Did Labatt Blue change their recipe?

Discussion in 'Canada' started by TheBubblegumkid, Aug 26, 2019.

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  1. TheBubblegumkid

    TheBubblegumkid Initiate (0) Jul 24, 2016 Canada (ON)

    Hey guys,

    Was visiting my parents over the weekend and my dad who had been a life long Labatt Blue drinker stopped drinking it probably close to 10 years ago or so because he swears they changed the recipe. We live in Canada so we’re still getting the same beer brewed from Labatt in Canada. Just curious if anyone had some insight to this..he’s no beer sommelier or anything but considering he’s been drinking the same beer for decades i’m inclined to believe him. I thought it could’ve been infected from off flavours due to oxidation or dirty draught lines but he says he bought a case + had it on tap and noticed the same thing and it was enough of a difference he ended up switching to MGD.

    Cheers!
     
    #1 TheBubblegumkid, Aug 26, 2019
  2. Alefflicted

    Alefflicted Crusader (481) Dec 2, 2017 Minnesota

    Hmm... Not sure about this one, I'll inquire with my distributor and report back if I learn anything of relevance.
     
    #2 Alefflicted, Aug 26, 2019
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  3. AZBeerDude72

    AZBeerDude72 Initiate (0) Jun 10, 2016 Arizona

    "In 2009, the company sold Labatt USA, including the American rights to its core Labatt products (such as Blue, Blue Light, and Labatt 50) to North American Breweries, and agreed to brew those brands on Labatt USA's behalf until 2012".

    You mentioned 10 years ago and they sold at that time? I am not a drinker of this beverage so I cannot say but its weird you said he noticed a change 10 years ago and in 2009 this happened. I am guessing here something changed in the beer.

    Good luck and cheers
     
    #3 AZBeerDude72, Aug 26, 2019
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  4. Coronaeus

    Coronaeus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,744) Apr 21, 2014 Canada (ON)
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I’m not sure from what you’ve written if your father is also in Canada. If so, I doubt very much there was a change. If he is in the States, then the above comment may explain what he noticed.
     
    #4 Coronaeus, Aug 26, 2019
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  5. TheBubblegumkid

    TheBubblegumkid Initiate (0) Jul 24, 2016 Canada (ON)

    To clarify, we both live in Canada (niagara falls region). I’m skeptical as well but like I mentioned he had been drinking blue for decades. Also lately he’s been drinking miller high life and will travel over the border to the states to buy his miller high life because he swears it tastes better brewed in the states than in Canada lol Maybe i’ll do a side by side for myself to find out.
     
    #5 TheBubblegumkid, Aug 28, 2019
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  6. Coronaeus

    Coronaeus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,744) Apr 21, 2014 Canada (ON)
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    That might be easier to explain. In Ontario, cans of Miller High Life are brewed in Ontario by Molson. The bottles sold in Ontario are imported from the States. The new Beer Store website even lists them as different products now, and shows the country of origin as Canada for the cans and United States for the bottles. If he has been buying the cans here, that may account for the difference he is noticing.

    You might not get an answer from Labatt, but I’m guessing they would be the only ones who could tell you if there was a recipe change about ten years ago. The last time I had a Labatt Blue myself was sometime the late 1980s....

    I wonder if this question is in the very impressive wheelhouse of @jesskidden
     
    #6 Coronaeus, Aug 28, 2019
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  7. TheBubblegumkid

    TheBubblegumkid Initiate (0) Jul 24, 2016 Canada (ON)

    For those interested, after way too much digging I finally managed to find an answer from a very reputable source.

    “Blue used to have an aftertaste which Blue drinkers liked but when Blue saw sales dipping they removed what was causing the aftertaste. Labatt Blue is now basically a clone of Black Label & Molson Canadian. The bad aftertaste was very sharp the warmer it got. They got scared that Blue was dropping and Canadian was holding its own. These are considered interchangeable brands by retailers.“

    Finally years later my dad has an explanation why over a decade ago his favourite beer changed out of the blue (see what I did there)

    Cheers!
     
    #7 TheBubblegumkid, Aug 28, 2019
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  8. TheBubblegumkid

    TheBubblegumkid Initiate (0) Jul 24, 2016 Canada (ON)

    You’re right! Just checked the beer store app and sure enough they have miller high life and miller high life import bottles. Well this just made his day he doesnt have to make a trip over the border and buy in bulk anymore.
     
    #8 TheBubblegumkid, Aug 28, 2019
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  9. John1955

    John1955 Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2020

    They certainly have changed Labatt Blue. My dad was a Labatt Blue drinker as it was the only pilsener he was able to get back in the 1960's. He gave me a taste of it as a child. It was very hoppy(I didn't like it at the time). Later, when I was old enough, I found Labatt Blue to be similar in taste Molson Canadian. A mass produced lager. In 1994 I went with my family to Czech Republic, home of the pilsener beer. When a got a real one to drink - wow - it tasted the same way as I remember way back when my dad offered me taste of it. The "pilsener" taste is gone from the current version of Labatt Blue ... Pity.
     
    #9 John1955, Feb 23, 2020
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