Mermaid's Red Ale - Coronado Brewing Company

opwog

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Now listening to: Pablo Moses - A Song

Thanks to San Diego Brewing for having this on cask!

A- Deep reddish brown, with a very thin, kinda rough, head.
S- mild nose all around, and can pull out all major parts of the beer. This cask did seem to have a bit more hop in the nose, but the waitress had no details about this specific cask
T- Great mix of malt and hops with a crisp, dry finish. Some citrus.
M- As a cask, this was served cooler than most places. But also as a cask, the carbonation was less present and left the beer with a much more malty feel
D- This was a great companion to the jalapeno beer cheese soup!

Serving type: cask

08-29-2008 05:17:21 | More by opwog

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.38/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Poured a half finger of head on a deep red colored body.
The aroma is a nice blend of dry grain, caramel and lemon.
The taste is watery with a touch of caramel sweetness and a mild bitter note.
The texture is nice and soft with moderate carbonation.
The flavor was the big disappointment here, everything else was good.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:17:13 | More by Fatehunter

UCLABrewN84

California

3.41/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a clear copper with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks and dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and some nutty aromas. Taste is much the same with earthy, herbal hop and vegetal flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer with a nice smell but the flavors are somewhat dirty in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 07:09:22 | More by UCLABrewN84

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance- pours a sparkling orangish red with two fingers of fine white almost pinkish foam. it lingers a bit. Some Lacing

Aroma- carmel and vanilla , some earth/dust a little buttery with a floral finish.

Taste- roasty with some carmel brown sugar in the front. Maybe a bit nutty. I get some clove not much chocolate like they claim but this is a red that takes it malt seriously, and I like that about it. The hops are piney and balance pretty well at the end.

Mouthfeel-medium bodied decent carbonation and good mouthfeel. the butteryness in the smell and taste translate to a slick finish but its not off putting.

Overall- A good red in fact one of the better ones that I have tasted. I think if you want a hop forward red go with the red seal and if you want a maltier red go Mermaid !

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:37:54 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance- Pours a copper colour with a finger of bubbly head.

Smell- Caramalts, leafy hops, citrus, a hint of clove.

Taste- Instantly hit with caramalts with a bready touch. Leafy hops, clove, and orange peel come into play near the end. Nice light bitterness as well.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall- A nicely balanced and enjoyable American Amber/Red. Enjoyed the balance between the malts and hops which made it an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 03:21:20 | More by leaddog

tdm168

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - dark amber with an orangish hue, there's a thin, quickly fading white head

S - bready malts, citrusy hop aromas

T - bread, faint cupcake batter sweetness, citrusy hops throughout

M - medium bodied though thin at times, well carbonated

This is a nice though simplistic beer. It's not as full-flavorerd as I would like, but it had a few subtleties such as the batter-like sweetness that made it enjoyable. The hops were very noticeable and their citrusy character balanced the intense maltiness of the beer quite well. In the end this is an easy drink amber ale with a decent flavor profile that you can sit back and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 12:49:43 | More by tdm168

BucannonXC5

California

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Lagunitas mason jar
From: Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, Calif., on Jan. 5, 2013
Price: $1.79
Misc.: N/A

Poured a reddish brown color, almost like iced tea, with two fingers of frothy khaki white head. Lots of “pieces” in the beer, which at first glanced looked like pulp. Nice wet and foamy lacing. Good retention.

Smelled surprisingly pleasant whiff of caramel and toffee malts and hops (maybe Cascade). Reminded me a bit of a black IPA. More malty, but definitely a great smell.

Malts still came through first on the smell. Got caramel, toffee, light chocolate and iced tea. Also Cascade hops and rye hops. Bitter on the tongue after.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average-to-lively (above average) carbonation. Abrupt bitter finish.

This beer had its moments. The smell was the best part for me. Really like that. I would have this again though.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 06:24:26 | More by BucannonXC5

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, a nice stand-in, style and geography-wise, for the long-awaited Stone Brewing Company of San Diego, CA, for we in the somewhat perma-frozen Great White North.

This beer pours a slightly hazy medium copper amber hue, with two fingers of densely puffy, foamy, bordering on creamy off-white head, which leaves a broad array of low-lying cumulus cloud lace around the glass as it very slowly ebbs away.

It smells of lightly biscuity, grainy pale malt, some thin bready caramel notes, softly bitter citrus rind and pine needle, some black teabag tannic astringency, and more musty earthy, leafy hops. The taste is bready, crackery malt, a touch of dryish caramel/toffee, some pithy citrus fruitiness, and evenly bitter herbal, leafy hops.

The carbonation is pretty sedate, though hardly ineffective, the body medium-light in weight, and a tad too astringent to be deemed all that smooth, though it is at least partially so. It finishes a bit off-dry, the demi-sec breadiness still kickin' it, and definitely hoppy, of the fruity citrus, leafy sort.

A pretty decent hopped-up west coast Amber Ale, one rather reserved on the malt side, which of course just amplifies all things intrinsically (and overtly, to be fair) bitter. The reigned-in ABV means that one could theoretically 'session' this awoken pageboy offering for at least a few rounds.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 05:50:33 | More by biboergosum

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml bomber poured into tulip 8/1/13

A clear amber liquid with a long lasting thumbs width of cream colored foam that leaves some random lace

S faint pine with some orange peel, herbal and floral hops with some iced tea, more fruity notes but I can't quite place it, a little hard toffee and very faint coco, smells pretty solid and well balanced

T some dark bread and slightly less hops then the nose, pretty solid red ale even though I preferred the nose I'm still enjoying the taste

M enters silky and creams up, a mild bitter bite and lingering nutty caramel on the finish

O I thought this was a solid example of the style and I'm a little surprised this one doesn't have a higher rating. I like the mellow mix of hops and it still has a malty backbone, pretty well done if you ask me

I'm not sure what beer other BA's were drinking while reviewing this one, looks like I'm way above the average yet again

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 06:48:20 | More by wordemupg

pkalix

California

4.23/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

hazy amber-red with a nice firm head on top.
some hop and floral aromas.
tastes floral, pine-y, some grapefruit. not too hop-py, or bitter. malt in the beginning and hop toward the end. nice balance in taste.
overall, a decent brew. easy to session. clean aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:51:29 | More by pkalix

argock

Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a clear pinot noir glass. No obvious freshness date. Purchased as a 6-pack at Olive Tree Marketplace (San Diego, CA) for $9.99.

A: Burnished red-amber with 1-finger of light beige, big-bubbled cola-like head with average retention and moderate lacing in one band around the top of the glass.

S: Strong pine aroma with some orange and grapefruit aromas as well. The malt component doesn't show much character though.

T: The malt bill doesn't show much character in the flavor either, which is a requisite for a solid-to-good amber ale. The maltiness is one-dimensional, mostly raisin and burned caramel which falls very flat and covers the floral, pine, and grapefruit citrus hops flavors and mutes it significantly. The dankness of the hop profile may be a positive to some but it is the reason I don't generally dry hop with Cascade -- grassy and herbal without the citrus.

M: The body is light-to-medium and pretty dry with a little too aggressive carbonation.

O: A very average red ale without much to suggest it. It's okay but not up to par with many of Coronado's other products like Idiot IPA and Islander IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 06:59:33 | More by argock

ThePaleRider

California

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Very dark, mahogany red. Nice one finger white head that settles pretty quickly leaving a white layer across the top of the brew.

S - Caramel malts, toffee, and a little citrusy hops. Reminds me of toasted grains or a bagel shop.

T - Lots of sweet malts. Caramel and some light coffee flavors. has the bitterness of a light IPA with all of the malts that you find in red ales. Definitely a west coast red ale as it's packed with the zesty, hoppyness that you would expect from an IPA.

M - Leaves a thick residue on the mouth that gives off a long after taste. Decent carbonation.

O - A little more flavor than your standard red ale. I'm pretty impressed.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 19:57:14 | More by ThePaleRider

rawfish

California

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a muddy brown with a rusty hue. Forms a off white small half finger head. Retention is decent but nice tight sheeting of lacing follows all the way down the glass.

Toffee, bread and a hint of roast and cocoa nibs. Hops come up earthy and piney, decently balanced.

Dark malt profile for an amber very bready and perhaps a bit nutty. Earthy herbal and pine hops with quite a dull bitter kick towards the end. Evenly balanced though the malts come off as rather bland in comparison to the hops.

The dull earthiness and bitterness overpower the malt making this one a bit harder to put down than other ambers/reds. Carbonation and body were appropriate.

Coronado beers really have a nice hop forward west coast feel to them but there is nothing that stands out about this beer. This beer falls in line with the rest of the ambers out there, perhaps a bit darker and bitter than most, nice but uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 07:29:22 | More by rawfish

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very hazy through a reddish body. Almost makes it look red-brown. A ring of head is holding strong. 3.5

Toasted caramel malts and bright grapefruit hops. Lightly salty. 3.5

Toasty with an acridity. Citrus hops are more muted than expected. Rinds and pith and a heap of bitterness. Seawater in the backend. Maybe chlorinated water. It had a watermelon vibe to it in past years, but that's not here now. 3.5

Drinks with a wet slickness. Salinity is appealing, but otherwise a bit mouth-drying. Carb is just medium. 3.5

A salty red ale for warm weather. Not bad. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 03:05:48 | More by thecheapies

NicoDuval

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Opaque Reddish Brown w 5 cm of tan head. Good looking beer.

S- Citrus, hops and a little bit of malt.

T- Fruity citrus with some hops and small sweet malty taste. Very slight alcohol taste

F- Crisp, light, not a lot of carbonation.

O-A simple and well done red. Not the best out there, but definitely a nice well balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 22:21:54 | More by NicoDuval

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This one is "okay". I find it a slight touch too tangy with a lacking balance. There might be a slight woody tone in there in that amber kind of way, but it's more tangy and slightly sweet with a fruit edge. I wouldn't call this a fail at all, but probably not very indicative of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 08:54:19 | More by RblWthACoz

mactrail

California

2.93/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Clear red amber, almost a cherry tint. Plenty of foam with nice lacing in the big tulip glass. Really good sudsy mouthfeel. Aroma is mushroomy and faintly resiny.

This has that classic earthy, murky flavor that brewers seem to go for in the Red and Amber styles. Distinct bitterness explodes on the tongue. Kind of a dry, cardboard aftertaste. The malt is overwhelmed by the sourish, dirty hop flavors.

Not a brew that inspires drinkability. Lovely to look at and a nice mouthful, but it's such a waste of malted barley. From the 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 04:50:16 | More by mactrail

BadgerBeer

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, especially considering I am not a big fan of red ales. This, Fixed Gear by Lakefront in Milwaukee, and Fat Tire are about the only reds I care for, but this one is the best out of the three in my opinion. If I saw this at a bar, I would definitely pick it up as a change of pace to my normal IPA, hefeweizen, and porter preference.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2012 00:04:10 | More by BadgerBeer

Souleman

California

3.4/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got most of what I like in a red ale, with a little extra bitterness and hoppy touch.

A- Nice red-amber color, head retention is not the best.

S- kinda unique smell, not as hoppy as I would have thought it would smell, the though some malt aromas are up in front.

T- pretty well balanced, though slightly towards the bitter side (which I like) and a great hoppiness that actually puts this thing closer to an IPA than a Red. I think it would have been completely flat if it were not for the bitter hoppiness.
There are a bit of cocoa/caramel/smokey notes coming through, but you really have to be paying attention to get it, if not, it still tastes good.

M- I liked drinking this beer, it had a smooth mouthfeel, which coated for just long enough to remember what I had just swallowed, and the carbonation was on, so it had that great little pop-rocks effect for a second, which works out well with this beer.

Overall- I would buy this beer again, it is one of a very few reds that I actually care for, probably because it's was not a slave to tradition. And it kinda reminds me of my homebrew.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:07:21 | More by Souleman

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint On Tap at Bills Pizza Palm Springs CA for 2$ during happy hour

Appearance - Slightly hazy amber/copper colour with a large size fizzy/frothy beige head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel, grapefruit, and hops. There is also a touch of dark fruits. It ends with a sweet hoppy aftertaste,

Overall - Really surprised by this one. It was pretty hoppy and the flavours were really vibrant. I could taste quality ingredients and I was finished my glass before I knew it. Based on the reviews - perhaps this beer is better on tap. It really tasted a lot like Stone's Levitation.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 02:07:47 | More by spinrsx

Murrhey

Montana

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap at Taco Asylum in Costa Mesa, CA. Reviewed from notes.

A- Two finger thick creamy head. Dark auburn color. Sticky, foamy lacing.

S- Medium bodied malts and deep smoky tones.

T- Opens creamy and fresh, closes hoppy and bitter.

M-Creamy and heavy feel. Lots of carbonation.

O- Nice beer. Happy with it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 02:48:16 | More by Murrhey

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

2.8/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on tap at the Fish Market in San Diego.

A: Pours a medium red amber with a medium off-white head, minimal lacing.

S: Nothing overpowering here. Some malt and sweetness from the caramel.

T: Very malts, but felt like this one was missing something, The malts lacked more sweetness or hops to back them up. Almost felt a skunky taste coming from this.

M: Medium-bodied, fairly smooth, has a creaminess to it, medium carbonation.

O: Was very underwhelmed with this. Tried many great beers on my trip to San Diego, this was not one of them though.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 20:30:51 | More by OleJohnnieAle

Merkur

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Yard House in San Diego.

Beer pours a nice, rich ruby color with about a finger and half or so of white, foamy head. The head lingers throughout.

The beer smells a bit like raisins.

The beer tastes initially very sweet of raisins and figs, followed by a good amount of a hoppy finish.

Slightly thin mouthfeel.

Overall a solid red ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 02:59:14 | More by Merkur

JosiahS

California

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

glass: nonic

Ruby, brown appearance with a thin bubbly head. Hints of cocoa, lavender, grape, date on the nose. The taste is, light floral hops, brown sugar, cocoa, date, grape, plastic. Finishes with a decent bitterness. Body is light-medium with medium carbonation. Very drinkable. Decent red but tastes too much like an ESB.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 03:15:31 | More by JosiahS

PintOHops

California

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Glass - Nonic

A - Cloudy amber colored brew with a sticky looking 2-finger head. Head retention seems to be very good, and I got some nice lacing on my glass.

S - It smells very ESB like to me. Upfront I get lots of fig, plum, and raisin. I also pick up a bit of floral and lemon citrus hop characteristics. Toffee, caramel and brown sugar qualities underneath.

T - Hmm, tastes a little like an ESB as well. I get lots of plum and fig upfront. Rind like hop flavors quickly follow, and it finishes very dry with more plum and lots of brown sugar. Bitterness is moderate for a Red Ale and it lingers a bit.

M - Medium-full bodied with a smooth and chewy feel. Lite-moderate crispness. I actually like the feel of this beer.

O - Well I like the beer but I think it's a little too sweet for me, and it also comes off like an ESB more than a Red Ale. I also didn't like the finishing flavors of the beer too much, it's kind of mineral like to me and un balanced. I'll pass on this one next time, but it's worth a try I'd say.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 03:13:43 | More by PintOHops