Searching For the elusive Dark Mild

Back at GBBF last August, Mild (3.6%) from Penzance Brewing Co. won the lofty accolade of Supreme Champion Beer of Britain. You’d thought by now that the popularity of Dark Mild was increasing, yet unlike other beer styles it remains hard to find in pubs. Although in the past decade it has made a resurgence, in London alone only a dozen or so pubs sell dark mild regularly on tap, these include several Samuel Smiths houses, a couple of Fuller’s pubs (The Harp – Covent Garden, Ye Old Mitre – Holborn); The Wenlock Arms, Hoxton; The Bohemia, Finchley and two Harvey’s Pubs (The Royal Oak – Borough, The Cat’s Back – Wandsworth) for instance. During my extensive travels to pubs around London over the last year I only encountered a Dark Mild on tap only a handful of times. Back in January, during a visit to the Dog & Bell, Deptford; at the far end of its impressive cask line-up was a rather dejected looking Marble Mild (4.1%) – Marble Beer Co., which was missing its pump clip, so the staff had to make do with a makeshift one scrawled in chalk instead; this hardly would attract punters into buying pints of this beer. A few months later during the Mild May month, a scheme set up by CAMRA to encourage more pubs to sell Dark Mild, I encountered Black Swan Mild (3.9%) – Vale at The Mossy Well, Muswell Hill; a sprawling two-storey branch of the Wetherspoon’s empire that is often packed to the rafters. Despite it being a busy Friday evening, I was determined to order a pint of mild. Despite its relative low strength, it had rich roasted flavours with a nutty chocolatey quality seeping through on the backend. Having often been sceptical of this beer style, I was quite surprised by the quality of this brew.

 Later that same month, I tried Flying the Mags (3.4%) – London Brewing Co. following a tour of their brewery based within their headquarters at the Bohemia, Finchley. Originally sold as a May special, it has recently gone onto become a regular along the permanent cask selection. Although it was on the weak side, it made up for this shortfall with its rich and flavoursome roasted malt notes with a whisp of caramel in the background, it is easy to see why this beer has become a popular draw with customers. Towards the end of Summer, during a flying visit to the Plume of Feather’s, Greenwich; I saw by chance some Black Prince (3.9%) – Wantsum; named after Prince Edward of Woodstock (the eldest son of King Edward III) who was supposedly known for his black shield and brutal manner in battle, whichever theory stands. Conversely, this beer was not as fearsome as it’s namesake, it was relatively mild in flavour with only a dash of malt holding up the rear, making hardly anything to rave about. This beer was sold a guest ale, indeed quite a number of free houses, micropubs and craft tap-rooms around London occasionally sell a Dark Mild on guest, though the instances of finding one is relatively scarce. For some time now, I’ve been aware that The Royal Oak in Borough sells Dark Mild (3%) – Harvey’s regularly on cask, though I have seldom tried it during my many visits to this place. On this occasion, feeling a little worse for wear following a hefty luncheon at M. Manze, I sought to placate my jaded appetite with a half of something light. This beer was reassuringly light in body, though oddly creamy in mouthfeel, I could sense some nutty malt flavours coming through, despite its low-strength. It was a worthy brew that could easily hold it own against its stronger contemporaries along Harvey’s eclectic range of beers.

It dawned on me that day why some people are attracted to this beer style; while it may be low in the ABV department, it more than makes up for it with its distinctly malty flavours, which is reflective of the brewer’s craft. It is the ultimate easy drinking beer, yet in a city dominated by session bitters, roasty dark and mysterious stouts and hop-forward citrussy IPA’s, the whereabouts of the Dark Mild remain elusive. It was once described by one commentator as the forgotten beer style, and that label has sadly since stuck. It seems its resurgence among brewers in the past decade has become futile in the sea of intense competition from other beer styles. People may lark on about the likes of Mild May month all they like, yet this initiative has hardly led to revival of popularity for this style. Like the shy and elusive Bittern that occasionally stalks the Norfolk broads, for much of the year the humble Dark Mild only sporadically appears on a tap in any given pub that does cask, and until there is an unexpected uptick it will remain that way.