Saturday, February 2, 2008

Labatt Blue


From Labatt.com:

'Pilsener-style Lager, 5.0% alc./vol. (4.9% ABV for Bleue in Quebec)
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.'

This makes it sound of a much higher quality than it really is. I would put Labatt Blue right above 'cheap beers' like Old Style or Pabst Blue Ribbon which pretty much makes it the MGD of Canada. This one of those passable beers that you drink just to gain the effects of the alcohol, not to marvel at its 'fruity character'. The description above really is misleading because I find Labatt Blue to only have the slightest hints of a lot of the characteristics listed. 'Slightly sweet aftertaste' is just pure processed sugar, the 'specially selected aromatic hops' I am sure were selected because of their inexpense and if Labatt Blue is 'well balanced' then they gained the effect by adding water. Some seriously watery stuff here, which is to be expected from such a mass produced beer. When I think of Pilseners I might think of boring but I don't think of cheap. Nice try with that one Labatt.

I guess that makes Labatt Blue sound like a bad beer, which is not exactly fair. Labatt Blue does exactly what I am assuming it trys to do- be a very nondescript beer that will appeal to people who just want to get drunk. I am fine with that, it has its place in the world, and in my fridge. It just isn't a great or even good beer by any stretch of the imagination. Labatt Blue just is.

5 comments:

Stephen said...

your blog seriously makes me want to drink. i don't mean getting all lit up, but drink good beers

Matt said...

I do more of that nowadays than 'getting all lit up'. Thanks man. Lets share a few sometime soon.

Bebo said...

First off, I love this blog. Second off, in Canada, Blue is MUCH better. It has a higher alcohol percentage and it's a much fuller beer. It's still in that "I wish I was drinking Dogfish Head" category, but it's quite good. And they have Blue Dry which is dry in the sense that a dry wine is dry. It is VERY good and quite unlike any beer I've ever had. Oh, and it's like 11% alcohol.

Matt said...

Hmm I will have to try and get a hold of some, I have a buddy in Manitoba that owes me a present. Shipping beer seems sketchy though, like customs would hate that and it would get destroyed in the process by the postal service.

4 Dog Brewery said...

Labatt's Blue sucks. No malt and hops .Just throw it back and grab another one. No big deal. It is not any better than "buck a beer". I can't understand why anyone would spend $35.00 a case on this stuff. Of course, when you go to the beer store which is owned by Labatt's, you see if plastered around everywhere. Another reason not to buy it.