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

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

1.93/5  rDev -26.1%
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.

Serving type: can

04-29-2012 13:08:22 | More by Zimbo

jonmikel

Spain

1.75/5  rDev -33%

05-19-2013 17:13:02 | More by jonmikel

linearcraig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3/5  rDev +14.9%

04-25-2013 17:35:36 | More by linearcraig

Petertauro

Spain

5/5  rDev +91.6%

04-17-2013 13:07:23 | More by Petertauro

DavidS88

Massachusetts

2.68/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Yet another Euro pale lager while I'm here in Spain. Coming off a fall and first half of winter of drinking basically anything but Euro pales, I kinda thought that these would all taste the same to me once I arrived in Europe. Thankfully (I guess) I was wrong in that aspect, because I think I finally found one that isn't all that terrible. Don't get me wrong, it still is incredibly genetic, but San Miguel Especial isn't horrible.

I had one of these down in Ceuta after spending four days in Morocco. I poured it out of your typical European tiny beer bottle. It was a nice bright gold with no head and lots of bubbles. Nose was slightly hoppy, but more of that generic beer smell. The taste, however, was actually not bad. Compared to the other Spanish beers I've had so far (Mahou and Estrella) San Miguel actually had some flavor to it, and it wasn't all that bad either. Kinda grainy and malty, but in a good sort of way. San Miguel was really refreshing and had a great feel. It would be easy to down several of these without realizing just how much you've really had.

Overall, like I said, it's kinda just another Euro pale lager with nothing too noticeable that would affect its score (positively or negatively), but is definitely my preferred Spanish beer thus far.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 12:03:41 | More by DavidS88

Chucker17

South Dakota

2.75/5  rDev +5.4%

03-19-2013 18:15:13 | More by Chucker17

Beerman1977

Austria

2/5  rDev -23.4%

03-09-2013 19:20:38 | More by Beerman1977

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

2/5  rDev -23.4%

02-17-2013 13:35:47 | More by Beerstorian

6thstreetbrewpub

District of Columbia

2.5/5  rDev -4.2%

02-11-2013 18:07:51 | More by 6thstreetbrewpub

alexworsnip

2/5  rDev -23.4%

01-30-2013 07:10:16 | More by alexworsnip

jeroen2555

3/5  rDev +14.9%

01-06-2013 11:53:35 | More by jeroen2555

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -4.2%

12-30-2012 14:14:11 | More by ejimhof

doktorhops

Australia

2.4/5  rDev -8%
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.

Serving type: can

12-08-2012 10:29:10 | More by doktorhops

Camille

4/5  rDev +53.3%

11-30-2012 04:27:16 | More by Camille

GRUUMSH

Belgium

2/5  rDev -23.4%

10-18-2012 18:59:59 | More by GRUUMSH

AlesaandLandon

3.25/5  rDev +24.5%

10-16-2012 00:34:04 | More by AlesaandLandon

Prestonlegal

Texas

1.25/5  rDev -52.1%

09-28-2012 21:36:10 | More by Prestonlegal

Odri

Quebec (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -4.2%

09-14-2012 00:20:59 | More by Odri

Blissmo

Sweden

2.5/5  rDev -4.2%

08-12-2012 20:04:31 | More by Blissmo

thommo_nk

2.5/5  rDev -4.2%

08-05-2012 11:40:31 | More by thommo_nk

Jason_Quad

2.5/5  rDev -4.2%

07-10-2012 15:22:08 | More by Jason_Quad

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

2.05/5  rDev -21.5%
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.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 20:17:46 | More by GONZALOYANNA

Pelicanrocks

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev +14.9%

07-04-2012 17:13:57 | More by Pelicanrocks

CesarG

2.75/5  rDev +5.4%

06-21-2012 14:27:26 | More by CesarG

fionn13

Ireland

3/5  rDev +14.9%

06-04-2012 15:09:52 | More by fionn13