Anyone who knows me understands that I am a HUGE Cincinnati Reds fan.  I, with my family, try to make the long haul to the great Southern Ohio city several times a year and take in a ballgame.  The city is beautiful, but still maintains that working class feel and, to tell you the truth, I like that.

With baseball season in full swing, I thought I would support the Queen City and review one of their hometown brews.

With this post, I’m going to review the Moerlein Lager House Original Golden Helles brewed by the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.

On the website, christianmoerlein.com, I found a nice little description.

A Superior Golden Helles Lager.  You’ve made a discovery – Golden Helles selected from the original Lager House.  Over 150 years ago, Christian Moerlein built his Lager House in Cincinnati’s Brewery District.  Today, Moerlein Lager House is brewed to the same standards that declared Moerlein the 1st American Brew to certifiably pass the Reinheitsgebot Purity Law.  This Munchner-styled Helles is a remarkably balanced lager featuring a lightly roasted, yet defined malt character, and a touch of hops for a clean finish. 

Let’s pour!!!!

The Moerlein has an ABV of 5.2% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle.

The beer poured a very clear golden/straw color with a super white head that was small and struggles to maintain its size.  It was gone pretty quick and very little lacing was left behind for me to enjoy.  A few bubbles were streaming to the top, but even they started to settle down after a few moments.

As I brought the glass to my nose to take a whiff, I found a prevalent grain aroma followed by some corn adjuncts and wheat notes.  It seemed to have a tiny amount of a toasted, malt essence, but that fragrance was really faint and not forthcoming.  To tell the truth, not a whole lot is going on with the smell really.  I will say that it does smell pretty clean and fresh though.

With the taste, I picked up on the grain”y” flavors first, but I also found a decent butter tinge.  Some sweetness and a crisp cracker sampling came through along with a supportive bitterness that did add a slight bit of complexity.  However, after a few swigs I began to find more and more of the dreaded corn adjuncts.  Well, what can you do?  I found the flavor profile to be clean throughout, which mirrored the aroma in that regard.

The mouthfeel was medium to light, refreshing, crisp, mostly dry and easy going.  A thirst quencher that finishes smooth with a few kisses of flavor left behind.

Well, I didn’t find that I had quite the same fondness for this beer as I have for the Reds.  To me, this brew is only about a step above a “macro.”  It has a few of the same characteristics, with the appearance and noticeable adjunct qualities, but it also had a personality of its own.  The flavor was decent, the mouthfeel was ok and the drinkability was rather good.  It would make a nice little Summer beer in my opinion.  One that could be enjoyed, with ease, at Great American Ballpark.  At home however, I would probably look to try something different after a couple of bottles.  I have only tried a few of Christian Moerlein’s brews, so I’ll be sure to sample a few more and find one that I like.

What Major League Baseball city brews the best beers in your opinion?

Thanks for reading and commenting guys.  I really appreciate it.

Score:  2.85 out of 5        
Grade:  C