Coronado Mermaid's Red Ale doesn't lure me in with her siren song

I have a drinks at Surly Goat, which I haven't been too in a while and I'm stoked! Looking at the menu, the irony hits me...I've had most of these beers. At almost 330 beers, it was bound to happen somewhere. There are so many beers on the menu I want to drink for pleasure and not for the blog, such as the Stone IRS, Bruery Bierbauch, Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine and especially the 12% Speedway Stout they have on freaking cask. Ain't something so hard to turn down when you know exactly what you're missing?! Just like turning away free chocolate chip cookies...

I'm gonna roll the dice with a San Diego brewery who's location and beer names I like, but who also has disappointed me fairly often with their output, although I do like myself a red ale. Tonight's choice is Coronado Brewing's 5.7% Mermaid's Red Ale.

This beer reminds me of...you know that old Dobie Gray song, "Drift Away?" What's that now? Walker, please play some of that soft and soulful rock...well if you insist:

I'm specificaly referring to the Dobie's chorus, drift away. The red ale is looking good, good as hell, but the flavor profile is off. The hops are in the forefront of the taste along with faint roasted flavors, but then everything fades to a bitter finish without giving me a beat to work with. It's an odd mix that overall, doesn't sit well with me. Yet, the Mermaid is drinkable because it's lacking robustness, so points for that I suppose. THE ISLAND rating