Comparison
Dark mild vs Ordinary bitter
What is the difference between Dark mild and Ordinary bitter?
The short answer
The main difference is bread & biscuit: Ordinary bitter has far more of it than Dark mild. Dark mild also leads on roast and sweetness; Ordinary bitter on bitterness.
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 body, malt intensity, yeast fruitiness (esters), overlapping strength ranges — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Dark mild | Ordinary bitter | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Amber & dark ale | Pale ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 3–3.8% ABV | 3.2–3.8% 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. | 10–25 IBU | 25–35 IBU |
| Colour | Deep amber to dark brown — 12–25 SRM, 24–49 EBC | Gold to deep copper — 8–14 SRM, 16–28 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.030–1.038 | 1.030–1.039 |
| Final gravity | 1.008–1.013 | 1.007–1.011 |
| Serving temperature | 11–13°C | 11–13°C |
| Carbonation | 0.8–1 vol CO₂ | 0.8–1 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Dimpled mug | Nonic pint, Dimpled mug |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | Dark mild | Ordinary bitter |
|---|---|---|
| Bread & biscuit | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Bitterness | Trace–Low | Moderate |
| Roast | Trace | Not characteristic |
| Sweetness | Moderate | Low |
| Hop aroma | Trace | Low |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Floral | Not characteristic | Low |
| Herbal | Not characteristic | Low |
| Dryness | Low | Moderate |
| Caramel & toffee | Moderate | Low |
Which should you choose?
- You want more bread & biscuit → Ordinary bitter
- You want more roast → Dark mild
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.