Comparison
American brown ale vs Dark mild
What is the difference between American brown ale and Dark mild?
The short answer
The main difference is dryness: Dark mild has noticeably more of it than American brown ale. American brown ale also leads on carbonation and citrus; Dark mild on yeast fruitiness (esters).
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable bitterness, sweetness, malt intensity, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| American brown ale | Dark mild | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Amber & dark ale | Amber & dark ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 4.3–6.2% ABV | 3–3.8% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 20–35 IBU | 10–25 IBU |
| Colour | Deep brown — 18–30 SRM, 35–59 EBC | Deep amber to dark brown — 12–25 SRM, 24–49 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.045–1.060 | 1.030–1.038 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.016 | 1.008–1.013 |
| Serving temperature | 9–12°C | 11–13°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 0.8–1 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint | Nonic pint, Dimpled mug |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | American brown ale | Dark mild |
|---|---|---|
| Dryness | Not characteristic | Low |
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Not characteristic | Low |
| Carbonation | Moderate | Trace |
| Citrus | Low | Not characteristic |
| Resin & pine | Low | Not characteristic |
| Body | Moderate | Low |
| Hop aroma | Low–Moderate | Trace |
Which should you choose?
- You want more dryness → Dark mild
- You want more carbonation → American brown ale
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.