Apparently, there was a multi-year ad campaign featuring Kool and the Gang shouting down older soul acts (the Platters, the Spinners, the Four Tops, maybe more?) for liking beer rather than the more complex taste of Schlitz malt liquor.
An old buddy of mine had an ancient Schlitz promotional lighted sign he had bought at a yard sale. It looked like a bull's head mounted on a trophy plaque and when the light was switched on, the eyes glowed red.
For some reason, his fiancee refused to let him put it up in the living room when they moved in together.
I love how 'taste' was code for 'alcohol'. But seriously, Schlitz malt liquor did have more flavor than most mass-market beers in the 80s. A better flavor, unlikely, but certainly more.