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

DavidS88

Massachusetts

2.68/5  rDev +1.9%
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

doktorhops

Australia

2.4/5  rDev -8.7%
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

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

2.05/5  rDev -22.1%
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

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

1.93/5  rDev -26.6%
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

killianf

2.53/5  rDev -3.8%
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.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 14:30:06 | More by killianf

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

2.58/5  rDev -1.9%
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.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 22:24:03 | More by jazzyjeff13

Berecki

Croatia (Hrvatska)

2.48/5  rDev -5.7%
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.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 19:40:09 | More by Berecki

Cozzatoad

Italy

2.65/5  rDev +0.8%
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

Serving type: can

08-26-2011 14:50:16 | More by Cozzatoad

djura

Serbia

2.42/5  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.

Serving type: can

08-02-2011 17:23:17 | More by djura

Rootdog316

Virginia

2.55/5  rDev -3%
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.

Serving type: can

06-07-2011 16:05:17 | More by Rootdog316

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev +38.8%
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.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 22:47:25 | More by MrHurmateeowish

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

2.8/5  rDev +6.5%
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

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 21:40:51 | More by jonb5

stcules

Italy

2.35/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

The color is straw yellow with a clear perlage. Fairly fine white foam on the sides, but not particularly compact and creamy on top.
At the smell all the fears are confirmed: wheat and corn are the masters/lords and misses at all the hop. Unfortunately, the improvements are limited in the flavor: again corn and little of malt, but nothing more. To grasp the sign of hop you should go to the aftertaste, where after a brief hint of malt and corn, you can also find a drop of hops, but with several efforts!
Per se the beer is not undrinkable, but is without any claim, without elements of interest and ultimately noise and essentially useless. Fortunately that has at least a few alcohol degrees.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 18:27:49 | More by stcules

ThaCreep

Belgium

2.15/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Few aromas on the nose, a very important carbonation that gives the body enough sparkling. As far as taste, we feel the grain but without much conviction, just like a beast european-style lager and so it remains watery. As for the bitterness, it is not interesting enough to raise the level of the beverage. The latter also has a very bad reputation, and it hardly seems unreasonable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 17:07:43 | More by ThaCreep

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

2.85/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

330ml bottle poured in an ordinary glass.

Not impressive Lager.

A: Clear golden-yellow with a big white head. Good retention
S: Malt grains and grassy hops, basically
T: Pretty much like the smell: Cereal, malts and grassy hops. As a matter of fact, the reasonable "hoppy bitter" end is the positive point of this
M: Very light body as it should be. Noticeable carbonation
D: Refrescante, pero no me impresionó demasiado... ;)

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 16:47:33 | More by eduardolinhalis

FreshHawk

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Light straw gold color with a large, puffy, bubbly white head. Decent retention with just tiny patches of lace remaining.

S - Not all that strong. Some grainy malt and possibly a hint of grassy hops. Some vegetable/husk/corn type of smell, but that is too strong either. Decent malt aroma.

T - Pretty typical flavors. Some grainy and bready malt with hints of some corn flavors as well. Hints of grassy hops and a little bitterness toward the finish, but nothing that strong.

M - Light body with a bit above average carbonation. Light and thin, fairly watery. A little crisp and fizzy.

D - Nothing that kills the palate and is fairly refreshing, but not quite enough hops or something to cut the malt.

Notes: Really just an average lager with nothing setting it apart from countless other Euro Pale Lagers. A bit on the sweet side with not a lot of hop presence. Decent for a beer just to drink on a hot day, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 16:36:44 | More by FreshHawk

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.1/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

50cl Can, best before 11 Jan 2011, drank and reiviewed 27 Apr 2010. Poured into my lovelly 'La Chouffe' badged stemmed tulip glass (twice).

The regular pale yellow/golden clear beer you expect from a lager/pilsner style beer. Snow white head on top, large bubbled.

The smell is weak, some cereals, maybe some grain too, but my normal score of 3 for a non-aroma is given.

I've had a hard day teaching electrical fault finding to 15 students and this is the beer I've choosen to chill with. It is refrfeshing and pleasant enough and you can just about feel the 5.4% ABV within it. No huge flavours or tastes though, just a run of the mill Euro pop sort of beer. I've drank it many times on Spanish Islands (Ibiza and Formentera) and have never had any problems with it, ideal for quenching a thirst on a hot day, but not a 'must have at all costs' sort of thing. Better than average, but only just.

Serving type: can

04-27-2010 17:27:41 | More by BlackHaddock

BoitSansSoif

France

2.13/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A-Clear straw color w/light head, bits of tracing. Bottle says brewed and bottled in Morocco, although mother ship is in Spain.

S-Faint aroma of light, sweet malt, noble hops that impart a faint grassy skunk note.

T&M-Goes down like sweet plastic. It's slightly reminiscent of the phenolic band-aid flavor. The syrupy sweetness coats the tongue in an unpleasant way. Just before the finish the plastic comes back out. The finish is actually not bad, but the overall flavor just isn't pleasant. Aftertaste is strange mix of spicy hops, plastic, sweetness. Carbonation is moderate, perking up an otherwise stale experience.

D-Had this last night w/a spicy dish: an interesting chicken in cocoa sauce. The beer went okay w/it, but at times the phenolic band-aid still showed through. Yes, this beer has a lot wrong with it, but it's still drinkable w/fare that drowns out the flaws.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 18:10:30 | More by BoitSansSoif

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

2.9/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

660 mL brown bottle poured into two glasses, for sharing with my wife.

A: surprisingly nice appearance for a lager. White, bubbly-foamy head of 2 fingers (similar in texture to a Duvel) leaving quite a bit of lacing. Mostly clear but with some cloudiness generally unseen in a lager.

S: smells pretty average.

T: surprisingly sweet, but not necessarily in a good way. The sweetness really caught me off guard.

M: moderate carbonation, but with stickiness.

D: wouldn't seek this out necessarily, but not horrible either.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 19:37:28 | More by fullsweep

PapaEugene

Netherlands

2.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The first beer once arrived at the aiport of Reus in Catalunya. Served ina dirty glass and without any head. Yuk. Being thirsty as hell I drank it anyway.

A: Clear yellow color and no head... probably thanx to the glass.

S: Grass/Hay smell, some grains and some hops.

T: Grains, light hops and surprisingly a little grapefruit.

M: Medium carbonation and light body.

D: Not bad when you're thirsty. Unavoidable to drink once you're in Catalunya.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2009 06:54:41 | More by PapaEugene

plaid75

New York

3.5/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on draft throughout Barcelona. This beer is everywhere.

Poure a pale straw hue with a two finger foamy bone white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured some ;light malts and a cleansing hop.

The taste was light and balanced with a crisp grain and utilitarian grassy hop.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with good carbonation.

Overall a delicate and well balanced refreshing lager. These went down very easily.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2009 15:58:57 | More by plaid75

Sunnanek

Sweden

1.9/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

This one I've had many times on vacation in Spain, but when you're on the beach about anything goes... No I'm going to put this to a more organized test.

A: Straw-colored, with a even white head - that sadly "dies" to soon.

S: Not many smells, but there is some malt, some hops and I can also Sence some citrus.

T: The taste of this beer is weak. There are malt, bitter hops, some pears and a little dryness though.
The aftertaste is very short (on a bad day I would call it non-existent).

M: Some carbonic acid, a bit dry and very thin - almost like water.

D: If you're going to quench your thirst this could work, but if your not into the very pale lager with small taste and aroma I suggest you avoid this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 08:43:49 | More by Sunnanek

germanbeer1

Maine

2.75/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap in Barcelona and was more pleased with the result than I thought I would be. It pours a hazy, sort of yellowish type of color with a fizzy head and give off almost no smell at all. I was able to detect the maltiness afterwards, but it never left any adverse taste in my mouth. I would try this again, but only if I could find it on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2008 14:35:00 | More by germanbeer1

HappyHourHero

Indiana

2.9/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a solid, dense, bright white head that fades quickly leaving a few specs of lace. The pale yellow beer holds a few streams of carbonation. Aroma of a nice Pils. It's a mix of light malt sweetness and herbal hops. The pale malt sweetness is a bit overpowering and the mild hop bite doesn't stand a chance. There is a faint stale grain flavor that tarnishes the flavor, and the beer has a kind of corn sugar tasting finish. The mouthfeel is simply average. It is too sweet, and there are some faint off flavors that bring this beer down. It's a not-so-good Pilsner, which I guess is what makes it a Euro Pale Lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 19:54:00 | More by HappyHourHero

Portertime

Florida

2.88/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I tried this beer for the sake of trying it going in without any high expectations. Had it iced cold in a pint glass. Poured a bubbly plale yellow color with a fast fizzing head. Smelled of mild hops and a little sweetness. Taste was thin and barely hopped with a touch of citrus. An OK beer to sip on a hot day but don't go nuts.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 19:26:56 | More by Portertime