Mike throws down another challenge for himself. This time, he continues his exploration into low alcohol by volume beers that pack a high level of flavor. His journey leads him to brew an English Dark Mild beer. This path allows him to reinvestigate Fuggles, the English hop variety that he claims he does not like.

Does this beer change his mind about the hop variety?

What is his overall opinion of the beer?

Will he quit homebrewing altogether?

Find out in this video!

Mike and His Mild!

Well, that got dramatic.

First of, let’s dive into the recipe.

Low ABV Dark Mild Beer Recipe

Batch Size: 3.5 gallons

Grains:
Golden Promise Malt – 79% of the bill
Carastan Malt (35°L) – 7% of the bill
Crisp Chocolate Malt (450°L) – 7% of the bill
Amber Malt (27°L) – 7% of the bill

Hops:
Fuggles hops (4% AA) added at 60 minutes to go in the boil for 24 IBUs
0.5 0unce (14 g) of Fuggles hops (4% AA) added at 15 minutes to go in boil
0.5 0unce (14 g) of Fuggles hops (4% AA) added at flameout

Yeast:
Mangrove Jacks M15 Empire Ale Yeast (chosen for its low attenuation)
Hops: Fuggles

Process:
Mash Temperature: About 155-156°F to preserve body

Results:
Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity: Around 1.015
ABV: Approximately 3.8%

What Did We Think?

At first glance, this beer has a dark brown, near black appearance. The aroma was filled with slight roast and toast notes. The beer’s flavor components showed off its strong roasted malt foundation along with some chocolate overtones.

This dark mild beer reminds us of other low ABV experiments. We get a sense that the absence of alcohol brings forth more of the malt flavors.

Sadly, this beer does not change Mike’s mind about Fuggles. He still thinks they are too earthy for his liking. Oh well – more for us.

BREW ON!