Dix Crosstown Mild

Caramel is strong up front with a touch of butterscotch. Opaque brown body is topped by a a generous, dense, fine bubbled, tan head that recedes slowly to a lasting cover with excellent lacing that coats the glass. Malt flavours are complex and engaging: cocoa, toasted, some roast and a slight grainy character. Fair bitterness makes an appearance but sweet chocolate lingers in the aftertaste. Light-medium body is very dry and flirts with astringency as befits the style. Sampled on tap at the brewpub.

(Draught) Sampled at the brewpub on October 17, 2007. Pours a thin, quick dissipating almond head and a ruby-brown body. Nose of diacetyl. The flavour shows more roasted nut but the caramel blends with the butterscotch off-flavours making a pint of this too much. Not a fan.

Disclaimer: I’ve never taken proper notes on this. I have, however, consumed many pints in both regular draught and dry-hopped cask forms (different hops, too).

Medium brown colour with rich head. The aroma on tap was of diacetyl, some earthy caramel notes, maybe a bit of toffee. On cask the dry-hops always seemed to dominate...the Challenger ones fit the beer but there was another one that didn’t.

The body is light...this beer drinks very easily. The diacetyl has become more pronounced over the course of the batch. The malts remained somewhat understated...well the dark Belgian specialty malts at any rate. I say that because the ingredient list is almost identical to the mild I used to brew at home, so that’s what I’m comparing it to. So we have a light caramel note with a little bit of earthiness. No hop, except in the dry-hopped versions. Quick finish...since it’s a mild we’ll call it quaffable.
Postscript: This brew sold really well so we’ll almost assuredly see more incarnations in the future.

Dix’s mild was a very pleasant surprise. I don’t drink milds often. The high level of drinkability is one of the beer’s outstanding features. Soft and silky mouthfeel and overall texture because thankfully it’s not overly carbonated. Good malt structure, quite a bit roasty which is nice. Slightest hint of licorice. While mild in flavor and character this mild has a backbone. A well-constructed brew even if a bit boring so good if you don’t want to think too much about your beer.