Morland Old Speckled Hen (Cask)

Formerly brewed at Greene King
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Bury St. Edmunds, England

Serve in English pint

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minimal aroma, sweetness with poor head and skunky flavor, unbalanced hops ( hate white bottles)

Jun 2010: Drank in my bedroom at the ’Olde Talbot Inn’, Worcester (a Greene King owned hotel). Amber/brown, clear and bright. The head was thin with large bubbles. It wasn’t long before the white foam had turned into a collar only, although some good lacing followed the beer down the glass. The smell was minimal, some sweetish malts and hints of hops, but not a lot of anything. The taste was sweetish too, mildly treacle in feel, but not sickly in any way. Mid-body strenght, it carried its self well. It will never be a favourite of mine, but it was a fine pint as usual.

First tasted this in Coanes, Johnstone in November 1993. Cask, handpump dispense. Clear pale reddish amber in colour with a thin creamy white head. Hint of warm oven baked bread and hop flowers. Creamy but resiny mouthfeel and good lacing. Pale malt complex gives a spicy almost gingerbread like base with tart redcurrant and pommegranate fruit. Strong hop presence in the long aftertaste with metallic and leather tasting resins imparting a rough earthy edge to the back of the throat. Warming malty finish with dry oak cask, leather, walnuts and liquorice notes giving a dry moreish flavour long in the mouth. A decent session ESB and well recommended.

amber/yellow colour, with small white head and a fruity aroma. taste is full bodied and hoppy, with a balanced bitterness running through. there are some fruit/caramel flavours in there, but its all a bit thin. quite drinkable though.

I’ve had this in bottles quite often, but this is a review of a couple of pints from the Craster Arms in Beadnell Northumberland: they were clear amber with a thin fading white head. I always find this quite fruity and resiny with a good hop balance. I have to say the reduced carbonation in the cask version improved the experience for me.

Cockney Pub, Aarhus, DK. Cask. Golden with small head. Aroma is very perfumed with hops. Flavor is unbalanced malt and hop spices

UPDATED: JUN 27, 2009 This brew palates like a cheap Merlot, flavor is bitter and fairly hopy, kinda reminds me of a entry level IPA. Not sure what I think of this beer, try it, just don’t buy stock in it.

Nice malty aroma with hints of bread and caramel. Good bitterness and a quite robust malty flavor. I love it.

Cask. Slightly hazy amber, 1cm tan head, some lacing. Aroma is sweet grapefruit, toffee malts, fruit. Flavour is all hops at first, then mellows out with toffee and nutty malts. Fairly long, sweet, malty finish. Mouthfeel was great, very smooth, medium, almost thick body with just the right amount of carbonation to make it refreshing.

Tap at Hole in the Wall, A’dam. Amber taste. Very smooth. With caramel flavours. Not so bitter after all.