Timothy Taylor
Timothy Taylor Golden Best
A pale mild — the half of the style that almost disappeared — still in production in West Yorkshire.
- Strength
- 3.5% ABV
- Style
- Dark mild
- Brewery
- Timothy Taylor
Also called Golden Best.
Mild is remembered as a dark beer, and for most of its history it was not primarily about colour at all. The word described a beer that had not been aged, as against a "keeping" or stale beer, and pale milds were common in the north of England well into the twentieth century. Almost all of them are gone, which is why the dark version now defines the style by default.
This is one of the few survivors, and it is worth tasting for what it is not: no roast, no chocolate malt, very little bitterness, and a light sweetness carried by a low gravity. What it demonstrates is that mild was a strength and a treatment rather than a colour.
What it tastes like
Inherited from Dark mild, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried for its place in the history of beer |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3.5% ABV — checked 2026-08-19. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Stable — this product has changed little and is not expected to. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- Pale rather than dark, which was once ordinary for the style and is now nearly extinct
- Shows that "mild" originally described an unaged beer rather than a dark one
If you like Timothy Taylor Golden Best
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
English brown ale — try Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale
A close structural match for Timothy Taylor Golden Best — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly more carbonation (trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Timothy Taylor Golden Best; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
A close structural match for Timothy Taylor Golden Best — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly more sweetness (moderate → high).
May not suit: Very close to Timothy Taylor Golden Best; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Scottish ale — try Belhaven Scottish Ale or Orkney Dark Island
A close structural match for Timothy Taylor Golden Best — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably more bread & biscuit (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more bread & biscuit than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Keeps most of what Timothy Taylor Golden Best does and shifts carbonation.
Different: noticeably more carbonation (trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more carbonation than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
American brown ale — try Brooklyn Brown Ale
Keeps most of what Timothy Taylor Golden Best does and shifts carbonation.
Different: noticeably more carbonation (trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more carbonation than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Old ale — try Theakston Old Peculier or Robinsons Old Tom
Keeps most of what Timothy Taylor Golden Best does and shifts alcohol warmth.
Different: noticeably more alcohol warmth (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more alcohol warmth than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
Munich Dunkel — try Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel or Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Different: much more bread & biscuit (none–trace → high).
May not suit: Noticeably more bread & biscuit than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Munich Helles — try Augustiner Helles or Aecht Schlenkerla Helles
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Different: noticeably more carbonation (trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more carbonation than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Altbier — try Uerige Altbier
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Different: noticeably more carbonation (trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more carbonation than Timothy Taylor Golden Best.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from Dark mild. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
- Kimchi
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
- Injera and wat
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
- Adobo
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
- Gyoza
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Keeping it
Dark mild shows best within 3–21 days of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.
Drink fresh. Buy it as young as you can and drink it soon. What makes this beer worth drinking is the first thing to leave it.
Derived from Dark mild. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.