Carlsberg Breweries Malaysia has altered the image of the extra strong pilsner, Special Brew.

While the can was mostly gold, it’s now got two shades of brown, making it look more attractive. A bit like a coffee i gotta say, but i prefer it over the old design. Bolder.

Special eh?

The bottle, in line with the redesign of Carlsberg’s bottles, has a more radical change. The new bottle is minimalist, with not much of a label. A lot like the Green Label beer, but in a brown bottle.

This classic lager has some history with me, tho not as much as the Night Train.

Kicked my ass a few times. Never could get used to the strong flavours though. At 8.8%, it’s a good bang for your buck.

The new large SB bottle (left), and the new Gold (right) vs old

Many drinkers have a past with this beer.

I’m tempted to try it again tho. It’s been years since my last dose.

With the number of brands of strong beers available here now, I feel Special Brew has a tough battle ahead. There probably 15 lagers above 8% around. (Some up to 13%! Haha). That was probably one of the incentives to change its looks. The other – all Carlsberg’s main brands are undergoing  a change, even the Gold.

The new look is currently in Malaysia only.

Amazingly, the beer was originally brewed by the Danes for Winston Churchill (England’s WWII PM). His visit to Copenhagen in 1950 was commemorated with a ‘special’ brew (originally 9%) produced in his honour.

Churchill’s favourite drink was cognac, so in brewing him a commemorative beer, the brewers at Carlsberg created a stronger lager with cognac flavours among its tasting notes.

Interesting eh? I bet 90% of Special Brew drinkers never knew that part.