Morland's Old Speckled Hen (Nitro v. Bottle)

In November of 2003, I had a bottle of Old Speckled Hen presented to me as a sample. I wrote these notes on that clear glass bottling:


Bronze color, nice white head.
Aroma: not to my liking, puts me off, cloyingly sweet, tinny, flinty, just not right...
Taste: small hops, mellow mouthfeel, light body, some slight maltiness, drinkable, downable, but altogether unexciting.
Not my cup of tea at all. I can get why it's so popular (been showing up on numerous taplines these past few years), for those who enjoy the untroubled and the uninteresting, but I can't forgive that awful smell, and will pass on this one from here on out.

So, now let's try on on nitro-tap, lo, some 11 1/2 years later...

Clear and copper-colored, creamy head, looking great.

soft aromatics, herbal and slightly floral, hints of what I called "flinty" in the bottle. Is there diacetyl lurking below? Just a little bit of buttery.

Taste: A little buzz of hops. A brief bit of malt. Sweetness, bitterness, moisture. It's wet and you can drink it. Hints of fruit, grass, flowers....glimpses of caramel malt. Body is medium, finish is brief, forgettable.

Reading the old review, I remember my disappointment in that bottle. On tap. I get what it's supposed to be, but it's just not my cup of tea. (wait, I already said that). A very mild version of an English pale ale that I can't get excited about. Somebody likes it, though, or it wouldn't be here.