Modelo Especial

Grupo Modelo — Ciudad de México, Mexico

16 May 2018 · Stephen

Mexican Lager Grupo Modelo

4.5% ABV

18 IBU

Pale golden Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character –

Experience –

Return –

1 / 4 Skip it

Tasting Notes

Appearance Pale golden, brilliantly clear with fine carbonation and a thin white head. Clean and bright in the clear glass bottle — which, unlike Corona's clear bottle, doesn't light-strike quite as severely given the beer's distribution practices. Best presented cold, in the bottle or poured into a glass with a lime wedge if the occasion calls for it.

Aroma The orange blossom honey quality is real and identifiable — a faint floral sweetness that's distinctly Especial and not present in Corona or Pacifico. Light grain sweetness underneath, a minimal hop presence at 18 IBU. Clean and inviting without being demanding.

Palate Light-bodied, crisp, and smooth — full-flavored in the context of the style, which means more malt presence than an adjunct light lager but still firmly accessible. The orange blossom sweetness carries through the middle as a faint floral note alongside clean grain. At 18 IBU the hop bitterness is minimal — just enough to dry the finish.

Finish Short, clean, and dry. The grain sweetness resolves completely, the floral note fading last. No harshness, no lingering bitterness — just a refreshing, completely neutral close that makes the next sip as automatic as the next pitch, the next play, or the next mile on the trail.

The Verdict

The best-selling imported beer in America, and it earned it. Orange blossom honey aroma, crisp pilsner body, 4.5% ABV, clean finish. Modelo Especial is everywhere because it belongs everywhere. Cheers.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 16 May 2018