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Labatt Blue

Labatt Brewing Company
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🌍 Canada · North American Adjunct Lager · One of 2 North American Adjunct Lagers in hopIQ

Introduced in 1951 as Labatt Pilsener and nicknamed 'Blue' by fans of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football team, Labatt Blue is the best-selling Canadian beer globally. Brewed with Hallertau hops, two-row malted barley and pure Canadian barley, it pours a clear medium gold with a clean, slightly fruity aroma. The palate is light-bodied and well-balanced with a mildly sweet finish. ABV is 5.0% in Canada (4.7% in the US market). A product of AB InBev's Labatt subsidiary.

ABV
5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Style expression
textbookdistinctive
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Crisp mouthfeel.

A sharp texture drives the beer — a clean, direct pour with room for the palate to fill in.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another North American Adjunct Lager.
Hop character
noble hop
Malt character
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
fruity
Compare with another beer →

FEATURED IN

#6 of 50The Best Canadian Lagers

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Labatt Blue

Appearance

Pours a clear medium gold with bright, translucent brilliance and minimal haze. The head is modest and fine-grained, settling quickly to a thin collar with light Schaumhaftung down the glass. Carbonation is evident and lively, rising in steady streams.

medium goldcrystal clearfine-grained headbright

Aroma

The nose is clean and straightforward, with soft fruity notes—green apple and subtle pear—layered beneath a gentle noble-hop character. Hallertau hops contribute a light spicy-herbal undertone without assertiveness. Light Malz sweetness rounds the profile, free of adjunct staleness or cooked-grain notes.

green appleEdelhopfen, subtilmalzigsauberer Antrunk

Taste

Light-bodied and crisp on entry, with a well-balanced palate that avoids astringency. Mildly sweet Malz character dominates the mid-palate, supported by a restrained fruity note and a soft noble-hop bitterness that sits around 22 IBU—present but never aggressive. Finish leans toward clean and refreshing rather than lingering.

leicht körperigsüßlich-ausgewogenfeiner Bittereindruck

Finish

The finish is short to medium in length, leaving a clean, slightly dry impression on the palate. A trace of malty sweetness persists briefly before fading into a crisp, refreshing aftertaste.

trocken-finishkurz bis mittel
72
hopIQ score
Aroma
70
Taste
72
Appearance
75
Finish
70
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Labatt Blue

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Labatt Blue

About North American Adjunct Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a North American Adjunct Lager?

North American Adjunct Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar North American Adjunct Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same clean, light, sweet character as Labatt Blue will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other North American Adjunct Lagers in hopIQ

WHERE TO BUY

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