San Miguel Lager fest!!

I thought of a couple of different titles for this blog, but I stuck with Lager fest. In my previous blog, I accidentally called it "Sam" and not "San". Maybe I am thinking too much of "Sam Adams" (ohhh.. yes I mentioned their name), but you can rest assure that it's cause of the font and for those who know me.. I am almost illiterate and illwriterate.

Sitting in my hotel room on a Thursday morning, after working through the night, I dream of watching lost and hear that Sanjia is out of the competition. Top 7 isn't too bad. (HA HA.. I don't even care that he's gone.. ) Instead, I am stuck watching reruns of WWE, NBA games, and Useless hours of Tyra.

Anyways, I wanted to discuss some of the local beers that originated here in the Philippines. Here are some interesting facts about San Miguel:

* In 2000, the San Miguel workforce totaled 14,864

* Apart from its network of close to 60 facilities in the Philippines, San Miguel has breweries and packaging facilities overseas. San Miguel operates a brewery each in Vietnam, Australia and Indonesia and maintains four breweries in China, including Hong Kong.

* Although San Miguel was already exporting beer to Hong Kong and Shanghai as early as 1914, the Company's overseas operations in Hong Kong began in 1948.

* San Miguel produces close to 300 different products whose brand names include the most recognized in the food and beverage industries

My review actually started last night, where I enjoyed a San Miguel Super dry and Pale Pilsen. The Super dry was more than I expected. It poured a fizzy yellow body that was very active with bubbles moving very fast. The large fizzy head quickly diminished and left a fair presence of lacing. The nose didn't detect a strong presence, but a soapy, light malt presence was noted.

The light sweet initial taste stayed the same for the finish for a long duration. This is where the surprise came from. The palate was left with a creamy/partially oily film that left the palate in a good shape. I am not a big fan of the lagers, but it left a nice feeling on the palate. It was a very good light beer. I was happily surprised because from "Dry", I was expecting a more bitter taste/feeling. This beer is promoted as "Clean, Crisp taste - Premium Lager"

(Note: All 4 reviews were from a can. The first two were tasted in tall slim glasses and the last two were tasted in a whine glass.)

Next, to finish off my dinner, I enjoyed a Pale Pilsen. The Pale Pilsen pours a light yellow clear body without all of the activity from the Super Dry. The large frothy head quickly diminished but left behind a decent trail. The nose detected the strongest aroma with the Pale Pilsen. A strong malt presence was noted along with some citrus notes.

The taste moved from moderately bitter to light bitter over an average duration. The carbonation was lively, and left a clean dry feel on the palate. This beer is promoted a "Expertly Brewed - Original Full Flavor"

This morning (your Wednesday evening), I enjoyed the last two beers in the four some. They were San Mig Light and San Mig Strong Ice. The San Mig light pours a light yellow active body. It was sparkling with activity. The white fizzy head was also quickly diminishing, but didn't leave a trail. The nose detected a light malt presence. Can't detect too much with these lagers.

The mouth was presented with a very festive feeling. It tasted moderately bitter and moved to a light bitter taste over time. It was very thin, almost with a watery feel. Initially the palate was a bit dry - gummy, but the taste buds perked up like when enjoying a sour patch kid (candy). It wasn't as pleasant on the palate and felt overly carbonated. It gave me a gassy feeling. This beer is promoted as "Low Calorie - Pale Pilsen".

The San Mig Strong Ice pours a light yellow body with a good size fizzy head, but it was quickly diminishing and didn't leave anything behind. This offering had the weakest presence on the nose. The moderately bitter initial taste diminishes over time. It's not as pleasant as the other three offerings. It's very thin in body and watery. The active carbonation feel on the palate is a turn off to me. This beer is promoted as "ICE Filtered - Pale Pilsen"


Brewers notes: (that I could find....)

San Mig Strong Ice

SAN MIG STRONG ICE is the newest beer brand in the market with the smoothest brew and the hardest hit. It’s ice-filtered so it goes down your throat cool and smooth, and its 6.3% alcohol kicks you hard. San Mig Strong Ice 330 ml long-neck bottle and 330 ml cans are now hitting your favorite bars, restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets nationwide!

http://www.sanmigstrongice.com/

San Mig Light

If you like beer but you don't like the way it fills you up, then you might be thanking the High Heavens for San Mig Light. It's got the right alcohol with less calories. That means a good kick without the heavy load. San Mig But Light. Sounds Right?

The first light beer in the country. It is low in calories therefore it's less filling. It has a full beer flavor with the right alcohol hit. (5% alc/vol)

http://www.sanmiglight.com.ph/index.asp