Aroma: What does the beer smell like? Is it pleasant or off-putting? Are there notes that feel grainy, malty, floral, herbal, even cardboard-like?
Flavor: How would you describe the malt character: neutral or flavorful (grainy, cracker-y, sweet)? Does it taste balanced or uneven? Sweet or bitter?
Mouthfeel: How does the beer feel in your mouth? Is the body light or medium? How clean or crisp is it?
Drinkability: Would you drink this—and enjoy it? Would you drink this again?
Fine Print
The Lineup: We tested 10 local and international grocery beer brands, focusing on pale lagers for an equal playing field. We excluded other beer styles, such as strong lagers (ex. Red Horse), light lagers (ex. San Miguel Light), and wheat beers / witbiers (ex. Cerveza Blanca, Hoegaarden), which fall into different categories in terms of flavor, body, and ABV.
Why We’re Doing This: We love a good blind taste test—especially one that challenges a leading brand. San Miguel Pale Pilsen is the beer of choice for many Filipinos (and Pepper team members), so we’re here to find out if it’s really the best or just familiarity and habit at play; if not, which beers should enter our inuman rotation?
The Pale Lager: Most beers you’ll find at the grocery are pale lagers. The style is characterized by crisp carbonation, refreshing body, and clean flavor—qualities that make it the most consumed beer style on the planet, especially in tropical climates like the Philippines.
How We Tasted: Each brand was sampled chilled, in two rounds.
Blind Taste Test: All brands were poured into unlabeled paper cups and tasted blind to prevent brand bias.
How We Scored: Each product was evaluated across 4 criteria. Final placements reflect the Pepper team’s averaged impressions.
Transparency: No brand paid for inclusion in this taste test.
