I posted this question on Experimental Brewing's FB page, but I'll echo it here because there's a decent concentration of South / Southeastern brewers on this forum, and I'm curious whether I'll get a different take from the different audience...
While I admit they run about 2% ABV too high, is there otherwise a fundamental difference between a Dark Mild and what I'll call a Southern Brown Ale? I'm thinking of (for example) Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan Brown Ale, Common Bond's Brown Ale, Abita's Turbodog, Third Planet's Bear Creek Bramber, and so on. They fit many of the same descriptors: an easy-drinking brown ale with a toffee/caramel body often paired with English base malts and yeast and sometimes just a hint of roast.