Ah, Old Speckled Hen.
One of my all time favorite beers. Sure, I love the hoppy goodness of a Northern California IPA, or a barrel aged stout or old ale. But for my money, the beer which always gets first dibs on my palate before an evening of gastrohedonism is the Ol’ Hen.
Many of my beer compatriots scoff. Sure, they give me a hard time about routine, what they consider a “bland, otherwise unremarkable” English bitter. Naysayers, I scoff at thee, for my soft spot for this creamy dram stems from this beer’s sheer subtlety.
Let’s back it up a tick… History lesson, borrowed from the Morland brewery website:
“Old Speckled Hen” was first brewed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Named after an old MG car which was used as the factory run around, they would park the old MG Featherweight Fabric Saloon outside the paint shop where it would normally get spattered in paint and so it became known as the ‘Owld Speckl’d Un’. This turned into “Old Speckled Hen” when the beer was unveiled.
Well isn’t that quaint.
But to really understand this beer, along with other “English” styles, one must congruently place themselves within “English Aesthetics of Beer.” Mark Jilg, brewmaster from Craftsman Brewing in Pasadena, gave a lovely diatribe about the misunderstood nature of sessionable, English-style ales. “Think about English mechanics/aesthetics for a moment… then think about Tea. I mean, really, think about how overcomplicated a simple gesture of tea has become in their lifestyle. Everything from serving temperature, food pairing, brewing technique, pouring technique, proper place setting, even the exact time of day has been over-scrutinized…” His point? When this aesthetic is applied to brewing, we have before us an extremely subtle, subdued, refined beverage, that still bursts with complexity amongst serene settings.
The analogy holds true. Keeping the idea of a perfectly constructed cup of tea in mind, let’s revisit the Old Speckled Hen. The nose isn’t exploding out of the glass, yet a steady, meaningful inhale will reward you with delicate aromas of lavender, bergamot oil, and a touch of toffee. The beer’s nitrogenated draught delivery (AKA the slow pour tap that usually pours Boddington’s or Guiness) creates a luscious, soothing mouthfeel, weighty enough to remove all of the day’s streses as you finally reach your moment of Zen after a long day at the office. The palate is restrained, proper: malt character in the form of buttery shortbread sweetness, orange marmalade-like hop zestiness, all balanced by a floral touch of tea astringency. Lastly, let us not forget “sessionability”. Frankly, I’d rather enjoy several pints of this low 5% ABV beer, rather than sacrificing my circumlocution and conversational prowess to the boozy affects of a 17% stout.
So, bollocks to you beer braggarts, this is one bloody good brew. While I may not particularly enjoy a cup of Darjeeling or Earl Grey, I’ll certainly take a pint of the Ol’ Hen as my mid-afternoon respite from the hustle & bustle of modern living.
PS. Caveat Emptor: Do not, I repeat to NOT attempt to purchase this beer in the clear glass bottle. Unfortunately, their use of clear bottles pretty much guarantees light affected, oxidized beers. No, sirs and madams, to fully appreciate Owld Speckld ‘Un, enjoy a pint on nitro at your local pub, or, if looking for home consumption, go with the draught can with a widget (similar to Guiness or Boddington’s cans).
