Marstons Merrie Monk

JDW, Rochester. "A mild". A fairly bland, well attenuated but moderately sweet, low hopped session pale ale with a copper tone and the infamous "Burton snatch". The brewer calls it a mild though there is a distinct hop finish, and the product is fairly dry, pale and of a strength more associated with an ordinary bitter. There’s none of the features normally associated with a mild. I suspect this has been revived in order to take advantage of CAMRA’s May is Mild Month marketing campaign.

Hand pulled at JDW Watford. Mid brown in colour, though I’m sure it used to be much darker back in the late 70s when I first tried it. Unmistakable Marstons house characture. Sulphuric smell and fruity tast. Not much hop characture as you’d expect with a mild, but still quite a harsh bitterness. Not too impressed.

Nuneaton ’Spoons, in the midst of a terrifying alcopop and rusty nail lager crawl around Treacletown. Octo made me do it. Red. Smells of dog. Stinkbomb, caramel, wet dunked biscuit, watery apple fruit. OK.

Cask at the White Horse, Harborne, Birmingham. Not much to say about this. Copper with a short head. Sulphuric scent, watery. Some bitterness. Some straw comes through in the mouth, but mainly a metallic sulphur taste. Not great.

Cask at Wellington Arms, Bedford. Pumpclip said ’Premium Mild’. I thought it was a bitter in all but name. Dark amber. Sulphurous aroma. Malt and fruit in the taste. Mid bitter finish. Decent bitter; dubious mild.