Beer of the Weekend #81: Labatt Blue

The second beer this weekend is Labatt Blue brewed by the Labatt Breweries of Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


Labatt Blue is my base lager. I drank my last DAB last weekend and didn’t special order PBR bottles during the week.

Quickly! My history with Labatt Blue: we drank it in high school and college in big oil cans; I haven’t had it in a hella long time.

Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: Poured a clean, clear straw yellow. A few bubbles rise from the bottom. A finger of thin head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: Typical macro, but a little sweeter and more inviting than the average mass market swill. The aroma is heavy with malts. Zero complexity.

Taste: Much like the smell. Clean and crisp malts with just a tiny bite of hops at the end.

Drinkability: Inoffensive and smooth, but lacking. It’s easy drinking, the Canadian way. I’ll take Molson or Moosehead any day, but Labatt Blue is still a decent brew to pound while watching the Argonauts and Eskimos.

Fun facts about Labatt Blue:

-Serving temperature: 43º-46ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.

-Food pairings:
Beers of the World recommends “Grilled, mildly flavored sausage.” What about vegetarian sausage?

-Cost: The sixer cost $6.99 at the BevMo! on Beach.

-There are a couple oddities about the carrying case. Across the handle, and also on the bottle, is “Imported daily from Canada.” “Imported” is common, but not “Imported daily.” Also, there’s this: “This refreshing, Pilsener-style Canadian lager…” Pilsner-style lager? At this point I just want to drink it and not try understanding it.

-From the Labatt website:

Labatt Blue is the best-selling Canadian beer in the world. Introduced in 1951 as Labatt Pilsener, it was named for the colour of its label by fans of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football team. Blue was the first brand in Canada with a twist-off cap and won the silver medal in the International Lager category at the 1998 Brewing Industry International Awards. Labatt Blue, brewed using specially selected aromatic hops, is a well-balanced, fully matured, full-flavoured beer with a fruity character and a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Goofy Canadian-English.


The Quiet Man’s grade: C.

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