Dial M for Mild

[link to podcast page]
WFMU's Beer Hear! with Bob W. and B.R. from 10/3/2012

On Friday Sept. 28, 2012 Brooklyn Brewery had a release party for a beer never before made at Brooklyn, as part of the Worshipful Company of Brewers series. As Brooklyn's website explains, "The charter of this sanctified league dictates that each member of the Brooklyn Brewery brewing team will design and create a batch of his/her own draft-only beer, to be served exclusively at the Brewery Tasting Room until the last drop has been squeezed from the taps, and each with the possibility of blooming into a fully distributed Brewmaster’s Reserve."

The latest in the series is a Dark English Mild brewed by Al Duvall. Al has worked at the Brooklyn Brewery since 2011. In 1994 Al worked at Zip City brewpub, which was on E. 18th St. by Union Square, and stayed on when it became the Tap Room from 1997 to 1999. He then brewed at Heartland beginning in 2001, then Greenpoint Beer Works in 2003.

Al's Mild is a delicious, easy-to-drink 4% abv brew that provides a soft, round, comforting experience. The varied grain bill helps create a beer that is deep dark brown in color, but very easy on the palate, and low enough in alcohol to sip over a good long session. There's a pleasant hint of mild tanginess in the finish of this sturdy but gentle ale.

Just for the release party, some of the beer was infused with 9 lbs of cherries over 3 weeks. Originally, Al thought that he'd use the cherries in the whole batch, but it wasn't enough to impact the overall aroma and flavor, so he just made one keg of the sour cherry infused version of the mild. The fruit added flavor and aroma, but no significant amount of additional alcohol to the beer. Guests were offered the option to have the beer with varying amounts of the cherry-infused version added to their mug. Some opted to drink the cherry mild straight, which had a very intense flavor!

There was a cask version as well as kegs of draught available. The two versions were very similar, with the cask ale, understandably, being rounder and smoother than the carbonated style.

You can enjoy this unique, wonderful, exclusive beer at the Brooklyn Brewery tasting room on Fridays from 6pm-11pm, Saturdays from noon-8pm and Sundays from noon till 5pm. There's more on the Brooklyn Brewery blog.