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Brown British Beer / 13A

Dark Mild

Unfiltered BJCP Styles Style Profile

Official BJCP guideline sections attached for full style exploration.

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Source
BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines

Overall Impression

A dark, low-gravity, malt-focused British session ale readily suited to drinking in quantity. Refreshing, yet flavorful for its strength, with a wide range of dark malt or dark sugar expression.

Aroma

Low to moderate malt aroma, and may have some fruitiness. The malt expression can take on a wide range of character, which can include caramel, toffee, grainy, toasted, nutty, chocolate, or lightly roasted. Low earthy or floral hop aroma optional. Very low diacetyl optional.

Appearance

Copper to dark brown or mahogany color. Generally clear, although is traditionally unfiltered. Low to moderate off-white to tan head; retention may be poor.

Flavor

Generally a malty beer, although may have a very wide range of malt- and yeast-based flavors (e.g., malty, sweet, caramel, toffee, toast, nutty, chocolate, coffee, roast, fruit, licorice, plum, raisin) over a bready, biscuity, or toasty base. Can finish sweet to dry. Versions with darker malts may have a dry, roasted finish. Low to moderate bitterness, enough to provide some balance but not enough to overpower the malt in the balance. Moderate fruity esters optional. Low hop flavor optional. Low diacetyl optional.

Mouthfeel

Light to medium body. Generally low to medium-low carbonation. Roast-based versions may have a light astringency. Sweeter versions may seem to have a rather full mouthfeel for the gravity. Should not be flat, watery, or thin.

Comments

Most are low-gravity session beers around 3.2%, although some versions may be made in the stronger (4%+) range for export, festivals, seasonal or special occasions. Generally served on cask; session-strength bottled versions don’t often travel well. A wide range of interpretations are possible. Pale (medium amber to light brown) versions exist, but these are even more rare than dark milds; these guidelines only describe the modern dark version.

Characteristic Ingredients

Pale British base malts (often fairly dextrinous), crystal malt, dark malts or dark sugar adjuncts, may also include adjuncts such as flaked maize, and may be colored with brewer’s caramel. Characterful British ale yeast. Any type of hops, since their character is muted and rarely is noticeable.

Style Comparison

Some versions may seem like lower-gravity modern English Porters. Much less sweet than London Brown Ale.

Vital Statistics

IBU
10 - 25
SRM
14 - 25
OG
1.030 - 1.038
FG
1.008 - 1.013
ABV
3% - 3.8%

Commercial Examples

  • Brain’s Dark
  • Greene King XX Mild
  • Hobson’s Champion Mild
  • Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde
  • Moorhouse Black Cat
  • Theakston Traditional Mild

Style Attributes

british-isles brown-ale-family dark-color malty session-strength top-fermented traditional-style

Similar Styles: How to Tell Them Apart

Use these guideline-based sensory contrasts to organize comparative tasting practice.

These dark British and Irish ales can overlap in chocolate, coffee, caramel, toast, fruit, and low hop aroma. Dark Mild is the lowest-gravity and most malt-variable, English Porter adds moderate substance and restrained chocolate roast, and Irish Extra Stout is black, fuller, more bitter, and decisively coffee-and-dark-chocolate driven.

Compare with: 13C. English Porter; 15C. Irish Extra Stout

By aroma

  • Dark Mild has low to moderate malt with a broad range of caramel, toffee, toast, nuts, chocolate, or light roast, but at lower intensity than English Porter or Irish Extra Stout.
  • Fruit may be present and earthy or floral hops stay low, while the overall aroma remains malt-focused.
  • Coffee or roast can occur, but it should not create the dominant coffee-like stout profile.

By taste

  • Dark Mild has the lowest gravity, alcohol, body, and bitterness of the trio, even when its dark-malt flavors seem broad.
  • It can finish sweet to dry with caramel, toffee, fruit, licorice, chocolate, coffee, or roast over a bready base.
  • English Porter has more substance and roast, while Irish Extra Stout is fuller, blacker, more bitter, and more consistently coffee-led.

Quick tell: Low strength and gentle bitterness beneath varied dark malt identify Dark Mild.

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