Comparison
Dark mild vs Kentucky Common
What is the difference between Dark mild and Kentucky Common?
The short answer
The main difference is acidity: Kentucky Common has a little more of it than Dark mild. Dark mild also leads on dryness and nutty; Kentucky Common on carbonation.
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, body, malt intensity, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Dark mild | Kentucky Common | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Amber & dark ale | Amber & dark ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | United States |
| Category status — One of these is a more settled category than the other, which is worth knowing before treating the comparison as exact. | Established | Historical |
| Strength | 3–3.8% ABV | 4–5.5% 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. | 10–25 IBU | 15–30 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Deep amber to dark brown — 12–25 SRM, 24–49 EBC | Amber to dark brown — 11–20 SRM, 22–39 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.030–1.038 | 1.044–1.055 |
| Final gravity | 1.008–1.013 | 1.010–1.018 |
| Serving temperature | 11–13°C | 7–10°C |
| Carbonation | 0.8–1 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Dimpled mug | Nonic pint |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | Dark mild | Kentucky Common |
|---|---|---|
| Acidity | Not characteristic | Trace–Low |
| Dryness | Low | Not characteristic |
| Carbonation | Trace | Moderate |
| Nutty | Low–Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Sweetness | Moderate | Low |
| Hop aroma | Trace | Not characteristic |
| Caramel & toffee | Moderate | Low |
Which should you choose?
- You want more acidity → Kentucky Common
- You want more dryness → Dark mild
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.