Clark's Dark Mild
Termini Brewing

I’ve been seeing more milds in the Puget Sound region lately. This is a welcome addition to our regional beer roster. The style is diversely expressed (if not hard to define) and suffers from a lame nomenclature courtesy of its English heritage. (Why on earth to those Brits insist on naming beers “bitter” or “mild”? Americans would never have come up with the name “mild” for a beer. Might as well try to sell us something called “meek” or “effete.”)

But in a culture that too easily indulges extremes, a good mild is a welcome diversion. Speedway’s Clark’s Dark Mild is casual and dignified with a prominent malt presence comparable to a brown ale, restrained bittering, and a casual flavor profile affixed to a fully contoured body. Its 4.5% ABV compares to those corn lagers we were weaned on. But its character and eager maltiness surpass anything in St. Louis.

Clark’s Dark is deep brown, just a shade less than black. It’s still a mild in the sense of engineered restraint. But it sure is easy to drink.