Tasting

What does a dark mild from the Northwest taste like? Dark toast, caramel, and a hint of nut, with low bitterness and gentle carbonation. With Thwaites's Nutty Black, many people think of roasted nuts. For comparison, a bitter like Holt's Bitter, which the brewery says is still brewed to its 1849 recipe, tastes hoppier, spicier, drier.

Robinsons is also known for Old Tom, a strong ale whose name has been registered as a trademark since 1922. It tastes quite different from the light mild: dark, sweet, with dried fruit and liqueur-like notes.

In England, beer is drunk from the pint, an imperial glass holding 568 milliliters. Those who want less order a half, that is, half a pint. The beers are served cellar-cool, usually around twelve degrees Celsius, noticeably warmer than a German pilsner. This lets malt and hops come through better, with carbonation less prominent.

It's poured by handpump. The landlord pulls the lever, and the beer rises up from the cask in the cellar below. In Northern England it's customary to fit the tap with a sparkler, an attachment with fine holes that gives the beer a denser, creamier head.

A glance is enough to start tasting: a good mild is clear, dark red to brown, with a pale head. Then follows a small sip, giving nose and tongue time before the next one. With Cloudwater's hazy IPA, it's the reverse: it already smells of fruit right in the glass.