New Beer Alert + Review: Moerlein Zeppelin

It’s been many a year since Christian Moerlein unleashed a brand new beer in full. Sure, the Lager House does special batches and cask offerings almost every week but the Zeppelin will be in kegs and bottles!

Here is Moerlein’s description from the bottle label so you don’t have to read that sideways:

You’ve made a discovery – a German-inspired Pale Ale lifted by creativity and crafted for the loffty flight of a Zeppelin. Christian Moerlein Zeppelin Bavarian Style Pale Ale showcases the characteristics of traditional pales, enhanced by the distinctive flavors and aromas of German noble hops. Pilsner and Munich malts provide a significant backbone balanced by delicate floral and fruity notes from a late kettle hop addition and dry-hopping. The result makes this Zeppelin constantly smooth and balanced in flight.

Name: Zeppelin
Brewery: Christian Moerlein
Style: Bavarian Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%
Ingredients: Noble hops, Pilsner, Munich malts

Very light aroma of fields of wildflowers with bits of honey and spice.

Pale golden yellow color that’s a bit less than crystal clear.

Enjoyably complex palette of skillfully balanced bitterness and sweetness. First sips are sweet and honey like with a touch of caramel. This gets followed by some flowery hop bitterness which flows into a touch of spiciness showing off those noble hops.

Smooth and creamy lightish-medium body with moderate carbonation.

This beer is exactly the same as the Bunbury Bavarian Pale Ale that Moerlein released in collaboration with the Bunbury music festival last month. Zeppelin (and Bunbury before it) is true to the name and concept of “Bavarian Pale Ale” because it really reminds me of an American Pale Ale, just brewed using all German malt and German hops instead of American hops.

I like it, don’t love it, but can definitely see myself having it again. This would be tasty and refreshing on a nice day and probably should’ve been introduced back in the spring or early summer (like the Bunbury one was) as this isn’t really a fall beer but will still be great on the few nice days we have left before it starts to get cold. On the other hand by next spring/summer this should be everywhere. On that note it will be hitting Kroger (and presumably other) store shelves on September 23rd until then you can likely find it on tap at better watering holes around town.