Red Coat Canadian Red Ale

London, Ontario is the hometown of Forked River Brewing Co., and the birthplace of their Red Coat Canadian Red Ale. A strong ale at pleasant 6.2% alcohol, Red Coat is sold in 500mL bottles. The beer within is a clear, copper red. It pours with a loose foam of cream head. Malty, well roasted, and metallic were the terms that popped into my mind when sniffing the stuff. The mouthfeel in this one was a bit of a mixed bag--initially quite thin and flimsy, but nicely salvaged by a chunkily bitter back end. The flavour tracked the nose quite well, with roasty, malty and ferrous notes, along with a pretty decent hops presence.

Red Coat is a fine red ale. A bit stronger and more bitter than average, but balanced against a somewhat underwhelming primary mouthfeel. Like other Forked River beers I've sipped, Red Coat is a nice specimen that does the City of London proud.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.