San Miguel Especial
San Miguel Fabricas De Cervaza Y Maltas S.A.

San Miguel EspecialSan Miguel Especial
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From:
San Miguel Fabricas De Cervaza Y Maltas S.A.
 
Spain
Style:
European Pale Lager
Ranked #370
ABV:
5.4%
Score:
63
Ranked #30,107
Avg:
2.6 | pDev: 21.15%
Reviews:
53
Ratings:
191
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 20, 2023
Added:
Nov 22, 2005
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  40
SCORE
63
Poor
San Miguel EspecialSan Miguel Especial
Notes: None
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

2.92/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Look - golden clear nice white head
Smell - Grainy
Taste - grainy clean
Feel - light body with a crisp carbonation
Overall - not bad but still lacking depth
Mar 20, 2023
Photo of EmperorBevis
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England

2.74/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Canned in a full pint can and a gift frm a neighbour for helping out
Pours a fairly clear lemon jello coloured body with decent white head
Aroma is semolina & candy cigarettes without the sweetness
So is the flavour
Sep 30, 2022
Photo of EdmundExley
Reviewed by EdmundExley from France

2.88/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
SanMiguel Especial, which come in a standard 330ml bottle with a medium ABV of 5,4%. Not to be mistaken with another beer named like that from the Philippines.

Poured into the Guinness it left a two inches white head quickly vanishing as I write this. Clear and golden yellow brew.

On the nose, it’s pretty dull some hints of floral notes and that’s about it.

On the palate, it’s again not opening a Pandora’s box of aromas of flavors, but that was expected for something I was fearing would be another mediocre industrial Euro Lager. It’s a bit richer than that. I like the dry finish and drinkability but I wasn’t looking for more from this one.

It’s a medium bodied beer with high carbonation. Dry finish and drinks well

Overall it’s not as awful as reviewed here or elsewhere. Best drink fresh and cold, would probably pair really well with España food but in lack of a Chorizo or Paella right now, not to mention being quite far from the Puerta del Sol, this will be a one and done. Ticked, reviewed. Not a huge aficionado but there are far worse European lager around here.
May 28, 2022
 
Rated: 2.5 by DOCRW from Washington

Jan 19, 2022
 
Rated: 3 by altrio

Oct 04, 2021
Photo of Dakkyz
Reviewed by Dakkyz

2.54/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
440ml can. 5.0% version, brewed in the UK by Carlsberg.

Drank from the can and a glass, tastes like copper nails, tastes far worse as it warms up, very metallic tasting.

Drank from a bottle previous times and really enjoyed it.
Jul 30, 2021
 
Rated: 3.29 by Biergerd from Germany

Jun 11, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

2.94/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This one (5,4% ABV) is far better than their 4,5% version lager, which most people have rated under the Philippines branch brewery, even though many of us obviously have had it in Spain. Anyway, the 5,4% version is quite malty, with a barely sufficient hoppiness. An acceptable premium lager, not great but well worth having with (or without) a meal in Spain. This rating is based on a bottle bought in Norway, had travelled well.
Apr 29, 2021
Photo of Spike
Reviewed by Spike from England

2.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
440ml can. 5.0% version, brewed in the UK by Carlsberg.
L: Clear, golden colour with many streams of bubbles. Excellent head is big, white, soapy & long-lasting. Served in a cold glass with beads of condensation, this is exactly how you want a lager to look.
S: Absolutely nothing.
T: Sweet & grainy. Negligible hop flavour.
F: Thin mouthfeel almost saved by moderate carbonation.
O: Incredibly bland. Designed to be drunk ice cold. Looks great and is well sessionable, otherwise poor.

PS. DO drink ice cold. This beer becomes sickly sweet as it warms.
Oct 03, 2020
 
Rated: 2.25 by Askala from Spain

May 16, 2020
 
Rated: 2 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

May 04, 2020
Photo of Dovers
Rated by Dovers from Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev +25%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Had on tap in Barcelona.
Oct 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3 by Robertas from Lithuania

Aug 04, 2019
 
Rated: 2.54 by misteil from Ireland

Jun 27, 2019
Photo of drmeto
Reviewed by drmeto from Germany

3.15/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
L:
-pours a clear golden with a big,foamy,white head
-medium to high carbonation visible
S:
-honey,spicy,grainy,corn,floral
T:
-Follows the nose
F:
-medium carbonation
-light body
O:
More malty than most "Premium Lagers".The malt base reminds me a lot of Staropramen, but with the typical low bitterniss of other "Premium Lagers"
A drinkable,if unexciting Premium Lager with a heavier malt base than it's competitors.
May 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by David19457 from New Jersey

May 03, 2019
 
Rated: 2.83 by samEBC from Belgium

Jan 06, 2019
Photo of elnachooo
Reviewed by elnachooo from Spain

2/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Cerveza de color dorado, de baja carbonatación y cuerpo ligero. Aroma a malta. El sabor en boca tiene detalles de malta y lúpulo. Sencilla para tomar, con pocas pretensiones.
Dec 17, 2018
Photo of Mclusal
Rated by Mclusal from Colombia

3.6/5  rDev +38.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
M53
Dec 12, 2018
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.01/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
There seems to be general confusion between the two listings for this beer, and it seems because it is brewed in several locations, and the relevent one might not be indicated on the can/bottle. [I know the San Miguel available in SE-Asia generally is the one brewed in the Philippines].
I bought my 440ml cans in Waitrose London. They show the ABV% at 5.0%. BB: 26/5/19. 'Brewed and canned in the EU by Carlsberg UK Ltd, Northampton'. Does that mean it's not brewed in Spain, it's unclear to me.
L-Quite pale gold, High carbonation. Pours with 3-finger white head slowly reducing to lacing.
S- A little sour, and not much else to note.
T- Quite hoppy dry, into a richer finish than expected. After I noticed the ambiguous origin I feared this was another industrial euro-lager, but it has something more to it than just that.
M- I think it is well balanced between dryness and richness, and maintains refreshing carbonation on the tongue.
O- Nothing particularly disinctive, but nothing actively wrong either. This would be a decent session-beer to me.
Aug 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.52 by Renata78 from Sweden

Aug 11, 2018
 
Rated: 2.08 by tottel from Netherlands

Jul 25, 2018
 
Rated: 2.5 by snowmageddon from Massachusetts

Jul 01, 2018
 
Rated: 2.93 by opd213 from California

Jun 03, 2018
 
Rated: 2.66 by SoPeL from Poland

Apr 21, 2018
 
Rated: 2.45 by TheCrowsEye from California

Jan 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.17 by Copix from Canada (BC)

Nov 30, 2017
 
Rated: 2.5 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Oct 29, 2017
 
Rated: 2.63 by GentleKnight1 from Illinois

Sep 28, 2017
Photo of Ant777uk
Reviewed by Ant777uk from England

1.9/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 1.75 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 1.75
It's kind of strange as when you drink the San Miguel in Mallorca, it's a pretty good beer, both as draft or in bottle. However when bought outside Spain, it seems to be different!

This apparently is brewed in Barcelona, and it actually called "Tradicion" as opposed to Especial. Not sure what the difference is, and couldn't tell from their website.

Spanish draft San Miguel I actually like and would give a good rating to. This however is very lifeless and not so great...

Anyway, aroma is very malty. Flavour is quite flat, but improves as it warms up slightly. Not much of an aftertaste and quite dry, very overtly pasteurized I would suggest.

Not a fan, it's a shame as the stuff in Spain is pretty good. Now sure about the Singapore version...

Interestingly on the bottle it does not seem to specify exactly where it is made, it's very possible this is a cheaper and totally different version of the Spanish one, from memory I have had a UK brewed one before that was not so great also...
Aug 23, 2017
Photo of schavuytje
Reviewed by schavuytje from Netherlands

1.44/5  rDev -44.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
A fairly drinkable pale lower, very bright, slightly slightly slightly yellow body, no foam, vague tones of fine malt with a bitter edge; advice good cold for the best taste
Jun 26, 2017
 
Rated: 2.75 by 22Blue from Kansas

Jun 11, 2017
 
Rated: 2.5 by fthegiants from California

May 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.1 by mishi_d from Romania

May 14, 2017
Photo of monkist
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary

3.02/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The time has come to re-evaluate the San Mig. After a few years things tend to taste better, but not sure if this one made any difference since then. Tasteless lager with dry bitterness remaining in the mouth... German lager-esque? But it's okay, especially with food, despite its wateriness. Otherwise you might not want to be drinking it too much on its own...
May 14, 2017
 
Rated: 2.54 by Giangio from Italy

Dec 19, 2016
 
Rated: 2.89 by yaron73 from Israel

Sep 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.29 by BlackVeg from Germany

Aug 13, 2016
Photo of TobeerAs
Rated by TobeerAs from Germany

2.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
Unpleasant bitter nose. Light sweet smooth taste. Hop notes rather hidden and unbalanced.
May 30, 2016
 
Rated: 2.99 by emincems from Turkey

May 25, 2016
San Miguel Especial from San Miguel Fabricas De Cervaza Y Maltas S.A.
Beer rating: 63 out of 100 with 191 ratings