By Iron Chef Leftovers
There are times when I just don’t want something that has a great deal of hops but I do want something with complexity, especially on a warmer day. That means I am not usually in the mood for a something heavy like a stout or a porter and don’t particularly want something light like a kolsch. Populuxe has that niche covered with their Mild. It has everything that I want from a flavor standpoint – richness and complexity without being overly hopped and is a small beer, clocking in at less than 4% ABV, meaning more than one can be on the menu. Besides, how many other NW breweries do you know doing the old English style of a mild?
The beer pours deep brown in color with a solid foundation of chocolate and malt on the nose. Very light on the palate, almost surprisingly so, with light malt and caramel at the front followed by subtle chocolate in a very long and clean finish that lingers pleasantly. Very easy to drink despite its heavy flavor profile and incredibly complex beer – malty without being sweet, chocolaty without having strong burnt notes and different enough to make me want to drink it when it is on the tap list and I am in the mood for something darker but not heavy.
This is a gateway beer into the realm of darker beers – some of the complexity and depth of flavor that you find in a porter or stout, but restrained enough that those are not all of the flavors you are tasting. A versatile “session” beer that works on both a warm sunny day and a cold wet evening, if you have never tried a mild, you should definitely give this one a shot.
Populuxe Mild eases in with a not so middle of the road 4 Union Jacks out of 5.
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