San Miguel Dark Lager - San Miguel Brewery Inc.

vitesse

Georgia

3.03/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

served in stubby 12 oz. brown bottle...

pours a nice black color. no light gets through. this is almost stout-like in appearance. smells of raisins, molasses and slight hoppiness.
tastes moderately sweet and raisin. no bready, malty backbone to this one. the mouthfeel is much thicker than i expected. really, it's a thick beer! but don't expect a stout -- there's no roasted malt/coffee/chocolate flavors here. the flavor just kind of drops off a cliff.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2004 22:14:44 | More by vitesse

soju6

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a reddish-brown color with a decent tan head that fades to some lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt and some grain.

T: Taste of roasted malt with a mild sweetness and a bit of grain. Nice bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Fairly medium beer, smooth and somewhat creamy. Nice balance.

First had this years ago when it was known as Creveca Negra. Enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 01:32:04 | More by soju6

Miha

Slovenia

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%

06-01-2013 23:51:01 | More by Miha

civicm87

New York

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%

05-30-2013 00:25:06 | More by civicm87

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with a big tan head. Splashy lace and a skim retention.

Big molasses aroma, coupled with some dark brown sugar and nice toasted malt.

Smooth and drinkable, the balance of flavors is what makes this brew shine. Up front you get blackstrap molasses, but without the sweetness (wrap your head around that). Brown bread, some nuts, and an even bitterness throughout. Your nose and mind play tricks with you, as you smell all of this stuff and expect there to be sweetness. There's a hint of it at best. Where the brewer hits it right is that they don't kill it with bitterness.Moderate malty bitterness at the finish. I could drink these all day, any season.

Medium bodied, finishes with alot of flavor, and a little crispness.

I dug this a lot. Not what I expected it to be. A nice rich, flavorful beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 21:51:30 | More by OtherShoe2

barczar

Kentucky

3.51/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Saving grace when I was in the philippines for a month.

Pours an opaque deep brown with garnet highlights visible when held to light. A solid one inch, frothy tan head lingers, eventually leaving thick lacing.

Nutty, toasted bready malt and a hint of fruitiness form the initial aroma. There's a touch of roast and a hint of chocolate, along with tar. It's decidedly doughy.

Flavor reveals more roast character initially, becoming more toasty mid palate, and finishing a bit acrid and dry. There's a bit if a vinous character that is slightly offputting. Dark berries emerge as it warms. There's a subtle chocolatey sweetness.

Body is a bit light, with moderate carbonation and a touch of alcohol warmth.

Great toasted malt character, fairly nutty, with just enough roast to not overwhelm. Some off flavors, but not am offensive beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 01:07:11 | More by barczar

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

2/5  rDev -42.5%

05-13-2013 23:02:05 | More by AmandaSchaefer

gnikola

Serbia

2/5  rDev -42.5%

04-12-2013 12:59:24 | More by gnikola

AlkaholTester

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

04-12-2013 07:30:38 | More by AlkaholTester

OregonGrown7

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

03-01-2013 22:06:22 | More by OregonGrown7

JeanPaulValley

Pennsylvania

3.66/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I got a bottle of this (under the cerveza negra alias) as a part of a mix and match 6 pack. I included it on a whim, as a generally enjoy dark lagers and had never heard of this beer. I was very pleasantly surprised. Even drinking it straight from the bottle, the roasted malts and caramel tones were very evident. It was an extremely smooth lager witha great mouthfeel. Thick, but not porter thick, it was exactly what a dark lager should feel like. This may become my new go to session beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 19:26:02 | More by JeanPaulValley

MUSHROOMCLOUD

Texas

3.66/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Dark brown, mahogany...1/2" beige head - decent retention before falling to a sparse cap.

Sweet malts, molasses, light roasted notes.

Roasted malt..coffee with cream. Toffee, burnt or brown sugar. Simple but enough there to make it interesting.

Medium weight, low to mid-carbonation....doesn't finish too sweet - plus for that.

Pleasantly surprised...I would pick this over Negra Modelo all day long.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:14:08 | More by MUSHROOMCLOUD

Nunya

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%

02-18-2013 00:18:48 | More by Nunya

Dapperticus

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

02-13-2013 03:16:29 | More by Dapperticus

matjack85

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

01-29-2013 14:12:35 | More by matjack85

chinchill

South Carolina

3.64/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Undated 355ml bottle served in a snifter. Poured very dark brown, topped by a tan head that quickly disappears, leaving little lacing. A thin coat of sediment is left on the bottom of the bottle.

The aroma is pleasant, but so sweet that I worry about the flavor. Hints of toffee and caramel.

Flavor is more like a sweet stout than expected, coming close to being too sweet. Of course, compared to a stout the malt load here is mild, but respectable for style. Traces of hops in both the aroma and flavor.

O: enjoyable and better than expected. At least average even by European standards.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 00:36:39 | More by chinchill

TaylorK

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +14.9%

01-08-2013 03:24:26 | More by TaylorK

beeroclock

United Arab Emirates

3.18/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This and Golden Eagle are the beers from San Miguel worth drinking. Unfortunately, the Philippines does not have much choice. You will most likely only see San Miguel. Once in a while, you may run across something worse (Colt 45) or something in the same category (Coors), but otherwise everyone serves San Miguel.

A - Bottle showed as Cerveza Negra... Poured out dark with very little head.

S - Not much there, possible nut and chocolate.

T - Not too bad, based on the past 2 weeks in the Philippines only option for SM & SM Light. Picking up some chocolate and maybe toffee. A little sweet, but enjoyable enough.

M - thin, but suitable.

From your options in the P.I. if you are unable to get the Golden eagle, this is your best bet. Each of them are ok though. There are far worse options in the world and especially in the Philippines.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 17:43:12 | More by beeroclock

funhog

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

12-29-2012 22:47:44 | More by funhog

beergoot

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark, ruby-red body that started with a thick, fizzy head which quickly dissipated to a wispy remnant. Roasted grain; a hint of chocolate and raisin in the aroma. Rich taste full of roasted grains and cocoa with a soothing bitterness towards the finish. Smooth, medium-bodied, buttery with a sugary underpinning.

A very nice dark beer with some bold, delicious presence. Rich and satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 00:50:57 | More by beergoot

Jsteez

New Mexico

2.98/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pokal glass.

It poured a nice thick tan head that dissipated into a nice ring around the edges. Smelled like roasted and caramel malt, period! Tasted like roasted and caramel malt. High carbonation, full-bodied. A little sour tastiing at first, but the aftertaste was sweet and wet. An average dark lager that is good to drink during the winter. Not my favorite beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:56:47 | More by Jsteez

RSpencer

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%

12-10-2012 13:53:17 | More by RSpencer

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%

12-10-2012 03:42:29 | More by cliff1066

jsisko01

Michigan

3.18/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours an almost-pure black color with a half-inch thick head that dissipates instantly. Leaves a very nice lacing.

Smell - Toasted malts are very heavy.. Along with caramel and coffee.

Taste - Very sweet with toasted malts, caramel, and light chocolate and coffee flavors.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with high carbonation.

Overall - This is the first dark lager I've ever tried. It's ok.. It's like a brown ale with just heavier flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 01:40:39 | More by jsisko01

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

3/5  rDev -13.8%

12-07-2012 23:53:54 | More by Damian74Shensky