Red Horse Beer | San Miguel Brewery Inc.

2.02/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I opened a bottle and heard no pop or fizz. Tasted the beer and thought it may have gone bad. Opened another one to check. That's just the way it is.

Very subtle nose which can only be described as faint cherry liqueur.

Taste is almost absent. Again, to my pallet it's cherries, but more bitter than sweet. But the flavor is fleeting, and a sip ends up feeling fairly clean and fresh, if lacking in most beer attributes.

I threw one in the freezer for a while, and drank it from the bottle as a previous reviewer had suggested, and it was better ice cold from the bottle. Definitely nothing overtly offensive about it, and it goes down easy. With easy drinking and 8% abv, I can see where this brew, if obtained cheaply, could be extremely attractive.

However, my overall impression is pretty negative. For getting drunk it seems like a good deal. For savoring beer, it's a big bummer.

★ 890 characters

3.17/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Color is medium straw. Aroma is corn, biscuit malt and caramel. The flavor is biscuit / corn from a glass, but sweeter and cleaner if you drink it out of a bottle. Sweetness and full body keeps alcohol relatively well hidden. This is a decent / okay strong lager, good for a hot day and better straight from the bottle (where flavors stay simple) than in a glass (which opens up some not great elements).

★ 409 characters

1.82/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I guess The Filipino San Miguel is the brand owner (though they're licensing it from San Miguel Spain?) and San Miguel Thailand is technically brewing it under contract.

BOTTLE: 640ml. Brown glass. Sanguine label. Gold and red pry-off crown cap.

Brewed and packaged by San Miguel Beer Thailand. Filled April 09, 2016. 6.00% ABV.

AROMA: Graininess. Pale/pilsner malts. Mild grassy hop character. I detect no overt adjunct.

Aromatic intensity is quite mild.

TASTE: Artificial cherry, pilsner malts, pale malts, malty sweetness. Malt extract. Possibly cane sugar seeing as it's somewhat cidery.

No overt hop or yeast flavour. No off-notes apart from the almost cloying sweetness.

Imbalanced, with shallow depth of flavour throughout. Flavour duration is brief (luckily). Flavour intensity is low.

TEXTURE: Syrupy, slightly sticky, smooth, wet, overcarbonated. Heavy on the palate. Filling. Not soft at all.

Doesn't bring out the best in the taste.

OVERALL: Drinkability is low giving its sharp overcarbonation, heaviness on the palate, and off-putting sweetness. Definitely amongst the worst beers (currently) available in Thailand - which is a shame since Thai-brewed San Miguel Pale Pilsner (from the same brewery) is one of the best. Not a brew I'd want to revisit - but I imagine I likely will given the lack of diversity in Thailand's beer scene coupled with Red Horse's affordable price and comparatively high ABV.

I'll extend an olive branch and say that the red apple/cider-redolent flavour isn't bad.

D- (1.82) / NOT RECOMMENDED

★ 1,547 characters

2.09/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

Clear gold with a thin white head which fades quickly, leaving spotty lacing. The aroma has grain, corn, and some earth. Smells fairly sweet.

Tastes like it smells. Too sweet for this style of beer.

Thin and watery with above average carbonation. Nothing to get excited about here. I will avoid in the future.

★ 312 characters

2.01/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

it barely has any smell and doesn't taste very good. it's classified as a malt liquor but it doesn't taste like one to me, maybe it's a lighter & harsher tasting version of a malt liquor.

★ 187 characters

3.34/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 OZ bottle into a pint glass at the World of Beer in Columbia, SC. This is the classic beer of the Philippines that sailors and Marines lived off of in the old days while in Olongapo. Unfortunately it doesn't compare to other beers but in the tropical setting of the PI it is awesome. But, it is rather average but it did take me down memory lane for a bit.

★ 376 characters

2.98/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This poured a clear golden colour with a thin soda bubbled white head that dissapears quickly. The nose is bready, while being surrounded by a sweet pale malt. There is also some skunk and earthy hoppiness. The taste is like sweet corn along with a slightly apple taste, maybe some acetaldehyde. That earthy hop bitterness is evident as the taste comes to a finish. It feels overly carbonated, almost like they use the high carbonation to hide any flaws. Not my favourite but better than some other malt liquors I've had.

★ 527 characters

3.21/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

L: Pours brilliant gold under a 1” white foam cap that diddipates at a fairly moderate speed leaving splotchy lace.
S: Fresh grains and some earthiness fill the nose.
T: Lightly sweet bread and a dose of apple with a moderately bitter, dry finish.
F: Medium light to medium body, medium high carbonation, clean and crisp.
O: Probably more apple on the palate than it should have but it works well with the grain flavors and helps hide the alcohol.

★ 453 characters

2.49/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.25

Why?

A: Macro straw, big bubbles streaming to the surface. Head is a finger of white. Instant dissipation to a small cap.

S: Grain, green grape, slightly metallic.

T: Fruity up front, just a splash of herbal/vegetal hoppiness. Not harsh but not welcome graininess in the end. Some sort of porridge sweetness on the finish.

M: The higher alcohol may actually help this one. Keeps the carbonation from burning your tongue. Still thin and still watery.

O: Lower tier, but not bottom tier. Do not let warm. Repeat, do not let warm.

★ 555 characters

1.98/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.75

A- Pours a crystal clear golden color with a surprisingly thick-ish white colored head. The head is about 1 finger thick and retains very well in a soapy textured manner. Appears to have aggressive pop like carbonation and the lacing is also surprisingly decent with several small foam patches sticking to the side of the glass.

S- Very average aromas of corn adjunct, and perhaps some cleansing rice blended into the mash as well. There is some minor barley malt sweetness. Slightly yeasty, tin/metallic and somewhat boozy aroma. No real hop bitterness in the finish.

T- This is where this beer loses it for me! Very bland and no frills on the palate. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable and there's a weird dry dirt flavor that makes my tongue cringe every time I taste this. Stale cardboard could perhaps be a great term to describe the overall flavor!

M/O- The rubber hit the road and it's an awfully bumpy road! Outside of the better than expected look, this is everything I expected and less! Thin bodied, palate scrubbing carbonation and unpleasant flavors have led me to decide that this belongs in the reject pile! I'm sure the good people of the Philippines know full well that this is pure swill.......good for the party crowd I'm sure!

★ 1,256 characters

3/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

If this is a malt liquor, as BA proclaims, I'm a bit more interested in the process. Its listed as an extra strong lager, so perhaps there's some complex chemistry going on in the background/process to categorize this as a 'Malt Liquor'.

Gave it a 3, it's drinkable, strong, sweet. When I think 'Malt Liquor', I definitely think Mickey's, Old English, etc.. this isn't a gross farty beer - it's a smooth, malty, lager. So while the categorization may be debated, it's quite enjoyable.

★ 488 characters

2.45/5  rDev -7.9%

Needs to be served cold. A basic malty beer but it can be refreshing under the right conditions. Average as a whole, but I don't hate it the way that some seem to hate it.

★ 171 characters

2.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pale gold colour; slow bead. No real head, quite thin. No lace. Pretty bland.

Smells beery; metallic with some very mild grain husks and maybe a hint of herbal hops. Bit bitter, bit sweet, plenty bland.

Tastes light, a bit sweet, touch of malt with caramel and buttery notes. Fizzy on back, kind of bitter carbolic note without much complexity. Very slight roundness from body but otherwise booze is not detectable, which is to its credit. But then it's like a strong beer without the flavour/complexity so what's the point? Just dangerous, really. Have a lighter beer if you want something easy drinking.

★ 609 characters

3.47/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an effervescent gold with 3 fingers of fast falling eggshell colored head. Slightly below average head retention & lacing

S: Pears, white grapes, some perfumy notes, some honey suckle notes

T: Sweet apples, dryness & white grapes up front. More of the same as this warms, big time apple blossom balanced by just a little by mineral & citrussy hops. Finishes cidery & dry

MF: Medium bodied, lively carbonation, skews sweet

Drinks easy for the ABV, doesn't really taste like a malt liquor to me, too fruity & smooth. Not bad, I'm sure if I drank enough, a fierce hangover could be had... Better than its rating, but having had this in past, I would say this beer probably goes down hill quickly if exposed to UV light or to much heat. If given limited choices, this might work, other wise caveat emptor on this

★ 819 characters

3.06/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden-orange with a foamy tan head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, sugar, and alcohol aromas. Taste is much the same with sweet grain and fruit flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness and an alcohol kick on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer that is fairly drinkable and not as offensive as I was expecting it to be.

★ 562 characters

2.98/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Had a bottle with a skillet of sisig at Maharlika in NYC. Overall, it wasn't offensive, but it was also pretty boring. It tasted like a bland, clean export lager, with none of the vegetal off-flavors that usually come with a malt liquor. I guess that's good. Don't feel the need to the try this. San Miguel would have been a slightly more interesting beer.

★ 356 characters

3.63/5  rDev +36.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

brown 12 oz purchased from Wegman's in a mix-a-six enjoyed chilled from a goblet
The look is golden with a pale white head which dissipates rapidly and leaves a ring of fine beads with visible carbonation and good clarity. The smell is sweet, not really sugary sweet more corn-like perhaps a little dimethyl sulfide type cooked corn, but gentle and a malt presence is there in the aroma. The feel is pretty high in carbonation with semi-dry feel and mild alcohol in the finish with a warming on the way down.

The taste has a light malt flavor with the sweetness of malt but smooth and gentle with a more dry presence as the alcohol is there making the beer seem thinner as a result which is not bad it is not hot, just strong with mild spice probably from the elevated carbonation giving that carbonic element. Overall I like this for what it is - Malt liquor...it is simple and does the trick, not great flavor but better than many I have tried and I would drink this again

★ 976 characters

2.5/5  rDev -6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Please don't bother with this one if you have an alternative, it's a rather poor strong lager. It is the best beer in the Philippines, but that's not saying much at all. There it comes in 650ml bottles and is far superior to the more dominant San Miguel Pale Pilsener from the same brewery. SMPP is just an insipid pale lager with an unpleasant aftertaste.

In the Philippines, as far as bang for the buck and flavor, this is the one. As in many countries, the one brewery controls most, if not all, of the market. And as in most of southern Asia, all the available brews are sub-par.

★ 584 characters

2.74/5  rDev +3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin white head that died down a bit but never completely faded away.
S: Light aromas of apples and corn are present in the nose along with some hints of fusel alcohol. Apples become stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste mostly has some flavors of apples along with bits of corn adjuncts. No alcohol is perceptible.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer doesn't have a very exciting taste, but is easy to drink and is pretty good when compared to other beers in the style.

★ 640 characters

2.78/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

330ml brown bottle.

Pours a very pale yellow, very light of body and clear and fluid in the glass. Head is white, quite fine and pretty solid, fed by stacks of carbonation. In reality it's perhaps a little overly fizzy. Specks of lace. Looks decent enough.

Despite the colour of the bottle, I get a distinct light-struck green bottle skunk to it. Some grainy characters and a slight estery sugar fermentation character. Some corn or other adjunct grain comes through. Mostly though, it's pretty light, rounded a little with a touch of metal. It's not bad.

Taste is very light and dry. It has a slightly rounded sweetness on the back but very little else—it gives it the slight after taste of sweet pea water. One thing in its favour is that it's actually quite hard to taste the booze: it comes across a little bit like just a pale lager.

Feel is very light as well. Again, it's doing a surprisingly good job at hiding the higher alcohol content.

Unfortunately, though, that's it's main benefit. It actually comes across as a pretty bland, if drinkable lager. So the hidden booze is just a trap or a benefit, depending on your preference.

★ 1,145 characters

1.56/5  rDev -41.4%
look: 1.75 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.75

I bought a bottle at the local store in Heredia, It was my first Philippine beer. Abv 7%

Appearance: Very light yellow color, with no head
Smell: alcohol slightly smell of grains
Taste: alcohol predominates the palate
Mouthfeel: light bodied with a velvety sensation that covers your entire mouth for a while and an alcohol aftertaste
Overall: not good

★ 353 characters

2.46/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a two finger white head that vanishes quickly leaving no lace. Crystal clear light amber color. Light-medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Sweet grain nose and flavor is malty sweet with a light hop finish. Boring, barely a lawnmower beer. 330ml bottle, from Gift Specialists Oceanside, California.

★ 311 characters

2.85/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

For a month in the Philippines, this and negra were standbys.

Pours a brilliant light golden straw with a half inch white head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving modest lacing.

Corn, grain, butter, fruity esters, and light floral hops form the aroma.

Flavor reveals more diacetyl, with corn and grain at the backbone, fruity esters throughout, and a slight bitterness at the finish.

Body is moderate, with carbonation a tad high, and slight alcohol warmth.

Much more diacetyl than I recall, and the fruity esters are offputting, as well as the alcohol heat.

★ 568 characters

2.36/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Whoo, Malt Liquor from the Philippines. Let the good times roll...

Crystal clear straw color, thin layer of white foam on the surface. Minimal spotty lacing.

Mealy corn silage, wet grains and wet dishrag notes in the aroma. When cold it's fairly muted, its suggested to keep as ice cold as possible.

Sharp astringent alcohol, apple, dull flavors, light watery carbonation, though it has a fuller feel to the body for an AML. Dull grains, dry finish with some perceptible alcohol in the taste. Plain and rough around the edges... not the most terrible malt liquor out there, but still not worth revisiting.

★ 609 characters

2.81/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up by my buddy Ken in the Phillipines. Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A – Poured out a pale golden yellow with almost no head to speak of at all. Very bubbly.

S – Corn, grain, sweet and not much else.

T – Very sweet taste immediately grabbed me. Malty with a touch of citrus.

M – Very easy drinker. Medium carbonation that leaves a bit of that sweetness on your palate as it goes down.

O – Another on of these hot summer days brews in a foreign country type. Its perfectly fine for a beach, boat or humid day. It will go down quick and easy and its at least got some taste.

★ 617 characters