2 out of 5 stars because even though it has some obviously negative qualities, it still remains well- balanced and easy enough to drink. The nitro can version might be a little better, and the beer probably tastes pretty good served fresh from a tap. But the bottled variety is not very distinct or appetizing, and I don’t recommend making a purchase.

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