Brew Review: Old Speckled Hen

A local bar in NYC I stumbled into recently had Old Speckled Hen, an English Pale Ale I’ve never even heard of, let alone tasted. Being the beer lover I am, I was intrigued – and thirsty for it.

By John

Being a nitro-tapped beer, Old Speckled Hen pours rich and smooth, boasting a pale amber color with the best head I’ve encountered since my ex. The scent is buttery with a hint of toasted hops – a highly inviting combination.

Luckily, the taste matches the smell: a malty, deep caramel flavor is apparent at first, followed by a sweet butter aftertaste.

All that is fine and dandy, but it’s the low carbonation that hoists this Hen above the rest. With no bitterness to speak of, Old Speckled Hen goes down easier than, yes, my aforementioned ex. (Ok, ok – I’ll drop the ex thing now.)

While it can be a bit pricey I still give a warm recommendation to Old Speckled Hen. It’s extremely well-bodied with a great finish, like…oh forget it.

Old Speckled Hen stats:

Smells like: buttery, toasted toffee

Tastes like: caramel and malt…caramalt (awesome, right?)

Alcohol content: 5.20%, with low carbonation – a smooth operator