Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
A tasty mild ale ~ and ours was FREE ! |
| Disadvantages: |
Not easy to find in some areas of the country . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Last Friday evening our local branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) trooped off on a social evening to Highgate Brewery. We were to have a tour of the building, a look at the brewing process and (most importantly) SOME BEER! The tour cost us the princely sum of £3.00 and for that we had a guide to show us round in groups and unlimited beer during the three hours we spent there ~ BARGAIN! They had three of their cask beers on (plus a couple of keg ones that were hideous) and we tried all of them. The best thing was that they didn’t limit what we had ~ in fact, at one point the bloke doing the tour noticed my glass was getting a little on the empty side and ran off to get me another one!
My favourite beer of the evening was Highgate Dark Mild ~ they were all tasty, but this one was really nice and I thought it would be nice to review it. CAMRA always promotes Mild in May ~ so this should hopefully bring this style of beer into your thoughts, so you will look out for it as May approaches.
~~~THE BREWERY.
I could bore you with lots of history because we learned just about everything on the tour, but I’ll just give you a brief background to business.
Brewing began 1899, July to precise, at the old Victorian Brewhouse in Walsall in the West Midlands. Mitchell’s and Butler (a company known by the initials M&B) bought the brewery in July 1939 and intended to close them down and move production to one of their other buildings. Poland was invaded, War broke out and rationing started ~ the company realized that they could get a bigger ration of hops and barley if they kept Highgate open (rationing was apparently based on the number of premises owned), so they decided to keep the site working. The story says that Hitler saved Highgate! Probably the only good thing to come out of the War!
Years passed and Highgate became part of the large Bass Brewing company (a Burton on Trent based business). In 1995 Bass wanted to make cuts and the future of little Highgate was in serious doubt ~ until a last minute rescue from the current owners. Recent years has seen the expansion of Highgate’s Cask beer range and a partnership with a nearby brewery (Aston Manor) to help cope with increased sales. They continue to grow brew beers, both bottled, cask and keg (and ciders too), for sale to pubs, off-licenses and supermarkets around the country.
Some Highgate beers you may come across include Davenports Original (a classic malty beer at 4.0% ABV), Saddler’s Premium (a tasty premium beer at 4.3% ABV) and Black Pig (a wonderful dark beer at 4.4% ABV). Bottled beers include Fox’s Knob (4.0% ABV), Wyre Piddle (4.0% ABV) and Old Ale (5.1% ABV).
~~~THE BEER.
***The style***
Highgate Dark Mild is brewed in a style known as a Mild Ale. They are pretty similar to bitters in a number of respects and were very popular a number of years ago. In fact, Mild was once one of the most drunk styles of ale in Great Britain. It was really developed around 150 to 200 years ago, but has its roots back in the Middle Ages, in one shape or form. Milds were popular amongst drinkers as a cheaper and weaker alternative to Dark Ales and Porters.
Milds are usually quite dark in colour and are generally weaker; making them an excellent choice for lunchtime or session drinking. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that all Milds are the same though and don’t fall into the trap of generalizing. I have seen light coloured Milds, as well as ones that are quite strong (Festival Mild is 4.8% ABV and Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild is 6% ABV)! They are called “Milds” because they aren’t made with as many hops (so consequently aren’t as BITTER) as other beer styles and are generally brewed using darker crystal malt ~ although this again shouldn’t be taken as gospel.
To be honest though, some Milds are virtually indistinguishable from Bitters; it is often their less hoppy aroma that is the only thing that gives them away! Milds are still quite difficult to find, especially in the South of England, and aren’t as popular as they were during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are, however, having a resurgence of popularity in recent years, so if you find a pub that sells one, be sure to try it!
***A Bit of Background***
Highgate Dark Mild is an award winning Mild Ale. It has won the International Brewing Awards on three separate occasions and has just recently been awarded the 1st Prize in a blind tasting of Milds at the SIBA Midlands (Small Brewing Industry Awards) and was also third overall at the same ceremony. Highgate Mild is the flagship ale of the brewery and for a while was the first beer brewed in 1899 ~ in fact it is still brewed to virtually the same recipe and suing the same methods. The only change seems to be the strength it is now a bit stronger than it was years ago.
***Vital Statistics***
Highgate Dark Mild weighs in at 3.4% ABV and is brewed using Black, Pale and Crystals malts, together with high maltose syrup and Progress, Goldings and Fuggles hops (yes we learned that too on the tour, as well as seeing the Mild actually being made). The malts give it colour, the syrup gives the sweetness and the hops give it the bitterness! Everything you see comes from these ingredients and they add no extra colours or flavours to the brew.
***Look, Aroma & Texture***
Highgate Dark is as dark as its name suggests. It is a rich deep black, with a slight hint of cherry red, when held up to the light. The beer has a light cream coloured head that lingers well ~ the beer was quite lively, but poured smoothly into the glass and settled quickly. The aroma is soft, rich and malty with a little hint of coffee, chocolate, caramel and fruit. The texture is smooth, yet quite light, chewy from the malt and extremely drinkable.
***Taste***
Highgate Dark has a lovely roasted flavour, coming from the malt. This is balanced nicely with a tasty combination of sweetness and the bitter flavour of the hops. These core tastes (of malt, hops and sugar) are complemented by a complex mix of flavours. There is fruit, dark chocolate and a distinctive licorice element that does tend to crop up in quite a few Stouts, Milds and Porters. These flavours carry on throughout and lead to a finish that is bitter/sweet and slightly nutty. The aftertaste has a fresh hoppy bitterness with, once again, that balancing sweetness.
***What Tange thinks***
I am a bit of a sucker for Milds and am pleased to say that Highgate Dark is a fine example of the art of the brewer. For a beer of such a low alcohol content, it manages to have bags of taste and a texture that belies its weakness. I am ashamed to say we managed to empty a barrel of it between us during our visit ~ but this just shows how much we liked it! I’m afraid I can’t tell you how much this one costs though because ours was in with the tour price, but I would generally think that you would pay anything from £1.70 to £2.00 a pint.
We will be looking out for Highgate Dark in the future and are trying to point some of our local Free House pubs to the Highgate website to order a couple of barrels to drink during Mild Month. If you are in Midlands and you see it, I really advise you to give it try ~ it is good to support this style of beer and stop it dying out altogether. I also think it is important to support these smaller breweries (there is even a “Friends of Highgate Brewery” Society to raise money for charities and for the upkeep of the building) and keep them going despite attempts by larger companies to “swallow” them up.
So…when May comes along, make an effort a try a Mild like Highgate Dark. It’s tasty, well balanced and feels lovely to drink ~ it sounds good and it IS!
~~~BREWERY DETAILS.
Highgate Brewery Ltd
Sandymount Road
Walsall
West Midlands
WS1 3AP
01922 644453
www.highgate-brewery.co.uk/
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