Labatt Blue Citra

When I first saw Labatt Blue Citra on the shelf, I knew it was only a matter of time until I tried it. Normally, Labatt is a brand I tend to shy away from. My reason for this has little to do with how it tastes, but more because of the memories associated with it. It was the beer from my early days of drinking that I not only lost some battles to, I lost the war.

To this day, I can’t look at Labatt Blue, Jack Daniels or Absolut Citron without feeling my stomach turn. Perhaps, one day that will change, but I have been thinking that for well over a decade and nothing has changed. However, when I first saw Labatt Blue Citra, a light, hoppy session lager, I surprisingly did not feel my stomach turn. I thought it had potential to be a nice, sessionable, reasonably priced summer beer. So for the first time in a very long time, I purchased a beer with the Labatt name on it.

The Citra & Mosaic hops featured in Labatt Blue Citra are light and most noticeable in the aroma. Zesty grapefruit, along with tropical fruit(particularly pineapple) come through along with bread dough, floral notes, herbal spice and grass. Once it hit my palate, the unfortunate memories of drinking Labatt Blue came flooding back. The familiar bready, grain malt sweetness comes through, and combined with the grassy, spicy finish should have made me nauseous. What was different though were the subtle notes of grapefruit & tropical fruit. They were a welcome addition to this familiar beer and I found myself enjoying them. I want to reinforce that the hops here are light but I do not feel like I needed more from a beer that was clearly brewed for a broader audience. The hops were just enough to make a familiar beer just different enough.

Labatt Blue Citra is not going to blow your mind. It is just a simple, easy drinking lager with a touch of hops. If you are a fan of Labatt Blue, I think you will like this beer. From the point of view of someone who typically avoids Labatt products at all costs, I found it to be a surprisingly enjoyable beer I would not mind drinking again when the weather gets warmer. I found that to be a pleasant surprise.


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Magic Hat & Dropkick Murphy's BarRoom Hero Pub Ale

It is almost the time of year when every single bar you walk into adds a whole lot of Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly to their playlists. It's like Christmas music for people who enjoy a pint of beer or a shot of whiskey with their friends & family. It is also a sign that Spring and warmer days are ahead. I am a Dropkick Murphys fan and while I may not know a lot from Flogging Molly's catalog, I can hold my own singing along to “Drunken' Lullabies” with the best of em. I truly welcome and love this time of year. However, one thing I do not love is Magic Hat Brewing Company. Now, I have written ad nauseam about my strong dislike for Magic Hat's beer, so I will skip doing that this time. All I can say is that even though I typically avoid Magic Hat beer, I decided to give their collaboration beer with Dropkick Murphys a fair shot, for one, because I love Bar Room Hero, the song it was named after and more importantly, the beer benefits the Dropkick Murphy'\s charity, The Claddagh Fund.

My biggest hope for BarRoom Hero was that it would turn out to be an easy-drinking session beer with a decent amount of flavor. I also hoped that I would be able to make it through the entire 4-pack that I purchased. Normally, I am not that bold with my purchases of Magic Hat's beer since it is usually completely undrinkable, but since BarRoom Hero was priced under 7 dollars for a 4-pack, I decided to gamble and buy the whole pack. So, as I opened the first can I tried to be optimistic and that optimism was surprisingly rewarded.

The aroma of BarRoom Hero is toasted bread, roasted malt, nuts, chocolate, caramel, toffee with a touch of coffee and spice. The flavor was almost identical to the nose. The flavors of roasted malt, toasted bread, chocolate, nuts, toffee & caramel shine before an herbal, spicy, slightly bitter hop finish. The beer is balanced, easy-drinking, and actually tastes good. On the downside, BarRoom Hero is super thin and watery. At 4.2%, this is expected and honestly, maybe tasting less here is why I think this is the best beer I have had from Magic Hat in years. It works as a beer that fits the season and when an occasion calls for a second or third pint. Look, this beer will not make you a fan of Magic Hat, but it does provide you a good beer to hold a glass to when you sing-a-long to “Dirty Glass” with your friends.

Overall rating: 3.5/5


Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!