Old Master Hen 2025 Vintage
Greene King / Morland Brewery

Copenhagen 31/12 2025. 50 cl bottle in clear class from Private Selection, Rødovre Centrum, Rødovre. Comes in a inaccessible cardboard box to signify that it is “Vintage”.

Very foamy when I pour. Pours slightly unclear amber with a big white head. Stable. Settles as an uneven and lumpy layer of foam almost managing to cover the surface of the beer. Clinging to the sides of the glass. Substantial lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet toasted and malty odor mingling with tart and sourish notes. Toasted bread, caramel and toffee. Orange jam. Tart currants.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, smooth, gently tingling texture.

Flavor is fairly intense with a medium strong sweetness followed by a slightly more moderate sourish bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter with a tart streak. Lingers for a while. Finish is quite dry.

A foamy but pleasant drink.

Deep dark amber colour with a creamy head.
Aroma: cream, toffee, malt, caramel, some bread, citrus and spices.
Taste: malt, toffee, caramel, spices, some syrupy bread. Sweet, balanced with a medium-light bitterness and some citrus.

Blind-tasted for the rating/review:
L- A lovely deep chestnut brown, clear, with a 3mm off-white head.
S- Quite mild, a scent of timber.
T- Deep roasted, a notably toasted aspect, some bright punchy (trad) hops keeping things in balance. It is certainly notably bold; leaving a hoppy-zing across my palate. As a comparison the hops are dryer/punchier than say Abbot Reserve or Fullers 1845.
F- Well put together, net-net comes out on the dryer side.
O- It's a big+bold beer, for me it is for slow sippin', it's too punchy to rush.
Bought from Waitrose, 500ml bottle £4.50 reduced price on a Father's Day promo.
------- rating/review now written I'll check the packaging. Note: It's in fancy gift packaging, with mucho info on it. 'Small batch strong ale, bottle conditioned. BB Apr-27. Brewed in Bury St Edmunds - Oh of course Greene King now own Morland. I was in BuryStE 2-3 days ago and as usual looked accross the town to the brewery towers. Perhaps I can visit another time... ? 'English hops, rich flavour full of citrus fruit with a hint of spice' etc.

Clear glass. Bottle conditioned. A careful pour produces a transparent chestnut/amber beer with a thin, off white, tight head.
It smells of fresh dark autumn fruits and toffee malt and something akin to candy floss.
A sweet rumptof flavour with a bit of earthiness. Hints of tobacco. A mild bitter finish.
The conditioning provides a soft carbonation and something very close to cask. Medium to full bodied.
Will probably age for a couple of years but not much more.