Mermaid's Red Ale - Coronado Brewing Company

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean orange-ish to amber color with an off white head. In the aroma, small malt and citrus like hops. In the taste, sweet malt with a nice faint citrus hop. A small hop bite and medium to light bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry small hop in the aftertaste. Like a mellow IPA, quite nice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 13:25:54 | More by OWSLEY069

feelmefoam

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mermaid's Red pours a murky reddish-caramel color with red-orange highlights. The beer puts up a finger and a half of yellowish head that has some really nice retention time and leaves nice drapes of lacing hanging around the glass.

The smell is fresh and pretty assertive. A nice piney-hop scent comes out up front, floating on a sea of sweet, mellow caramel malt aroma.

The flavor is exactly what I look for in my reds. Sweet caramel malt up front, followed by a bit of pine sap and spruce hop flavor. A bit of bready sweetness floats around in the background as well. My only gripe is I'd like it a bit more hoppy, but that's really personal preference and not something the beer should be penalized for.

The mouthfeel is dead on medium, accentuated by light, effervescent carbonation and a slightly dry finish. Pretty well put-together beer.

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with this beer and Coronado as a brewery. Granted, I've only had two of their beers, but I've enjoyed both of them. Similar to Bear Republic's Red Rocket Ale (though maybe a hint less flavorful), this is how I like my Red Ales to be. Sweet and Hoppy!!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 02:22:46 | More by feelmefoam

Foxtrot

California

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been craving a Red Ale for a while, and need to satisfy that craving with something new.

Poured from bomber into a pint glass with a incredible red/burgundy body with an abundance of off white foam, and massive lacing. Retention made the lacing even more splendid to watch as my glass slowly became empty.

Aroma is pretty potent with caramel and toffee being the most easily recognizable. Add to this a nice hop presence with hints of pine give this a nice all around aroma.

The flavor is just fantastic, and spot on for the style. Sweetness of caramel and toffee are punctuated by nice highlights of bitter hops. Lighter hints of grapefruit and lemon zest are present but are easily kept in check by this brew's large hop bill. Tasty to say the least.

Mouthfeel was smooth, and slightly creamy. Its lusciousness makes it even more of a sipper.

Drinkbability is definitely on par. It's dual purpose brew. Its good as a session beer, and as a sipper. Hard to finds beers that can fill both shoes.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 07:15:23 | More by Foxtrot

PDXHops

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle/Duvel tulip. Handsome looking beer, deep reddish amber with a dense cap of creamy foam. Patches of sticky lacing.

Pine and caramel duel for supremacy in the nose. The battle continues in the mouth, with pine eventually bowing out gracefully toward the swallow, but making a nice showing for itself in the process. Some earthiness joins in and matches up nicely with the caramel. Finishes with a nice toasty and and moderately sweet malty combo. A rather thickish brew, but with plenty of bitterness and carbonation to keep things moving along. Solid amber- recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 18:47:19 | More by PDXHops

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep red ale with a large khaki tan head forming four fingers worth of head with fine speckled lacing. Aroma has caramel notes with mild earthy hops going on, not bad. Flavor has some dark red malt action brings out a bit of clean caramel and strong hop earthiness actually a good mix that I'm sure is better the fresher the ale is. Drinkability overall is excellent light to medium bodied smooth carbonation I can't get away from these Coronado brews.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 19:12:16 | More by WVbeergeek

rdub

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into ny favorite pint glass. Darkish red/tan color and a nice amount of head. Aroma was typical American red split right down the middle of malt and hops. The taste was what Killians aspires to be. Nice and balanced. Nothing offensive in the flavor profile and very easy to drink. Pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 13:01:41 | More by rdub

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark orange in color, some lace too. Smells of floral hops. Taste is west coast citrus hops on a nutty, caramel malt body. Good amount of hop flavor and bitterness. Very smooth mouthfeel and above average drinkability. My favorite beer from Coronado that I have tried.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2010 02:38:19 | More by Stinkypuss

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. Reddish brown pour, ample finger of white head. Retained fairly well.

Aroma is quite sweet, malty, some nut and chocolate, but I prefer a sweeter red.

A nutty, roasty, malty with heavy dark chocolate accents. Some herbal hop, but more leather and tea to be expected in a red ale in the finish. Very interesting, I like it.

Closer to medium bodied than I would have expected. Healthy carbonation though. Pretty easy to drink, I enjoyed this one for a red ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 01:50:49 | More by Bung

ZeroSignal

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle, no date

A - Pours chestnut brown with a thin off-white head and sticky lacing

S - Toasted and caramelized malts, nutty

T&M - Very standard red ale material; a predominant nuttiness with light fruity undertones. Medium bodied with nice toasted malt flavors that coat the palate. Finish is somewhat dry with a left over sweetness.

D - A good red ale, but not so different that one should go nuts seeking it out. Nicely balanced flavors and very easy to take down.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 05:03:38 | More by ZeroSignal

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

another gem i found on tap at barleys last night, they had like evrything coronado on, lol. poured into a pint glass and consumed on 08/14/2010,

What a nice rich looking pour. Nice dark amber with a heavy leaning towards a reddish tint for sure. Nice head of off white comes up about an inch or so before it falls but leaves a good amount of lacing on the sides and bottom.

Aroma is nice piney hops right up front, smooth, balanced with a heavy dose of caramel malts and a nice bready tone to it. Warming brings ou a stickiness and a smooth an even carbonation lends to the palate quite nicely. Even the rich piney nose carried over to the taste as it was a nice and subtle balance between that and the breadiness that really worked quite well i have to admit. nice and light i was able to put this one down in no time.

overall a very solid and very sessionable offering from coronado, worked wonders on me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2010 21:04:36 | More by mikesgroove

atsprings

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Tyler's in Apex served in a free Coronado pint glass a crisp dark red with a nice frothy light tan head that slowly diminishes to a thin layer and leaves great lacing on the glass. Aroma is sweet malts and a touch of hops. The taste is loads of sweet malts with a nice earthy hop backbone that leaves an interesting bitterness on the tongue. The beer is light crisp and smooth with decent coronation. This is an interesting amber, one at least worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 21:10:30 | More by atsprings

Gavage

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark amber in color with a 2" head that lasts awhile. Moderate lace paints the glass.

Smell: caramel and a hint of roasted malt is easily detectable.

Taste: caramel, bready malt profile, a bit of citrus, and a light toasted tones creates a nice flavor. Bitterness is mild but nicely balancing.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Smooth from start to finish. Short aftertaste.

Drinkability: an easy drinking red ale that hits the spot when you want the style. Worthy of a try.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2010 19:30:38 | More by Gavage

farrago

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Solid pour gets you about two fingers of dense light tan foam with a slight dimpling across the surface, retention is about average hence starts to crater as it resolves down to the liquid surface, lacing broad and lends visual appeal. Rich amber red color with as much brown as orange to it, more transparent than translucent, few scattered bubbles visible. The nose starts off like it's gonna get all hoppy on you then veers into milk chocolate, butterscotch and generalized malts with a raisin bread, orange peel and Brazil nut stripe, can conjure up mixed floral bursts when so inclined, does have an herbal dimension with a very low undercurrent of pine, any fruit sticks to basic apricot, peach, apple scents, nothing unique here but well packaged. Medium to full-bodied, the fluff factor of the carbonation favors the latter. The chocolate, toffee, butterscotch nuances persist but truly are not all that sweet. Probably more sweetness in the tangerine, grapefruit citrus. More of a slow, subtle roast than toast, again something like raisin bread to whole wheat. Dry, erect bearing through the finish. Nothing dumbed down here, strikes you as a "food beer" which may not shine best on its own.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 04:04:57 | More by farrago

womencantsail

California

3.6/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at 5 Points

A: The pour is amber in color with a finger or so worth of off-white head.

S: Fairly malt forward, primarily caramel malts with a hint of toasted bread. The hops are there, but in the background and are floral with a hint of citrus.

T: Some caramel, toffee, and perhaps even a bit of chocolate to go along with the bread. The hop bitterness is somewhat minimal, and there is only a light citrus note to the beer.

M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation to it.

D: I prefer my ambers/reds to be a bit more hop forward, but this wasn't too bad. Easy enough to drink and nothing bad to say about it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 21:56:20 | More by womencantsail

StevenBilodeau

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was a good beer!

Pours a nice red amber color, closer to the red...
Fluffy tan head, with adequate lacing. The taste is smooth and well balanced, notes of subtle chocolate, caramel sweetness lingers in the finish. There is a malty feel to this brew, but not a grainy feel.

I will have this one again, and again. This is a good representation of a Red Ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 22:00:18 | More by StevenBilodeau

cdizinno

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Poured into a pint glass from a tap at The Flying Saucer in Columbia, SC.

A: Reddish amber color with a nice fluffly light tan head and moderate lacing.

S: Moslty malty smells with a decent amount of underlying floral hop scent.

T&M: Crisp, yet smooth. Well-balanced with toasted caramel malts and substantial hop flavors throughout. Mild chocolate sweetness, and citrus hops are balanced throughout. Medium bodied.

WAY BETTER on tap than in the bottle. The hops shine through enough to give it a unique taste.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2010 23:37:44 | More by cdizinno

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle from Al's of Hampden.

A: The bottle opens with a hiss, revealing a strong hop aroma. But this is not the time to discuss aromas. The ale is a pretty copper color, clear in my glass. A finger of head has left behind wispy lace.

S: Plenty of caramel malts to set the stage here, a dark bready aroma that has chocolate elements in it. In fact, a nutty toffee aroma seems to be loitering around. Only after all those malty notes pass do the citrusy cascade hops come through.

T: The darker malt profile really throws things out of whack. The chocolate and toffee come through immediately, crowding out the hops. For all the richer flavors, seems like the one thing missing is a dose of rye. Citrusy cascade follows, albeit mildly and without much fanfare. When the ale hangs around on the palate for a bit, the citrusy bouquet becomes stronger but it still can't overcome the chocolate malts. Those dark malts are an unusual twist on an amber.

M: The mouthfeel is full, loaded down by stronger flavors that the style would suggest. The darker malts have a warming aspect, richer than normal.

D: Drinkable? Very much so, yes. A twist on the standard red ale that seems a little light on the hops.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 01:56:21 | More by akorsak

oberon

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into anonic a clear rich amber/bronze with a thinner but well retained soapy-like white head,aromas were bready in character along with some mild caramel sweetness,the cascades used are pretty subdued.Flavors reminded me more of some of the PA ESB's I used to drink when in living in Philly,what I mean is its bready with subdued caramel and fruity malt notes with a decent shot of piney/citric hop in the finish.A little prickly in the mouth and not like alot of American reds but its decent.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 21:03:49 | More by oberon

Gyle41386

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Welcome to South Carolina, Coronado. Mermaid's Red is my first brew from Coronado, and the Islander and Idiot IPA's should follow shortly, as they rounded out the opening lineup here in SC.

The pour is a dark reddish-brown one. A bit more than a finger of off-white foam rises a little more quickly than it falls. Just a halo remains midway through the glass. There's some really nice looking lacing on the glass. Impressive, thick sheets.

Nose is surprisingly toasty and sweet. I say surprisingly, because I just expect West Coast pale ales to be hoppier than others. I'm smelling plenty of caramel and toasted grains, with just a hint of citric hops. It's a pleasant, unexpected balance. Nothing about the aroma is particularly memorable or exciting, but it certainly invites you to take a sip.

And that first sip invites you to take several more. Mermaid's Red is flavorful, yet restrained. The balance between malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness remains intact throughout.

Medium-bodied with appropriate carbonation. It's smooth (horrible descriptor, I know) and lightly creamy. A very, very easy drinker. My glass was empty in no time. Not one I'd go out of my way to have again, but I'd absolutely drink another if you placed it in front of me. All in all, a pretty good first impression, and I look forward to trying more from Coronado.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 03:31:18 | More by Gyle41386

Pencible

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a slightly hazy mahogany with moderate tan head.
S: It smelled like roasted barley and caramel malt, with copper hops and a little bready yeast.
T: It tasted just like it smelled, mostly of roasted barley and caramel malt, along with copper hops and bready yeast. It had a dry bitter aftertaste.
M: It was slightly thick with a little carbonation.
D: This was a decent red ale, but nothing memorable or worth recommending. It was easy to drink, but was otherwise boring.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 23:57:31 | More by Pencible

mdfb79

New York

3.2/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, VA.

a - Pours an amber red color with 1 inch of off white head and no carbonation.

s - Smell is faded grain or bready malts; it is almost non existent.

t - Tastes of light hops and bready malts.

m - Medium body and no carbonation, very smooth and easy to drink.

d - An ok red ale. Very easy to drink but not much in the smell or taste. Wouldn't look to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2010 04:48:36 | More by mdfb79

silver0rlead

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep amber color with a nice beige head that retains well and leaves lacing. The aroma is really nice with piney and citrusy hops upfront, along with some caramel, toasted bread, dark fruits (cherry and red apple), and barely a hint of alcohol, not especially complex but very fresh smelling. The flavor is similar to the aroma with a juicy hops character initially (with notes of grapefruit, pineapple, pine and flora), along with caramel sweetness, toasted bread, fruity esters, and a touch of alcohol. This isn't a particularly complex or exciting rendition of an american amber ale, but it's well executed and fresh tasting so it's damn good regardless.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 03:06:36 | More by silver0rlead

avalon07

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a rubyish color with a clear consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: A slight aroma of hops, sweet malt, and some sort of sugar.

T: Tasted of malt, a sharp dose of hops, and a little caramel. Not the most dynamic of flavors, but decent for a red ale.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a bone dry finish. Light-bodied.

D: As this style of beer goes, Mermaid's Red Ale is a solid, drinkable example.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 12:37:25 | More by avalon07

oldhippie247

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice crystal-clear red/amber with tall white head that dissipates quickly. Carbonation is fairly low.

Nose doesn't show much, with only a hint of malt sweetness--if you really want to find it.

Medium mouthfeel that begins with malt and finishes with a clean hop bitterness. Finish is rather short.

Overall a decent beer--nothing special, nothing glaringly wrong. Would recommend to anyone looking for something more than a lager for a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 01:21:51 | More by oldhippie247

glid02

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the Yardhouse in downtown San Diego.

Pours a clear dark amber color with a one-finger tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of grainy caramel malts with hints of toastiness. Also present are good amounts of citrus and floral hop aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Caramel malt flavors with very light hints of toffee kick things off. Midway through the sip mild amounts of light citrus hop flavors enter into things along with an earthy bitterness that carries through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass however I'm not too sure about another.

Overall there was nothing that really stood out about this beer, good or bad. Not worth avoiding but not worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2010 04:05:37 | More by glid02