Your first English Mild

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by patto1ro, Jul 24, 2012.

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  1. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Wha..? But isn't a Bitter part of the Ale family? And no, this isn't one of those: "It has to be an Ale if it's top-fermented." questions, I thought Bitter fell into the English Ale "category" (of course, I thought Mild did too...).

    How would one discern between a "Mild Ale" and a "Mild Bitter?"
     
    #41 steveh, Jul 26, 2012
  2. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    Bitter is derived from the beer family.To this day we talk about bitter beer and mild ale.A mild bitter would be a running beer (not aged i.e. served mild) with high hopping.
    There are some top fermented beers which are not ales. But a section of beergeekdom has decided unilaterally to redefine ale as top fermented beer. That's where generalisations and assumptions take you.
     
    #42 marquis, Jul 26, 2012
  3. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (2,084) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah

    Mild is being used as an adjective meaning "young". The first Pale Ales were Stock beers, aged for many months. In the second half of the 19th century a new type appeared, called variously Light Bitter, Light Bitter Ale, Dinner Ale, AK, Light Pale Ale, Luncheon Ale and many other things. Sold young, these were described as Mild Bitters or Running Bitters.

    Mild Ale was Ale sold young. As opposed to Old or Stock Ale.

    Mild - the age of the beer. Pale ale and Ale - the type of beer.

    What was the difference between Pale Ale and Ale? Pale Ale used better-quality pale malt, usually as pale as possible. It also had a lot more hops* and better quality ones. Plus dry-hopping, which wasn't always the case with Ale.


    * An example. In the 1870's Whitbread's Family Ale had 50% more hops than their X Ale, even though the X Ale had a higher gravity.
     
    #43 patto1ro, Jul 26, 2012
  4. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah


    Weren't we talking 21st century? Or are you saying that the same designations carry over? Not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand.
     
    #44 steveh, Jul 26, 2012
  5. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    You forget, my friend, I'm one of those who chooses not to call my top-fermented Hefeweizen an ale. :wink:
     
    #45 steveh, Jul 26, 2012
  6. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    You, sir, are one of the enlightened ones .:slight_smile:
     
    #46 marquis, Jul 26, 2012
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