Medalla Light - Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Had a can from Puerto Rico, thanks Josh. Light pale adjunct lager. Drinkable, but also very comparable to seltzer in taste. Pretty bland and also not as bad as I thought. I could drink this in 100 degree heat if I did not have filtered and bottled water.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:10:20 | More by northyorksammy

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +42.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Medalla Light has a thin, white head and a clear, fairly bubbly, straw appearance. The aroma is of sweet, bready barley malt and a shadow of a hop sting. Taste is of sweet bread, lemon, paper, a touch of syrup, and a kiss of hops. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and Medalla Light finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, mostly dry, extremely drinkable, and delicious. What a wonderful surprise! This might be the best mass-produced light beer on the market. I rate this one excellent.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 16:34:23 | More by RonaldTheriot

kylehay2004

Florida

2.65/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: half finger head on a Straw yellow clear body.

S: light pale malts which is stronger than expected considering the lightness of this beers flavor and mouthfeel.

T: may be the lightest beer ever. Water up front and some pale malt as light hops in the finish.

M: very light body, high carbonation and very refreshing.

Overall: this beer is very refreshing probably because it tastes like water. No real flavor but nothing bad tasting either

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 19:58:01 | More by kylehay2004

GallowsThief

Florida

2.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured out of a bottle into a regular old glass at Perurican, Condado, Puerto Rico. I have had this beer many times on business trips to PR. It is the Puerto Rican staple.

A – Poured out a clear golden yellow. Aggressive pour produces a good amount of fizzy white head.

S – Not much of a scent. Grainy. Corn.

T – Not a great deal going on taste wise. Its grainy like the smell with some subtle sweetness. There is some hops present in the taste but its light.

M – Light bodied and decent carbonation. Thin taste.

O – This is slightly better then BMC’s. It is perhaps a great beer for Puerto Rico and its hot days. Serves cold this makes a nice brew for the island but don’t expect much. That being said I have enjoyed drinking it countless times in the island. You are not going to find any craft choices here so go for it.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 12:46:30 | More by GallowsThief

beerprovedwright

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a mug with lime, which I tossed to keep the original flavor of the beer. Head was a little better than a finger of foam with lace that was broken, but average cling. Color was a dark yellow, about a 3 on the SRM beer color strip. Smell of burnt corn, boiled oats, and lemon peel. Taste was sharp, with flavors of oatmeal, wheat, malt, citrus, and pepper. Mouthfeel was mildly creamy, with good tingle. Had this beer while I was vacationing in Puerto Rico. Not looking for another in the states, but I will drink it locally.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 16:56:54 | More by beerprovedwright

mdaschaf

Washington

3.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had a ton of this while down in Puerto Rico since it was cheap and pretty much the only thing besides BMC as every place we went to.

A: Very standard light lager appearance. Bright gold, lots of carbonation bubbles. Nice white head though, but no lacing.

S: Not a ton going on here, but there is a slight floral aroma, some grain, and a little grass. Not bad.

T: Lots of grain, a little bit of floral hops, a slight citrus note. There is also a little bit of a metallic taste.

M: Pretty crisp and refreshing, it wasn't that hot in Puerto Rico, but I can see it being a nice beer to have on a hot summer day or on the beaches there. Nice carbonation.

O: Pretty good for the style, I like it more than the light lagers from BMC. The slight sweetness helps out.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 23:41:19 | More by mdaschaf

MillRat

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

An island-sized macro-lager. Evanescent white head atop crystal clear light yellow beer. Aroma is barely present, a hint of malt, a little graininess, perhaps. Typical macro-lager flavor with a bit more sweetness than BMC offerings, enough hop bitterness to balance, but no other hop presence noted. A light-bodied beer appropriate for the tropics, very quaffable as long as your focus is on something besides the beer, otherwise it gets boring.

The beer selection is pretty thin on the island, with the big 3 American labels and Heineken getting the most play. As long as you're visiting, why not drink something local and get a couple of respect points from the barkeep and waitstaff for supporting their hometown player?

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 23:47:30 | More by MillRat

adkirkish

Florida

3.68/5  rDev +31.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: clear golden, thick foamy white head, persistent

A: corn based aroma, no hop aroma, no diacetyl, no dms.

F: watery across the board, but middle is def corny, no hops but nothing bad either.

M: med body, high carb, med high mouthfeel

O: one of the better light beers ive had.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 00:27:22 | More by adkirkish

jettjon

Florida

2.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ordered at Don Tello restaurant, Cataño, Puerto Rico. From a green 12 oz bottle with no date in evidence into a plastic mug (yay!). Vigorous pour yields a large white foamy head that fades quickly leaving a thin cap and some lace. Somewhat cloudy, fizzy yellow body. Nose is grassy and macro-lager-ish. Not much there. Taste is slightly dry with a bit of corn adjunct; quite as expected from a light macro lager. Mouth is crisp, wet, and quenching; decent balance of smoothness and crispness for a lager. Drinkability is pretty decent; it's unassuming and quenching though not really much to come back for. Basically it's good for sitting on a beach or recovering from a hot day of sightseeing.

Overall: Yet another example of what I call "Mexi-lager," or in this case, "Rico-lager." Definitely drinkable on a hot day; in Puerto Rico it was plentiful and cheap. I came to appreciate this beer over my week-long trip in PR, since the only other readily available choice was Heineken. In its context, not a terrible beer, but now that I'm back in the states with thousands of other options, I won't seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 16:17:16 | More by jettjon

beerjerk

New Jersey

1.55/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Having lived in Puerto Rico for most of my life, I've had this beer more times than I would have liked to.

Swill with a weird, acidy taste. Slightly more aggressive than Coors Light, but on par or below.

Flavor is almost non-existent, except for a strange aftertaste which I can't quite describe, I used to joke around with friends how this one was mixed in with radiator coolant.

I thought I had grown immune to this one, but for some reason it always makes me ill upon having the first one whenever I visit Puerto Rico every year.

Not a good beer, but a huge part of my college days.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 17:44:00 | More by beerjerk

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear golden yellow color with a decent amount ouf white fizzy head.

Not much of a scent, mostly just grain.

Mostly a taste of grains and some yeast, also a little bit skunky.

Light bodied, crisp and refreshing with adequate carbonation.

This is fairly easy to drink once you can get past the skunkiness, but otherwise it is below average.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 20:55:02 | More by BeerCon5

BEERchitect

Kentucky

2.65/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A standard light beer that rides the fence of malt and grain. A brilliantly clear beer fails to hold onto any head, retention, or carbonation because of light protiens and maltiness. Aroma and flavor show a part-grain, part-malt flavor and feel that ultimately falls on the wettened grain side of the fence. Light malt flavor and body makes the beer a bit astringent and begins to show vegital and sulfer notes as the beer warms, creating a harsh environment for light beers. Finishes clean and mostly crisp and with a soft herbal hop and grassy note. Par for the course when considering light beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 02:01:38 | More by BEERchitect

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Just got back from San Juan, PR. The island is littered with ads for Medalla Light. At 95% of places, that's the house beer (Coors Light here and there). So, if you're there for a few days, you're bound to have one. They range from 85 cents in a drugstore, to $1.50 for happy hour, to $4 at some nice restaurants. It's yellow, it's fizzy, and it tastes pretty average. But, it goes down pretty smooth. By the pool on a hot afternoon, or at a bar on a warm evening, if you are in Puerto Rico, you're not drinking a stout. You are drinking the ubiquitous Medalla Light. You just learn to like it there.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 00:05:12 | More by morebeergood

Risser09

Pennsylvania

1.35/5  rDev -51.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

12 oz bottle poured into a mexican tulip - Fridge temp - 2009

Appearance: Pours a very pale and light yellow color indicative of urine. The head is 4" huge with a nice white color. Great retention and lots of sticky, foamy, lace.

Smell: Faint aromas; there isn't much to get a whiff of. Slight malt and a little bit of metallic aroma. Not much else.

Taste: Very tasteless. A little pinch of malt and hops, but there's not much flavor at all. A llittle skunky and a lot of disappointment.

Mouthfeel: Thin, watery and mildly carbonated. No noticeable alcohol. This is, of course, a light beer.

Drinkability: Extremely drinkable if you like watery, tasteless beer. This one goes down with very little effort, but with little satisfaction. I'm glad I got to try it....once.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2009 12:58:48 | More by Risser09

joezak5

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +31.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Had a bottle at a company dinner in PR. Medium crystal clear gold with an instantly dissapearing head. No retention nor lacing.

Smell: Light almondy earty grain... I'm debating whether to say light or subtle... I'll go with the latter since I'm still in PR.

Mouthfeel: Light with high but light carbonation.

Taste: The subtle nutty grain was nice on the first sip. Sweet grain on the finish. It lost a little flavor after that... just slight sweet grain.

Drinkability: Hey you're in PR... this is the beer... you can get it fresh... mine was on 7/15 with a best by date of 10/18. It's cold and crisp and great when you need something smooth and not complex. Viva Puerto Rico!

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2008 19:08:29 | More by joezak5

Metalmonk

North Carolina

1.15/5  rDev -58.8%
look: 1 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Brought back from Puerto Rico by my lovely lady. Despite the fact she likes Rolling Rock and dislikes stouts, I trust her beer tastes otherwise. She said this was "drinkable" but didn't think I'd like it. Let's see...

Pour is rather "loud"...it hisses and sizzles, the rush of carbonation forming an extremely short-lived head. 10 seconds after the pour I'm sitting here looking at one very sad beer. Incredibly well-filtered with lots of bubbles rushing to the top to meet absolutely no head. Color is the kind of light gold I hate to see in any beer, as it usually equals "drainpour". 'One urine sample with gas please...'

Aroma is wet hay, faint honey and, I am not kidding, urine. That weird salty sweetness of the stuff. Maybe I'm letting appearance influence my perceptions of the aroma, but I don't think so.

One taste and I'm out But in the interest of responsible reviewing, I keep trying. It's a trial; I don't think I can be that constructive. It's watery and weirdly foul, like drinking chilled water that was used to over-boil vegetables two years ago. Carbonation is soda-like but extremely thin, and the finish is like sickly sweet light corn syrup.

Drinkable? Hell no. I don't care how hot it is, how excited you are to be on vacation, that it's the only beer available, it's cheap, it's low-cal, or whatever other excuse people might make to drink this swill. It just isn't worth it.

I asked for this. She knows wherever she travels, I want a beer from that country, and she delivered. I still love her of course, but I absolutely hate this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2008 00:20:17 | More by Metalmonk

sleazo

New York

2.83/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer is everywhere in PR and I ended up drinking my fair share of it on a trip down there this weekend.

A- vigourous pour produces no head. Straw coloured with large bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.

S-Mild scent, some corn and some grainminess.

TBetter than expected. Slight corn graininess but relatively crisp.. Some Saazlike bitterness in the followthrough. Very dry with a faint vegetable quality.

M-light as can be expected with a tight carbonation.

D-As far as light beers go, at least this one had some taste and it wasnt that bad either. It is hot sticky and humid in PR so a 10oz can or bottle of this hits the spot.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2007 22:37:58 | More by sleazo

MTNboy

Germany

2.95/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I’ll bee honest this beer is not what you think it is going to be. True it is another mass producer pilsner like lager but I think it is very surprising. It is pretty bold for a light beer and you will find it everywhere in Puerto Rico. Despite common belief there are other beers made in Puerto Rico. They are just very elusive.

Appearance- An average yellow lager with virtually no head.

Smell- You better smell it as soon as you open it. The odor disappears fast. A little hay and grass like but in a good way.

Taste- It tastes like a mass produced American beer but I have to give it some due it doesn’t taste like a light beer. It is full of flavor and some hops are definitely present. The hops aren't there in force but they are there. A little of a malt liquor like finish though.

Mouthfeel- That was different with every bottle I tried sometimes it seemed as if it was a little watery and other seemed to have little more body.

Drinkability- Good, it was pretty versatile. It went well with the local food and when served cold it was very refreshing and did not lose any of it good traits like some beers do.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2007 12:59:59 | More by MTNboy

Redrover

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I just returned from a pleasant visit to Puerto Rico and let me tell you, this beer is everywhere. The bartenders were happy when folks ordered this. I saw it 10oz cans, on draught and in 12 oz bottles. Personally, I though the beer was best out of the bottle so that’s what I’ll review.

Poured into a pilsner glass, the beer is a typical bright gold with a surprisingly attractive but quickly diminishing bone white head. The head leaves just traces of lace.

The nose is as expected, a bit underwhelming. You get some grainy notes, grass and a bit of floral smell.

The taste is very solid for a light beer. There is some grain-based sweetness a trace of cracker and some noticeable, but subdued bitterness. That slight bitterness pushes up the taste ratings. It adds just enough balance and taste.

The mouth is well carbonated and a trifle slick. This is an easy enough drinker. It seems well matched to the locale. Its light enough to drink in the heat, but has much more substance than Bud or Miller Lite.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2007 19:53:03 | More by Redrover

BeerManDan

California

3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

While in PR, do what the locals do, drink Medalla Light. The color was the standard light straw yellow with very little foam when poured. The taste was just OK, nothing to write home about. A standard lager light. A possible quincher on hot days to cool yourself off. Can't find anything of interest to write about this beer, just that if your visiting Puerto Rico, try it!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2004 12:37:57 | More by BeerManDan

jermar

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is the standard local beer in Puerto Rico. It comes in 10 oz. cans but this review is for the 12 oz. bottles. Bottle says it's a little over 3 carbos per bottle, which makes it a pretty low-card brew. It must be drunk very cold to avoid off tastes, and is pretty tasty if done so. It is in the US Light Lager category--not a favorite of mine, but acceptable in hot weather. Also pretty cheap, around $1 each in bars outside of the pricy areas of PR.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2004 02:23:03 | More by jermar

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer pours a straw yellow body with a loose meringue of snow white head that boils away before the first sip leaving only a thin ring of big bubbles. There is a strong carbonation of big bubbles popping of the base of the glass.

S- The aroma is very clean with only a hint of mineral water really noticed.

T- The soft dry corn note leads to a carbonic acid note in the finish. There is a slight chalk note that comes through when the beer opens and a hint of tartness in the finish aswell.

M- The light mouthfeel has a scrubbing fizz and no alcohol heat.

O- This beer is light with almost no flavor. No hops or malt at all but it is also perfectly clean. No sulfur or off-flavors. Just fizzy water.

Serving type: can

01-03-2013 21:31:22 | More by rhoadsrage

HalfFull

California

2.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

275 ml. golden can poured into a glass, showing a light straw with a bit of a haze. Thin cap doesn't linger.

Aroma is thin as per the style. Notable corn and cereal grains going on. Quite minimal.

Flavor is quite dry with a short almost cottony finish. Offers a hint of grain on the feel but is otherwise a bit astringent. Overall the 'dry' nature of this beer was a bit of a surprise, tasting a bit like a light version of an ice beer. But alas, the Cruise Ship awaits..

Serving type: can

11-11-2012 04:28:58 | More by HalfFull

freditoj

Alabama

2/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This is the signature puertorican beer. It is made in Mayaguez, and most of the Medalla fans are obviously in that area. College students love it because it is cheap. The color is golden yellow, almost no head when poured into a glass. It smells of grains, pretty unappealing if you ask me. The taste is too carbonated and leaves the hard palate with a dry/uncomfortable feeling. Overall it is a good beer if you like light beers, don't hesitate to give it a try.

Serving type: can

09-30-2012 19:50:52 | More by freditoj

Fatehunter

Oregon

1.55/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I’m sure this beer is traditionally drunk from the can. I classed it up a bit and poured it into a clear plastic cup so I could see what I was drinking. It’s a cloudy, but clear golden color with only a thinnest layer of head.
It smells like nothing, save a faint grain smell.
It also tastes like nothing. There’s a slight bitter (the slightest) at the finish. Prior to that it tastes like carbonated water.
Light bodied, crisp and moderate carbonation. A refreshing feeling.
To be fair the can does state “sabor con menos calarias y carbohidratos.” So if there’s no calories or carbs, what’s left? Drink one and find out.

Serving type: can

05-24-2012 20:12:46 | More by Fatehunter