Mill Race Mild - Grand River Brewing

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler from the brewery at the end of August.

A: Deep mahogany, off-white/light-tan head, not a lot of retention but it leaves some lace.

S: Dark toffee, caramel, dark fruit and a light spicing.

T: Dark toffee, chocolate, caramel, roasted nuts, dark fruit, figs, orange zest, some mineral flavour, balanced bitterness.

M: Residual sugar yeilds a pleasant, moderate body (impressive for its strength), yet the finish is still crisp & relatively dry.

D: Very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

10-03-2007 16:09:21 | More by Derek

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pored from a fresh growler, we get a decent clear mahogany colored ale with a tight tan cap that lasts well enough.

Light toast and some roasted husk "char" in the nose, light hay-like hop tones.

Medium body, rocky, sharp mouth feel malty character with a mild astringency. Hard water gives the hops more of a sharp edged "bite" than is common in most milds.

Malty-toasty in the front side then the bittering hops kick in and compliment the roasted barley char astringence leaving mild lightly dry, roasted finish....light metallic after taste.

Fairly true to style for a mild although I would like to see some fruity esters from better ale yeast in this brew, even though it is not necessary for style adhesion....which is a "mild ale" not "traditional".

Drinkable and clean...but just too much like the so-so dark milds from F&M which I have never been partial to Sorry to break up the love-in but I was not overly impressed with this effort....even as well crafted as it was

Serving type: growler

09-30-2007 01:41:24 | More by pootz

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the four growlers picked up at the brewery last week, this poured into the glass a deep dark brown with a nice tan head. Smell was very malty, like a good English brown ale. The malt was very prominent in the flavor which is a good change from the other three more hoppy brews this brewery does well. The texture of this was smooth and slightly creamy, there was some body to this brew. The low ABV makes this a very easy drinking and satisfying session beer.

An excellent offering from this brewery.

Serving type: growler

09-19-2007 13:27:59 | More by funkengruven

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler full at Golden Tap awards. Have since had it on tap at Volo.

Pours a clear reddish brown, thick off white head, not much lacing, thin collar is retained throughout the glass. Smell is grainy, cherry, mild roast and chocolate, bit of floral. Taste is caramel, grains, chocolate, light fruits, bit of caramel, touch of roast in the finish, bready, nice. Mouthfeel is light bodied with low to medium carbonation, very smooth, good flavour for such a low ABV beer. Nicely done!

Serving type: growler

09-15-2007 23:31:53 | More by Viggo

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A brilliant example of an English mild.

Lovely dark amber, with red and brown highlights. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but full enough to be enjoyable.

Aroma of sweet, roasted malts is stunning. Flavours are well balnaced, from the caramelized malts to a bittering hop finish.

A very well crafted beer. Well done, Grand River!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 00:48:27 | More by hopsolutely

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled Jan, 2011.

A- Such a, dark brown with ruby highlights. Minimal head with moderate lacing.

S- Toffee and caramel with biscuit notes. Like a bakery. Subtle chocolate.

T- Subtle chocolate, slight coffee and sweet malts.

M- Thin and watery. Prickly carbonation.

O- Well past it's prime imo. That's my fault, not the brewery. It's been sitting in the fridge far too long.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 22:32:36 | More by korguy123

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deep brown, near black, light ring of off white head, good retention. Smell is malty and nutty, lightly roasted, fruity and lightly lactic. taste is roasty, light butter notes that are quite pleasant and work well, nutty, molasses, fig and some darker fruits, lightly smokey with a bitter finish and aftertaste. Light to med carbonation, light to medium feel, medium body. Quite nice sessionable and enjoyable, another solid effort from Grand River.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 22:15:50 | More by peensteen

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - dark brown with ruby highlights. Initially the head is large and frothy, with bubbles visibly breaking the suface of the foam. It dissipates to a persistent cap.

Smell - roasted malt, coffee, earth, hazelnuts.

Taste - light roasted malt flavour, some nuttyness, plum. Finishes moderately bitter and dry.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 00:37:13 | More by

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from the brewery, 500ml into a pint glass. Bottled June 27, 2011.

Pours a dark brown with some dark red and mahogany highlights. A few fingers of tan head are formed, that's slightly creamy and moderately thick. Some lacing and moderate retention. Nose has light chocolate notes, some roast qualities, nuts, hints of caramel and dark fruits. Taste has roasty and mild coffee qualities, nuts are still mildly present themselves as well. Touch of caramel as well. Mouthfeel is a light medium, slightly watery in texture. Carbonation is medium low, and gets there only with some swirling down. Very easy to drink, I can only imagine this being more fantastic with cask treatment.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 01:26:03 | More by liamt07

mdaschaf

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to korguy123 for sending this beer to me. Been looking forward to trying it for a while. Review from notes.

A: Pours a clear ruby/mahogany, with a one finger, off-white head. Decent retention and not much lacing. Lots of bubbles released from the bottom.

S: Caramel right away, some brown sugar, a little bit of fruit, and iced tea at the end.

T: Slight metallic flavor, caramel, more fruity than the aroma lead on, with some dark fruits. The iced tea flavor returns on the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: A very nice, low ABV, session beer. Much more flavor than anything I have had lower than 4% so far.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 15:06:47 | More by mdaschaf

THECPJ

Delaware

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown with ruby hue and 1 finger off white head

smell: coffee, malts,

taste: malts, coffee, fruit on the backend finish

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, thin body,

overall: interesting beer. highly drinkable considering the abv. has much more flavor then those commercial beers that are based on 3 hops and water.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 14:59:13 | More by THECPJ

Mora2000

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to ericandersnavy for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark amber color with a tan head. The aroma is very malty with a lot of toffee and some caramel mixed in. The flavor is similar. I get a ton of toffee, caramel, cocoa and some nuttyness. For such a low alcohol beer, there is a lot of flavor. Thin to medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 01:27:51 | More by Mora2000

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from 4/27/11. Thanks to korguy123 for this beer.
Poured in to pint glass. Bottled on date of Jan 19/11.

A - Medium to dark brown with a small amount of off-white head.

S - Sweet toffee/caramel malts up front with some grain/cereal notes. A slight hop smell is evident as well.

T - My first experience with the style so I am intrigued by the great nose for this 3.5% ABV beer. Sweet caramel and grain/cereal flavours are predominant here with a slight hop bite present in the finish. Some light toffee and coffee notes come through at times as well. A lot of flavour for the low ABV.

M - Light body with a slight chew; light carbonation.

O - I really enjoyed this one, especially considering the low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 22:19:03 | More by TheSevenDuffs

mrnobody

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a cola brown with 3 fingers of root beer float head. Good retention and sticky lacing.

S: Smells of roasty chocolate malt and coffee. Enticing!

T: Tastes like it smells: chocolate, coffee. Neither overly sweet nor bitter. Seems like a light stout with many similarities to St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout.

M: The mouthfeel seems slippery. This is not a heavy beer yet it does not seem thin either. Light-medium body with adequate carbonation.

D: For 3.5% ABV, this is an amazing accomplishment. Real flavour and truly "sessionable".

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 02:54:24 | More by mrnobody

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Cask at The King Edward Pub in Ilderton, ON. Russet brown in colour with auburn hues and two fingers of tan head. A few spots of lacing speckle the pint glass. Smell and taste are roasted malt, vanilla, caramel, toast, chestnut, almond, table cream, pecan-like sweetness, very subtle chocolate/cocoa flavour, and a balancing hop bite on the back end with almost no bitterness. Aromas of baking yeast, mild floral hopping, and molasses develop after a while. Mouthfeel is soft, lighter than medium, low carbonation, slight spiciness toward the finish, dryly malted and lingering aftertaste. This benchmark session ale displays much more complexity than you'd expect for the weight. A winner in all formats and Grand River's best beer if you ask me. Thanks for putting this on Rich!

Serving type: cask

11-08-2010 00:15:49 | More by cratez

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Volo. My first English dark mild ale, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this. Came out a light brown colour with off-white head. Smell is of toffee, deep roasted malt, nuts and some floral hops. Taste brings all of this together nicely with a mild bitterness. I didn't realize this was only 3.5% alcohol when I was drinking it, but it was quite flavourful. I really should have drank more than one pint and I'll order it if I see it again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 02:37:48 | More by kwjd

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light cherry cola color topped by a mediocre head. Decent retention and lacing.

The aroma is roast, nuts and caramel and just a modicum of earthy peat.

The taste follows, with a very toned down brown ale to it. Bready, nuttiness and roast, with a nice caramel center perfectly balanced against a hint of nondescript bitterness. Finishes dry. Packs a lot of flavor for such a low ABV.

It's lightly carbonated and a tad thin bodied.

A very good example of the style, even if it's not a style I love. That said, I could see myself sessioning this and staying satisfied for some time. If I had to.

Another great beer from one of the best breweries in Ontario with some of the worst labels on Earth.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 01:37:01 | More by MeisterBurger

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to grub for this one. Had it with my supper last night, chicken drumsticks with various veggies.

Poured from a 500ml. bottle, bottled on May 5 or 6, 2010 (hard to tell as it's a little smudged).

Appearance: Very dark brown body that is semi-opaque and has a healthy 3 finger head.

Smell: Malt, caramel and a little bit of minerals. Quite crisp.

Taste: Strong malt body with good taste. Minerals are much more present in the flavor and it takes on more of a nutty character, almost like a brown ale with hints of wood. A wisp of bitterness is tucked away in there also.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation and though i found the body to be a bit thin, it was still enoyable.

Drinkability: No hindrance here though it was a tad boring near the end. 341ml. would have sufficed.

Overall: Definitely enjoyed this one even if it was a bit one-dimensional. Proof that you don't need a high ABV to have flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 18:17:49 | More by papat444

augustgarage

California

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to northyorksammy for this generous extra. Bottled March 2nd, 2010 - poured from a 500mL bottle into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Cordovan liquid which glows a soft rich carmine. There is some chill haze but the body is otherwise quite clear. An active, light buff head settles to a steady finger of cream which persists well.

Light caramel aromas with delicately roasted malt. Vague hints of Cadbury eggs - and very slight diacetyl.

Mineral-laden palate entry with a touch of brown butter which transforms into roast malt, lots of toffee, a touch of brandied raisins, and a general nut flavor. Light bitterness or perhaps astringency throughout...

Pillowy body, soft but well carbonated...

Pretty well done example of the style - carefully crafted compared to most I've tried thus far...

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 03:17:00 | More by augustgarage

bartle

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated April 03, 2010

Pours a rich mahogany brown with ripe red hues and a nice off white head that sits well for a little while before fizzling out.

Smells of light caramel, biscuit, a touch of tart cherries, some sulphur-ish notes, but nothing completely offensive. Seems very balanced with noble hop character coming through

The taste is of caramel, biscuit, a little rye like character, some mint, a touch of tartness and a clean yeast finish.

The carbonation is good for the style. Nice a low, potentially a little high, but it gives it a nice kick and sparks the drinkability of this one.

Lots of flavour, and it's great fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 22:54:44 | More by bartle

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Going through a mixer pack of Grand River brews. Very impressed thus far. Have some work to do tonight, so I figured the mild ale would be a good choice for the evening.

Pours a very dark chestnut, a bit of amber when held to the light. Leaves an off-white head, encircles the glass. A bit of lacing.

The smell is toast, ground coffee, a bit of chocolate, dark malt.

The taste is surprisingly good, considering the low ABV and the 'mild' labelling. Very much like drinking a lighter porter, but I never would have believed this was under 4%. The taste is bready, with the chocolate and coffee providing secondary bursts of flavour. I get a bit of cornbread at the forefront as well. Some bitterness at the finish, which is dry.

This brew is terrific as a flavourful session. Works well on those nights when you want the taste of a dark ale but without the weight. Still can't get over the ABV!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 22:31:40 | More by JohnnyBarman

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a clear dark brown color ale with a quite large foamy head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of fruity ester with some light toffee malt. Taste is also dominated by light fruity ester with notes of toffee and caramel malt. Body is about average with good carbonation. I thought this one really packed lots of character while maintaining good balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 02:43:24 | More by Phyl21ca

MasterSki

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Viggo for this one. Served in my trusty Surly pint glass. Bottle dated April 10th, 2009.

A- Good looking brew here - three fingers of light tan foam with decent retention. Dark ruby red color with some auburn tones to it - transparent if you hold it up to the light. Only knock is minimal lacing.

S - Sweet roasted malt, some brown sugar, a touch of nuttiness. It's pretty light and has a slight twanginess to it.

T - Taste is a little like sourdough bread, mixed with light hazelnut. There's a touch of cocoa and and a light floral hop finish. It might even taste slightly better than it smells, although the aftertaste is not that great with some funky raisin character to it.

M - Somewhat watery, although that's not surprising considering the super low ABV. It's maybe a touch thicker than light bodied in viscosity. Low carbonation.

D - 500ml is a good serving size for this one. It's nice to see a low-ABV roasty brew, although this isn't in the league of other session delights like Death & Taxes. Still it's the best Grand River brew I've had so far!

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 18:47:37 | More by MasterSki

SkinnyElvis

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cheers to biegaman for another brew from Ontario. Pours with a nice head which settles quickly. Malty smell. Taste is smooth malt with a hint of some sweetness. Extremely drinkable. At 3.5% this would be a great session beer & would be wonderful on cask. I am glad to have tried it.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2009 20:24:43 | More by SkinnyElvis

ThatWineGuy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I don't usually like "light" beers but this was a pleasant surprize. Dark colour, light tan head, one to two fingers with minor lace and a wispy surface and ring. Smell is slightly sweet, reminds me of molasses. Fresh taste - did I mention it was bottled July 14th and purchased from the brewery? Mildly hoppy, mildly bitter, slightly sweet toasty oats, honey, molasses, brown sugar. Although tending to the sweet side, there's nothing cloying about this, it's a very nice beer overall. Body a bit thin but overall mouthfeel is sufficient to satisfy. Light carbonation but regenerates just fine with a swirl, even to the lower quarter of the glass. Low alcohol and good taste make this a terrific sessional, I'm impressed.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 01:43:40 | More by ThatWineGuy