Sunny day and it's Mild in May...

I do admit to not being a fan of the darker Ales.  I always give them a "Try" and this usually consists of a couple of pulls from my Husbands pint, which usually ends with me screwing my face up, shuddering and exclaiming "yuck!".  A personal joke we always share is that you can gauge how good it actually is by my reaction.  So, when I first saw the promotions for May being the Mild Month I was not really interested.  In fact to be fair, I've not really taken an interest in any of this type of promotion before.  

It was, in fact, a neighbouring branch - Mansfield & Ashfield who are to blame for this.  They invited myself and my Husband to join them for their "Mild Ale Trail".  If I'm completely honest, I was dreading it and spent most of the days running up to it concocting plans on how to get away with drinking something else more palatable without anyone noticing.  I enjoy the company of the Mansfield & Ashfield CAMRA lot, they are good people, it is always good fun and my Hubby prefers darks so I figured it was worth it and I could pretend to drink a few Milds, slip them to the Hubby and sneak an IPA or Best while no one was looking.  To be fair, why would any woman under the age of 60 want to drink Mild anyway, why any man either come to that!?

It's an old mans drink!  

The Brown Cow

So, Saturday arrived.  We stopped off in the Mallard, Worksop for a couple while we awaited the train to Mansfield.   I managed to get in a few non Milds so the day wouldn't be a complete Real Ale loss for me!  After a 20 minute train ride and short walk we arrived at the Brown Cow in Mansfield to meet with the group and our first Mild.  


We were both handed a copy of the Mansfield Ale & Apple which contained the Mild in May collection card as the centrefold - now that sort of centrefold I can get on board with!  The errant Husband was ordering our first Mild in the meantime.  I took a deep breath, I had been too slow to stop him so would have to drink it now.  Raw - Majic Mild 3.2%. I have to admit that my first reaction was not really much different to normal.  I grimaced.  I forced it down, each mouth full to about half way was just unpleasant, I must admit the second part went down much smoother, I found the flavours weren't in my face, in fact, they could be described as quite...mild.  I did amuse myself with this thought for a moment or two.  I should also point out that by this point, this is possibly the most I've ever consumed of a Mild.  I wouldn't say I was loving it, but I wasn't hating it and that rather confused me.  I put it down to chatting with everyone and being distracted.  I came to the same conclusion again when I found myself with an empty glass and debating if there was time for another before we moved on...

The Olde White Lion, aka "The Caves"

So off we set, this band of rag-tag Real Ale troopers, into the bustling throes of Mansfield town centre on a Saturday afternoon! Next stop was "The Caves". I had heard of these, most people in Nottinghamshire have.  What did come as something of a surprise was that it has an actual name - The Olde White Lion.  We ducked into an unassuming side alley and came out into a small courtyard where the troops disappeared into a dark opening in a corner...  I would describe the pub except that it was virtually pitch black in there!  A small light somewhere at the back of the room promised beer so I headed over to it.  It should be noted that all beers are served by gravity - not the brewery, actual gravity, Newton and apples and all that.  This is a cave, an actual cave, there is no fancy cellar, there isn't even lighting!  Gravity is fine by me, I never have an issue with Beer festivals so no issue here either.  Oldershaw Brewery - Grantham Dark 3.6%  was my punishment here... except it wasn't, no grimace came, in fact it went down all too easily, there was plenty of flavour but again it wasn't smacking me in the face, it was more a gentle caressing of the tongue, a brush of caramel here, a touch of malt there and was that fruit?  Perhaps it wasn't a mild after all I thought, it was dark in there, I couldn't actually see what was in my glass too clearly.  Yes, my lovely Husband has probably bought me something better, bless him.

Widow Frost

Next up was the first of the JDWetherspoon's - Widow Frost.   It wasn't a bad pub, certainly large inside and as with all "Spoons" you do need to pack your hiking boots for toilet trips.  The Drink here was Falstaff Brewery - Gauguin 4.4%.  My only complaint here was that the beer was very cold, unpleasantly cold, I had found myself quite disappointed when I was handed it.   There wasn't really anything by way of aroma and taste was actually just watery.  There again it was very cold.  I warmed it a bit with my hands and waited patiently.  While waiting it was explained to me why it is so cold and the explanation,  was more than reasonable.  The upshot being that it is not deliberate and is out of anyones control.  Drinking halves is definitely a must in this pub.  They warm up much faster.  Faster than I expected actually as my drink had transformed while we chatted.  A deep inhale through my nose brought with it an aroma reminiscent of opening a box of Quality Street but with "beer".  As with the aroma, once warned a little the flavours had released and rather than the watery "nothing" I had previously encountered now I had a glass just brimming with flavours.  The generous creamy head mixed with each pull to provide a wonderful experience not dissimilar to eating a light gateaux, but liquid.  The main "Cake" held the deepest flavour, malts and dark toffee, then spattered here and there notes of fruit but the creaminess of the head mixed with the rest to created something magnificent in the mouth, and then, just when you think it can't get better it slowly eased off into an alcoholic finish which reminds you that, yes, this IS alcoholic but again, nothing was "in your face", it was all there but not in a way I'm used to. So subtle yet not understated.  Odd...  I decided the alcohol must be taking effect.

Stag & Pheasant

Skipping ahead (Literally for some), we exited and walked around the corner for the next sticker - The Stag & Pheasant.   Titanic Nautical Mild 4.8% - another confusing one for me.  I tasted it and that was it.  Grimace and shudder.  I almost felt satisfied that I was back to "normal" and disliking them.  I mentioned this and everyone else chorused how wonderful they thought it was, then came the descriptions and one struck me, caramel.  Yes, I recognised that flavour, I took another mouth full, yes, there it was.  Then I found myself following the malty rivers as it went down.  Salted caramel, yes, but also not quite...  Closing my eyes for a moment to concentrate and think about flavours, it was like a calm sea of very lightly salted caramel, here and there a crest of malt loaf would wash over, and then occasional eddies of strong roasted, almost, but not quite burnt caramel set me spinning ... damn, the glass was empty.  I found myself buying another with some eagerness.  I needed to nail these flavours!  This is NOT right, I do not like Mild!  

We all reluctantly left the Stag & Pheasant and headed for the Swan.  I was eager to try another, I had hit the zone.  My taste buds were awake, alert and crying out for more, I know that there is only a limited time at this point before slipping in "beer tongue" where anything and everything will taste good,  so it has to count.  The Mild here was Jennings - Dark Mild 3.1%.  Drinks were cheap, a pint was actually cheaper than a half! It was good and went down quickly, I do admit that on this occasion I didn't really get a chance to enjoy it, although this could be due to the nightclub volume music that suddenly exploded upon us mid-conversation.  I heard someone mention meeting the others at the "Beershack" so off I followed, eagerly.

Beer Shack Micro Pub

Beershack - I'm in love with this micro pub.  It is wonderful! Oh and the Leadmill Brewery - Butterley Tunnel 4.2%, wow!  Chocolate aromas enticed me into taking a long slow pull, smooth and ever so lightly creamy textures with notes of raisin then lulled me into the depths of what is Butterley Tunnel.   I didn't stand a chance.  Somewhere in that pint of darkness cupid pulled back his bow and let go the arrow.  I had no quandaries at all about having a 2nd or 3rd of this! The flavours were simple, mild, I could have drank it all day and still enjoyed it.  The flavours are there, you don't have to dig around, you just have to think, but they won't run up and smack you over the head like some do and for that reason it is so moorish!  I really didn't want to leave, in fact the only downside was when I sneaked outside to pinch a naughty "drag" from someones roll-up and got caught. Note to self:  Full glass windows do not hide you when you are up to no good!  Although not a smoker, for some reason when I have had a few and am around smokers I succumb to a "drag".

Hops-In-A-Bottle Real Ale Shop

On the way to our next pub we stopped off at "Hops in a Bottle" Real Ale store, and another Mild Trail Sticker.  Now this is a cracking little shop!  Floor to ceiling of Real Ales, many local choices, some further afield but well thought out and plenty to choose from for everyone.  Oh I could lose time and my bank balance in that shop!  The lovely Mrs McGreade poured us all samples of 8 Sail Brewery Millwright Mild and a Pale Ale, Dementia Brewery, Emperors Whim.  I closed my eyes and tried the first sample, savouring the flavours.  Now that was surprising!  I looked down to see which I had just drank.  I had thought it was the Mild but the flavours in my mouth were of... Cider?  Perhaps the Pale was a cider and not an Ale.  Much to my astonishment I had drank the Mild.  Confused I mentioned this to someone else and they agreed, yes, a distinctive Cider taste!  Before long we were all trying more and wholeheartedly agreeing it was rather wonderful and tasted of cider.  Cider Mild!  I'm having difficulty trying to describe the flavours, mainly because I am writing this some days after the occasion and the "cider" flavour was so unexpected and distinctive that it over shadowed all else.  It was definitely a mild, but that distinctive flavour a real cider gives at the back of the throat, well this had it.  It's quite a shock!  It was suggested that perhaps it was a "bad" bottle in a "good" way, it is a possibility I grant you.  Well, I absolutely loved this and vowed to return to buy bottles soon to explore this theory but not right then as I didn't want to carry them around town.  The absolutely wonderfully wonderful Mansfield Stan had other ideas though and bought me a bottle and stuck it in my pocket! ( Thank you again Stan!) I do believe that Hops-in-a-Bottle do regular tastings on a Saturday, well worth a visit.  Extremely knowledgeable with a passion for Real Ale.  


The Pre-ultimate stop was the Court House.  This was another JDWetherspoon's and overall not that great of an experience.  To start we were served Keg Brampton Mild passed off as Real Ale, then a lovely customer at the bar decided he was going to take issue with me because I was served approximately 2 seconds before him.  All in all not a good experience but what did I expect in a Court House?  I'm loathe to admit it but it was ok (the drink, not being threatened by a muppet).  Oddly I could taste the difference (I didn't think I would if I'm honest).  I prefer cask.  What a shocker!  I can see the headlines now "CAMRA member prefers cask to keg".  To ease my disappointed soul (Yes, I was disappointed!  I was looking forward to my Mild!) I had a Stonecutter, not a Mild but a rather good Real Ale and it set the world back to rights before moving on.

Railway Inn

Last, but not least, we finished up in the Railway, Mansfield & Ashfield CAMRA's Pub of the Year winner.  I must admit it was with reason too, the staff were friendly and extremely good at their jobs, it felt like a proper pub, the atmosphere was spot on, it even came with local characters but best of all the Real Ales on offer were faultless (I know, I checked them all, can't be too thorough!)   The kind of place that you feel truly welcome.  In here we all enjoyed a Theakston's Mild.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and returned for refills. 

As I sat in a comfortable corner of the Railway, with my hand happily wrapped around this old man's drink, reflecting on the day, I realised that I was a convert.   At some point not only had my body decided to accept this Pensioner's Potion, I had fallen in love with it.  There is a character to Mild which other Real Ales do not possess.  It is mild.  It isn't love at first sight, it isn't energetic and passionate like some IPA's can be.  It is gentle and mild, it grows on you, you slowly fall in love, the kind of love that will remain forever.  I am glad that we met.  Mild and I.  I am glad that circumstance resulted in me forcing down that first drink, without that, I'm not sure I would have developed this appreciation and I would have been the poorer for it.  

Mild is an acquired taste and one which anyone who has acquired will be forever the happier for it.  Mild is not the drink of "Old men", it is the drink of the soul.  

"I get it"

Drunken ramblings curtesy of Clare Brown



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