Old Speckled Jen....I mean Hen

So really, is there anything better on a Friday night than homemade pizza and a cold beer? That was the question we tackled last night. The answer - no, there is nothing better. Of course, the pizza was fabulous, which may have made the beer better, but still, we enjoyed the combo.

So, enough about the pizza, we're here to talk about the brew. We picked up one bottle of this English beer on a trip to VA to visit Wegman's. The name, which is in "quotes" by the way, jumped out at me from the shelf - "Old Speckled Hen." I had to have it. We've had it chilling a while, but last night was the night to enjoy it.

First we had to have some discussion. Both Mark and I claimed it as our own. It was finally decided that we could share it a bit, although Mark claimed more in the end, largely because I had already had a Rolling Rock earlier and didn't want to put the dog to bed and have the children go in the yard to pee. (Know what I'm sayin'?)

At first, the descriptive words were these: oaky, malty, a bit heavy. Then Mark read the bottle. Here's what it says....

"FIRST BREWED TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MG CAR FACTORY AND AFFECTIONATELY NAMED AFTER AN OLD MG CAR USED AS A FACTORY RUNAROUND - 'THE OWLD SPECKLED UN'."

The descriptive words immediately changed to include: steely, rubber-tirery, woody with a hint of car leather and rear view mirror.

I hope we get the hang of this reviewing thing.....