A distinctive British beer with low hop character typically drunk in the north and for some time the dominant ale in England. Traditional versions were brewed with dark malts to give a caramel and liquorice character and a solid body. Current examples are low in gravity and alcohol and some lack the dark malts and are low gravity bitters. ABV is between 3.1 and 4.8%, bitterness around 22 and colour 85 but sometimes up to 200 EBC. A few strong varieties with ABV up to 6.0 are closer to some original milds.