Dark Mild

To quote Dr. John Harrison, a great influence on my brewing, "Mild ale is the only beer with an uninterrupted history from medieval times to the present day." The "mild" means low hop bitterness, "...which is the only essential feature of a mild ale." They can be light or dark in color, high or low in alcohol, dry or sweet. This is difficult for modern style wiennies to grasp. How can one style be so many things? How can I judge it good or bad?. The current Brewery Creek Dark Mild is medium brown, soft hops and about 3.5% abv. It could be a bit more estery. It is a lovely style.