Old Speckled Hen

Old Speckled Hen

Today has been a great day. About a month ago, I placed an order at a local beer store here in Oxford (Mississippi that is, not in the UK) that specializes in obtaining beers that few have heard of (here in the US anyway). Well, I didn't believe they would be able to obtain my old friend from the UK, quite possibly the best ale in the world, Old Speckled Hen, but a good friend of mine told me that they had put out a case of Old Speckled Hen on the shelves of the beer store I've mentioned.

Much to my delight, I go into the afore-mentioned store this afternoon and find that there is my old friend from numerous pub visits in the UK. Even better, the whole case of it was still on the shelf! Needless to say, I bought the lot of it and placed an order for another case next month. The price was much better than I expected it to be, as it was only $11.50 a six pack and $48 and some change for the case.

Now, finally, after a year of beer depression, my large set of pint glasses and half pint glasses that I nicked from the numerous pubs I visited have a use once again!

Consider this thread a "Good News" thread for

Congratulations!

May you get ever more variety of !

With the amount of booze you cosume thedawgfan I do hope your education has not been wasted due to you being found on Skid Row by 25?

Originally posted by rjhowie:

With the amount of booze you cosume thedawgfan I do hope your education has not been wasted due to you being found on Skid Row by 25?

Absolutely not Mr. Howie.

As a Scouser once told me, "A pint or 4 a day keeps the docs away".

Only keeps them at bay for a time but when you are older it catches up with you. The NHS has to deal with massive numbers of people unable to be social drinkers. With everyday, ordianry worling class areas such as Liverpool and others it is a particular history. I don't need any Dutch courage or such to stir or be able to speak at a meeting, rally or whatever. Comes naturally but there again I live HERE!

Hmm, I dimply remember seeing that stuff on this side of the atlantic. Might have been at Albertson's back in FL though.
That said, we checked out some of those 'healthy food' stores that popped up around here lately, and much to my delight they had a nice selection of imported and craft beers ( including a couple german ones I've never seen in the US before ), with build-your-own-sixpack for $8.99. Still ridiculously expensive compared to .de but at least we know where to get decent beer now.

Originally posted by Macallan:

but at least we know where to get decent beer now.

Indeed.

Probably going to have to put in another order for a strangely named ale from Southern England. Will have to remember the name first though.

Originally posted by thedawgfan:

Probably going to have to put in another order for a strangely named ale from Southern England. Will have to remember the name first though.

'strangely named' applies to about 70% of them as far as I can tell

Originally posted by thedawgfan:

Originally posted by Macallan:

but at least we know where to get decent beer now.

Indeed.

Probably going to have to put in another order for a strangely named ale from Southern England. Will have to remember the name first though.

Tanglefoot?Fosslefuel?Piddle?

I have to admit to wanting to try an American brew. At least I think it's American. "Moose Drool" ale, from Big Sky Brewing. I delivered enough of it, never drank any. I have no idea if it's great, so-so or junk.

mjsmsprt40 - with a name like that it's bound to yours. ha, ha.

Originally posted by mjmsprt40:

I have to admit to wanting to try an American brew. At least I think it's American. "Moose Drool" ale, from Big Sky Brewing. I delivered enough of it, never drank any. I have no idea if it's great, so-so or junk.

It's pretty good.

Originally posted by Macallan:

... at least we know where to get decent beer now.

Not if it's in Florida. Not really. You might get a few decent beers, but Florida is under the thumb of evil as far as beer is concerned. Can you get out of Florida in some direction where beer is free to roam? Try! It's worth it!

Originally posted by Macallan:

Originally posted by thedawgfan:

Probably going to have to put in another order for a strangely named ale from Southern England. Will have to remember the name first though.

'strangely named' applies to about 70% of them as far as I can tell

Or more!

Try "Dead Guy" by Rogue. "World Wide Stout" by Dogfish Head. "Fred" by Hair of the Dog. "Arrogant Bastard" by Stone. "Wilco Tango Foxtrot" by Lagunitas. "The Wise" by Elysian. ... Many a good beer is oddly named.

Originally posted by aefields:

Originally posted by Macallan:

... at least we know where to get decent beer now.

Not if it's in Florida. Not really. You might get a few decent beers, but Florida is under the thumb of evil as far as beer is concerned. Can you get out of Florida in some direction where beer is free to roam? Try! It's worth it!

I left FL years ago
( and yes, I tried Dead Guy Ale. What I'm missing here is actual Bock beer ( nobody from .de would recognize any of the 'bock' 'beer' you can get here as such although some of it would qualify as halfway decent ale ) and there's nowhere near enough wheat ale, neither in quantity nor in variety )

No bokbier? (hey, we brew it in the Netherlands and Belgium too )

Originally posted by string:

Originally posted by thedawgfan:

Originally posted by Macallan:

but at least we know where to get decent beer now.

Indeed.

Probably going to have to put in another order for a strangely named ale from Southern England. Will have to remember the name first though.

Tanglefoot?Fosslefuel?Piddle?

Ah yes, that's it String! Tanglefoot.

Many thanks to you for reminding me of the name of that most excellent !

Originally posted by Macallan:

I left FL years ago

I missed that event.


Now, on the subject of bocks: the best I've ever had is from Spaten. Also, there are some good American bocks and doppelbocks. Not as good as Spaten, but still very good.

Hmmm... I don't much like wheat beer. Maybe that is why.
So, tell me, what is a wheat beer that might make me love wheat?

Originally posted by aefields:

So, tell me, what is a wheat beer that might make me love wheat?

Judging by what you posted about your taste in beer it's either Aventinus or Pikantus. Less alcoholic - Erdinger or Schneider or Franziskaner. Yes, I prefer the dark varieties. On a hot day it's difficult to beat a nice, cool Kristallweizen though

Originally posted by aefields:

Originally posted by Macallan:

I left FL years ago

I missed that event.


Now, on the subject of bocks: the best I've ever had is from Spaten. Also, there are some good American bocks and doppelbocks. Not as good as Spaten, but still very good.

My favourite is Andechs. Or a nice Weizenbock like Aventinus. You'd probably like this or this too

Originally posted by Macallan:

Judging by what you posted about your taste in beer it's either Aventinus or Pikantus

I don't think they sell those here. Perhaps I'll give them a try next time I'm in Germany.

Originally posted by Macallan:

Less alcoholic - Erdinger or Schneider or Franziskaner. Yes, I prefer the dark varieties. On a hot day it's difficult to beat a nice, cool Kristallweizen though

I like all of those.

Based on the things Macallan is posting, here's something Belgian you might like: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48/2497

Originally posted by thedawgfan:

Now, finally, after a year of beer depression, my large set of pint glasses and half pint glasses that I nicked from the numerous pubs I visited have a use once again!

A common thief and proud of it! For shame, Sirrah!

Well the way things are maybe he has got desperate?

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Macallan:

Judging by what you posted about your taste in beer it's either Aventinus or Pikantus

I don't think they sell those here. Perhaps I'll give them a try next time I'm in Germany.

Should be relatively common in the south. I haven't seen them on this side of the atlantic so far but there has to be a specialty store somewhere that imports them

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Macallan:

Less alcoholic - Erdinger or Schneider or Franziskaner. Yes, I prefer the dark varieties. On a hot day it's difficult to beat a nice, cool Kristallweizen though

I like all of those.

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Based on the things Macallan is posting, here's something Belgian you might like: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/48/2497

If I get a chance
Belgian beer isn't all that easy to get in .de ( well, by that I mean mostly Berlin ) either - usually all you can find is some sort of ( usually cherry ) lambic in specialty stores. Occasionally you can get stuff like Delirium Tremens but that's about it.

Originally posted by Macallan:

Should be relatively common in the south. I haven't seen them on this side of the atlantic so far but there has to be a specialty store somewhere that imports them

The Rhine-Ruhr area is probably the most likely candidate for a visit. On the plus side I won't have to deal with those weird southern accents.

Originally posted by Macallan:

Belgian beer isn't all that easy to get in .de ( well, by that I mean mostly Berlin ) either - usually all you can find is some sort of ( usually cherry ) lambic in specialty stores. Occasionally you can get stuff like Delirium Tremens but that's about it.

Delirium Tremens is decent.

Originally posted by rjhowie:

Well the way things are maybe he has got desperate?

He's from Mississippi. That explains it.

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Macallan:

Should be relatively common in the south. I haven't seen them on this side of the atlantic so far but there has to be a specialty store somewhere that imports them

The Rhine-Ruhr area is probably the most likely candidate for a visit. On the plus side I won't have to deal with those weird southern accents.

I've been there exactly once
That said, your bog standard supermarket probably won't have this kind of beer but something slightly fancier like the kind of grocery department you'd find in more upscale department stores just might.

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Macallan:

Belgian beer isn't all that easy to get in .de ( well, by that I mean mostly Berlin ) either - usually all you can find is some sort of ( usually cherry ) lambic in specialty stores. Occasionally you can get stuff like Delirium Tremens but that's about it.

Delirium Tremens is decent.

Had it once or twice - not bad but not worth the price difference to something like Andechs ( in .de that is, things are probably different in .be with the imported vs. domestic roles reversed )

Originally posted by jbrothernew37:

Originally posted by rjhowie:

Well the way things are maybe he has got desperate?

He's from Mississippi. That explains it.

I'm stuck in TN, I need to use that excuse more often

Originally posted by Macallan:

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Macallan:

Should be relatively common in the south. I haven't seen them on this side of the atlantic so far but there has to be a specialty store somewhere that imports them

The Rhine-Ruhr area is probably the most likely candidate for a visit. On the plus side I won't have to deal with those weird southern accents.

I've been there exactly once
That said, your bog standard supermarket probably won't have this kind of beer but something slightly fancier like the kind of grocery department you'd find in more upscale department stores just might.

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Macallan:

Belgian beer isn't all that easy to get in .de ( well, by that I mean mostly Berlin ) either - usually all you can find is some sort of ( usually cherry ) lambic in specialty stores. Occasionally you can get stuff like Delirium Tremens but that's about it.

Delirium Tremens is decent.

Had it once or twice - not bad but not worth the price difference to something like Andechs ( in .de that is, things are probably different in .be with the imported vs. domestic roles reversed )

I know where de is, and I know where be is, but where is vs?

Originally posted by Macallan:

Originally posted by jbrothernew37:

Originally posted by rjhowie:

Well the way things are maybe he has got desperate?

He's from Mississippi. That explains it.

I'm stuck in TN, I need to use that excuse more often

Originally posted by Macallan:

Originally posted by aefields:

Originally posted by Macallan:

I left FL years ago

I missed that event.


Now, on the subject of bocks: the best I've ever had is from Spaten. Also, there are some good American bocks and doppelbocks. Not as good as Spaten, but still very good.

My favourite is Andechs. Or a nice Weizenbock like Aventinus. You'd probably like this or this too

I haven't had Andechs. I'll be looking for it. I think I have an EKU or two in my collection but they were from long ago.
I've tried an Erdinger, but it didn't make a big impression. But haven't had their Weissbier... must find and try it.

Ah... It has been too long since I've been to John's Marketplace in Portland. In fact, that motivates me to find a job so I can go there and drop a couple hundred dollars on beer. I wish you all a place like that: close to a thousand different beers from all the world.

As we know TLA is a three letter acronym, but what should be the acronym for two letter acronyms like .de, .be, vs., TN? What about 2LA?