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do you pack in all that flavour and let the malts sing while ensuring there’s a good mouthfeel and body? It’s tricky. You could go down the route of Sarah Hughes’ 6% Ruby Mild (the beer that lighted my love of the style all those years ago), or crack open Boxcar’s brilliant 6.3% modern iteration. But that is not where my current tastes lie. It’s harder but ultimately more rewarding to brew a lower strength Mild with the same intriguing qualities. The lower abv also makes the beer a perfect one for midweek drinks or Sunday afternoon get-togethers. “When it comes to the brew you want to mash high. Almost at 70C to allow more complex sugars to bulk up the body in the final product. Certain unmodified malts and adjuncts help too. A small but considered hopping is essential alongside a high fermentation temperature for as many fruity esters as possible. Complexity is key in such a seemingly straightforward style! “The beer itself is smooth, fruity, chocolatey and nutty, with Kenyan coffee notes coming to mind. Those berry undertones and vibrant citrus qualities you get from the African coffee bean are present. There’s that subtle acidity too, which melds with the sweetness of the malt to create a toffee apple flavour. Big notes of Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut bars come in waves along with subtle spicy notes. It’s light but not thin. Chestnut brown in colour. The finish has a small bitter hit: the kind the style is famous for. “

3.8%

330ml bottle

Contains barley, oats. Vegan. Less