Coronado Mermaid’s Red
It’s a mermaid!Red Ales are a style that I am always struggling with. It’s not a favorite of mine by any means, but I’m constantly buying single bottles of them in an attempt to find one that I like. I’m all about giving various beer styles as many chances as necessary to win me over.
After drinking this bottle of Coronado Brewing Mermaid’s Red Ale, I think I’ve finally found an example of the genre that I am more than willing to drink again. This 5.7% ABV brew is well balanced between a solid malt character and a welcome level of hop bitterness, a possible result of dry-hopping with Cascade hops.
Appearance
Mermaid’s Red Ale pours crystal clear and copper in color with a light rust tinted head.
Aroma
The beer doesn’t have an overwhelming nose on it, but a nicely balanced presence of citrus hops and caramel malts does rise from the surface.
Taste
This is probably one of the hoppier Red Ales I’ve had the opportunity to try out. It starts off with a caramel and lightly roasted malt character before making it’s way to a long lasting finish with a moderate level of spicy hop bitterness. The beer still has that tell-tale Red Ale aftertaste that I’m not a huge fan of, but it’s tempered well with the larger hop profile. The medium body and relatively active carbonation make for a fully drinkable brew.
Overall
This particular bottle of beer may not completely sway me to the Red Ale fan page on Facebook, but it’s certainly an example of the beer that I will gladly drink again. The higher level of hops thrown into the mix may be the key for me to fully enjoy this style of beer.
Rating: 3.5/5