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

Sigmund from Norway

2.94/5  rDev +12.2%
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

Spike from England

2.57/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | 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: Nothing.
T: Very sweet & grainy.
F: Rich & heavy mouthfeel for a lager. Verging on syrupy.
O: Heavy & overly sweet. Becomes more cloying and less refreshing as it warms. Palatable only when drunk ice cold. Looks great, otherwise poor.

Oct 03, 2020

drmeto from Germany

3.15/5  rDev +20.2%
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

elnachooo from Spain

2/5  rDev -23.7%
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

JonnoWillsteed from England

3.01/5  rDev +14.9%
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

Ant777uk from England

1.9/5  rDev -27.5%
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

schavuytje from Netherlands

1.44/5  rDev -45%
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

monkist from Hungary

3.02/5  rDev +15.3%
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

stevoj from Idaho

2.28/5  rDev -13%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Bottle from Maruhn. Bland and uninteresting, not much in the aroma department, and taste of oatmeal and cereal. Mediterranean grain lager, thirst quenching beach beer.

Dec 21, 2015

VABA from Virginia

2.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A-Pours a clear golden color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has malt hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a malt flavor
M-A light bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A decent beer

Aug 15, 2015

josanguapo from Spain

2.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A very typical spanish lager in the sweet side. Can be drinked but you wont find anything special here. Not excesively sweet but a bit more than desiderable. 2.50 overall.

13 Apr 2016: From Carrefour. In shaker glass. Watching Vikings 4x02. More balanced than the typical cheap macro lager, with less bitterness, more smooth sip

Jul 01, 2015

TheBeerSeal from Florida

1.37/5  rDev -47.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.5

It looks just like any other mass-produced pilsner, but has a Very uninviting taste of metal and corn. Very little aroma (if any at all). I would not get this again.

Jan 29, 2015

LagerCognoscenti from England

3.5/5  rDev +33.6%

The "especial" San Miguel appears to be brewed in Spain and, at 5.4%, is stronger than the regular variety.

A pleasant drinking lager with no off notes or faults. The lacing is quite good and the smell and taste are rather unexceptional but quite nice.

Apples, sweet malt and a touch od herbal hop are all detectable.

Overall, an ok lager to drink cold. Better than many big name lagers.

72/100

Sep 14, 2014

jonmikel from Spain

1.85/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Orangish transparent look with a fair amount of foam. Almost no smell. Taste and feel are not bad but it is not unforgertable. Anyway is same sort of comfort in the taste. Overall I say that it is not the worst beer available in Spain.

May 19, 2013

doktorhops from Australia

2.38/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This says something about the brewing industry - I picked up 4 x 500ml cans of Stella Artois and 4 x 500ml cans of San Miguel for the low low price of $20, and after tasting the two back to back I could not detect any noticeable difference between them. Stella I've had before and gave it a glowing review, it is a damn fine brew, but the brew I got in the can of Stella was not Stella, and I'm pretty sure the brew I got from the San Miguel can is not San Miguel, I suspect there is a recipe for "Lager A" which is being sent to a variety of breweries and churned out into to different labelled cans... evidence of a brewsipracy grows by the day.

Poured from a 500ml can into a stein.

A: Clear yellow body with no head just some white lacing.

S: Smells afoul of the typical Lager skunk you get with cheap Lagers. Apart from that there is some green apple peel, touch of adjunct corn and a hint of sour yeast. No hops, but were you ever expecting them from a cheap Lager? If so then shame on you.

T: Malt base dominates the flavour with its adjunct mediocrity. A bit devoid of any taste really but if you had to describe it you would say corn, grains, followed by a hint of sour yeast and finishes with German Lager dryness rather than classic bitter hop finish.

M: Borders on watery, light to mid bodied with mild carbonation.

D: Not terrible as other macros, however this is definitely an instance of "You get what you paid for", a cheap taste from a cheap Lager, nothing more nothing less. Wont go out of my way to try this again, but I'm still not even sure if this really is San Miguel or if it's "Lager A" so who knows.

Food match: Greasy doner kebab with extra garlic sauce.

Dec 08, 2012

GONZALOYANNA from Spain

2.06/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

500ml can. Lager glass. Enjoyed on jul´12. Pale straw color. Crystal clear appearance. White, brief crown. Herbal, hay aromas & cardboard odor. Sweet malting & citric bitterness. Grainy & fizzy. Light body, high carbonation. Watery texture. Dry bitter finish. Fat & boring.

Jul 04, 2012

Zimbo from Scotland

1.98/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Drunk on my executive hotel balcony in Mallorca earlier this month.
Looked like every other pale Euro lager you've ever seen but there was some individuality here. Too bad it was mostly distinquished by the taste of over boiled cabbage/brussel sprouts, skunk, rubber notes, cigarette butts and a faint wavering of malt.
Smelt no different either. And slightly over acidic in the mouth too.
Certainly not to be repeated. Fortunately a distant memory once I was in the middle of dinner with a bottle of Macia Batle Crianza.

Apr 29, 2012

killianf

2.53/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Drank from the bottle but tasted and smelled from a glass tumbler

A: Clear pale yellow golden colour, thin film of head that doesn't last too long. No lacing.

S: Hint of malt, strong metallic smell. Slightly hoppy with a vegetable smell definitely coming through.

T: Light malt, hoppy bitterness, an overpowering vegetable taste. Kind of malty aftertaste.

M: Thin and watery, light bodied.

Overall: Not great, but not the worst I've had at all. I wouldn't go out of my way to get this, but if I was buying for a barbeque on a really hot day (which we don't really have in Ireland) I would pick a couple up. It's cheap, and tastes so. Refreshing ice cold and easy to knock back.

Apr 09, 2012

jazzyjeff13 from England

2.58/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A 660ml bottle with a BB of Feb 2012. ABV stated as 5.0%. Picked up from a UK supermarket. Brewed by Carlsberg, and I love the statement on the label that says 'brewed in the EU' - that really narrows it down!

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A clear golden colour with good carbonation. Forms a decent head of white foam that lasts for a minute or so before subsiding. Aroma of light malt with a hint of stewed veg/hops. Slightly stale.

Tastes of light malt with a mild bitter finish. Faint hints of stewed hops and overcooked veg. A harsh background note. Mouthfeel is watery, dry and prickly. Somewhat astringent. A harsh bitter aftertaste.

Meh. Subpar, even for industrial lager. Extrememly bland and tasteless - this really is for those times when you're dying of thirst and there's nothing else on offer. Give it a miss.

Feb 11, 2012

Berecki from Croatia (Hrvatska)

2.48/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Dull beer. In every aspect. I chilled it, poured in a pilsner glass, and tasted it thirsty and willing to be merciful. But it disappointed me - it's just average colored, average smelling, under-average fruity tasting pilsner with pricky aftertaste. Felt bloated after an hour.

Aug 28, 2011

Cozzatoad from Italy

2.67/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

33cl can

A- Pale golden, maybe some orange hints. Very little head from the pour; no retention, though there are some faint signs of lacing

S- Sweet malts, on the corn side of things (smells like an american adjunct lager), with some light fruity hints (orange?). Hops are not detectable

T- Once again very sweet. Bready malts and again a hint of corn (though not as pronounced as in the aroma). Some very faint fruit undernotes might still be detected. Not the slightest hint of bitterness

M- The beer is very thin in body and carbonation is actually quite low. A good example of what 'watery' means in a beer

O- Very much on the sweet side, but still decently refreshing. It actually drinks very easy

Aug 26, 2011

djura from Serbia

2.41/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Got it from Spain,can 0,33l

A-Usual for lager,pale light orange color. Nice foam,white,stay for minute. Low carbonation.
S-skunk,with hops,yeast..
T/M-Lighter taste,sweet aroma,typical EPL. Medium bitterness.
O-Nothing too special,usual beer,usual taste.

Aug 02, 2011

Rootdog316 from Virginia

2.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours clear yellow with a medium, frothy, white head. Sweet malts, light corn, mild citric bitterness. Medium carbonation, fine light and mildly dry finish. Flavour is sweet, mild malty notes, some sugar and quite a bit of lemon zesty bitterness in the end. What can I say, this would never be a go to for me, but it tasted OK on a hot summer day.

Jun 07, 2011

MrHurmateeowish from Maine

3.67/5  rDev +40.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

25cl brown bottle purchased in Spain and brought back by my father. Pours a crystal-clear straw yellow body with not a whole lot of head to speak of. Smells faintly sweet, fruity, bready, with hints of cooked vegetable. Bread with hints of apple, pear, caramel, with a noticeable herbal hop presence. Hints of butter and cooked vegetable toward the finish. Easy-drinker. Light bodied with moderate to full (but not overly done) carbonation. Not as clean as it could be for the style, but the flavors, while a bit subdued, are noticeable and harmonious. I actually like it.

May 07, 2011

jonb5 from England

2.81/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

275ml bottle. 5.0 abv, brewed in UK, half a finger head, clear, light brown colour. Slight paint smell. Tastes slightly of wheat, no real hop content. Chemical aftertaste. Lots of carbonation. Not one for the beer geek/snob but has it's place in the beer world

Dec 10, 2010