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Old Speckled Hen English Pale Ale 5.0%: 24x 500ml (BBD 28/02/22) $72 (Save $72) + Freight ($0 ADL C&C) @ Empire Liquor

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Fully imported English Pale Ale Best Before Dated 28/2/22.
Half price at $72 per carton of 24 x 500mL cans.
Free pickup from Edwardstown, SA or we ship Australia-wide.

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  • +3

    Best before 28 Feb. Sounds like a challenge!

  • I think you couldn't come up with a less "appetizing" can design if you tried.
    Never tried it, can't judge but just my very personal first impression.

    On second thought, probably proof that the content must be pretty good if they get away with this design lol

    • +7

      Seems you don't appreciated tradition like the English. Ask a publican in 'old Blighty' about the ales on tap & you'll hear the tales behind the ales. If you're lucky, they'll give you free samples!

      They would likely be appalled by your lack of understanding of the role of tradition in British ales! But that's a normal reaction by the English to us "colonials" :-)

      The design harks back to the classic MG car badge. The name of this ale commemorates the paint splattered MG at the car factory. It was known as “Owld Speckl’d Un”.
      Old Speckled Hen was first brewed about 35 years ago, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory.

      A great British ale.
      Just close your eyes & think of England🇬🇧
      You're drinking tradition, not an "appetising" design developed by marketing!

      • +1

        Was about to write much the same! This is one of my favourite beers from my country of birth.

        • +1

          Asking the publican about the ales on tap, was a wonderful experience, while travelling in the UK. Such tales of the ales!

          In Penzance, one real ale was brought over by small boat from a tiny brewery on a local island. How could i refuse a pint, after a great story! So memorable!

          Hope to visit again soon🍺

      • -1

        Wrong mate.
        I originally come from Europe and one of the very few things I really miss here in Australia compared to Europe are the rich history and traditions.
        However that design and/or a 50 year time frame isn't something I would immediately associate with with the term "traditional".

        I have worked up in Lancashire for some time and lived in an old Pub, loved every minute of it.
        The Mrs and I have also travelled through England, Wales and Ireland for a couple of weeks. Can't count the number of castles and pubs we visited in the process. So a lack of appreciation for Tradition is definitely not the problem.

        I also said nothing about the quality or the taste ;-)

        • I think if you told British drinkers of Old Speckled Hen they should change the design of the label as its not "appetizing " for people in Australia…
          I think the word "tradition" would be a major part of their argument against that!

          It's not just 35+ years of Old Speckled Hen ale, but it homage to the classic British car badge of 50 years previous.

          Tradition is often more about the feeling evoked in people, rather than the number of years it's been around.

          • @Rather be Travelling: I get your point. Still doesn't make it look more appetizing to me, sorry.
            The entire style of the label, the colours, he writing. I get hat it is all made on purpose this way to reflect certain (traditional) things.
            But none of it makes me say: oh that loos yummy. Maybe it is because all the traditional things: from design to the actual name have a totally different (traditional) background?!
            And when I say appetizing I am not talking about all the modern lolly water designs. But I am also not talking about something that could just as well stand on a workbench along with WD40 and Gaskets stripper (maybe it is because I have used this almost daily for many years LOL) https://sydneytools.com.au/assets/images/products/1/6/3/5/16…

            • @BlueDiesel: The design is not primarily produced for overseas drinkers, more used to modern marketing & styling on their beer labels - to make them think it's "appetizing".

              As you suggest, it doesn't need that.
              It harks back to earlier designs. I'm happy with that "tradition".

              The design would have originally been put on small signage on ale pumps in pubs, not on shiny modern cans for export.

              I've only drunk OSH off tap or bottle - the logo looks more in keeping there.

    • Yoof of today. All style, not substance.

      • And nobody cares to pour into a glass anymore.

        • My logic, as someone with a Chemistry background: Why introduce more potential contaminants and expose it to more air?

          It's already inside the can, so any flavours from that side of things is already too late … Throwing it into a glass, especially one that's just handwashed in a sink or in a mediocre dishwasher instead of an industrial high temperature beer glass washer, just seems like you're doing it for the look moreso than the flavour. The one exception is that if the top of the can has an aluminium smell, which is easily fixed with a light soapy rinse at any point after purchasing and before consumption.

          • @Grazz989: I'd rather drink it from a nice wide glass than through a can opening or bottle neck. Also I can see what I drink and I enjoy a bit of foam.

    • +1

      Talk about judging the book by the cover

      • Not judging, simply sharing my first impression of th can design - which pretty much is the cover.

        That is why I said "Never tried it, can't judge but just my very personal first impression."

        So you would be right if you said I am judging the cover by its cover ;-)

        • Ales are better appreciated by experiencing the taste & aroma.

          The container is soon discarded, but a good ale lingers on the tongue & in memory!

          Merely vewing a label on a screen (as you've done) is not the same as holding it in your hand (preferably in a "traditional" UK pub) - while enjoying this Ale.

          It's one of the most popular "premium ales" in the UK. Am sure the label looks "appetising" to many there!

          Personally, I'm not interested in drinking it from a shiny metal can.
          Only drunk this Ale off the tap on travels, or from the brown bottle - where the logo looks quite different & more at home!

          • -1

            @Rather be Travelling: What's your problem mate? Never seen anyone nagging on like that- too much Ale?

            I simply commented on the design, not the brand, the content or anything.
            I even clearly stated that I cannot comment on it as I never tasted it.

            And here you are and keep carrying on……Go get yourself an Ale and enjoy the arvo!

            • -1

              @BlueDiesel: Go get yourself an Ale and enjoy the arvo!
              I've drunk this Ale!
              Seems you could try this Ale yourself!!

              Better to have an informed knowledge on the Ale, rather than a pointless opinion of the look of the can on your screen!!

              But you still rabbit on about your personal opinion on the can not being "appetizing"!

              Most are interested in the Ale, it's taste, & price. But not you!

  • +2

    really good Ale if you havent tried it., my local stopped selling this along with dozen other british ales after they got taken over by chain store.. sigh..

    • Not good after 28/2!

      • should still be ok probably until at least march, after the best before date its safe to consume just the taste may not be at its best. 1 month or two for alcohol should still taste the same, depending on the type of drinks obviously.

        • +2

          should still be ok probably until at least march

          Well I'd hope so, that's only a day later lol

      • +2

        Perfectly good after 28/02. It's a Pommy ale, not American style ale. It's all about malt & hop bitterness, not the fruity flavours of American ales. The late loses their flavour after a few months. The former start losing their bitterness. The malt flavour continues.

        TLDR: American (Now Australian) Pale Ales are hop driven flavour, that starts to lose it's flavour after ~6mths. English Ales are malt driven flavour (use hops for bitterness), keep their flavour much longer, but start losing bitterness after ~6mths.

  • Bought some UK IPA in last deal, personally i prefer fruity OZ pale ale/IPA

  • Yummo, one of the best beers on this planet.

  • Great English pale ale. However, its crazy how much the RRP is here. You can buy 8 cans for 18 bucks in the UK. This needs to be a lot lower with the BBD so close.

    • Comparing how much beer costs to another country makes no sense, so much of our cost is based on tax. Someone is already losing money on this along the way, the margins are razor thin on beer already.

      • It makes perfect sense to compare.

        Makes you realise the taxes and logistics costs.

        • +1

          Doesn't make sense to compare and then say it should be cheaper. The tax is what it is.

          • @pdtmathieson: I think what you're meaning is it doesn't matter if we have one of the largest excises in the world (3rd, after Norway and Iceland) because it's not going anywhere.

            You can't deny that $53.59/L for >3.5% ABV or $90.78/L for >10% ABV is massive and much more than other similar nations pay.

            • @decc0: Can you share how you came to those figures at the end there? What even are those prices exactly?

              • @Grazz989: Prices pulled from ATO website
                That's the excise per litre of (pure) alcohol. Hence a 40% 700ml whiskey would attract an excise of $25.42, or a case of 5% beer $24.12.

                Doesn't that seem a little bit much to you? It's not even really solving the problem, troublesome teenagers just drink cask wine/goon because it's like $10/4L (wine is taxed on its price, not alcohol content so cheaper wines get taxed less).

                • @decc0: Yeah I totally agree - I was just unaware that you were talking about tax on kites of lure alcohol.

                  No wonder why there's a massive push on midstrength beer at a fractionally cheaper price.

                  Strangely, why isn't there a glut of 10% alcoholic beverages?

            • @decc0: Yes, my point was that you can't blame the brand or the seller for those by saying everything should be cheaper.

  • What would be a comparable Australian beer?

    • Ol' mate furry emu

    • Not many similar Australian beers as it's a real English style, that frankly doesn't sell here. Maybe a Coopers Pale is relatively comparable, quite a malty pale?

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