Zeppelin Bend Straight Whiskey is a culmination of New Holland’s brewing roots and a growing passion for distilling. A straight-malt whiskey, it begins with a brewer’s mash coaxing sugars from malted barley into a liquid wash. This wash is twice distilled and aged in new American oak with a heavy char. Notes of vanilla and clove arise from the slightly caramelized spirit leading to a classic American-oak finish.
AT A GLANCE
Type: Straight Malt Whiskey
Proof: 90
Base/Wash: 100% malted barley fermentation done in-house.
Bottle: 750 mL, case
Availability: Currently available in all markets
MEDIA
Click below to download & print brand assets for Zeppelin Bend. If you need any assistance with the files here, or need something additional, please contact Megan at lasorsa@newhollandbrew.com.
Beer Cocktail Recipe Sheet (PDF)

Had a chance to try the Zeppelin Bend last nite at a tasting at Westport Whiskey and Wine in Louiville, Ky. You are onto something here. I liked it enough that I brought a bottle home with me. Good Stuff. I cannot believe how young it is. Tastes smooth, char flavor, a little candy and fruit to me. Very refreshing. I am not surprised though. Your beers have been good for years. Mad Hatter is classic.
I saw a bottle of your Zeppelin Bend at Red Wagon in Rochester Hills, MI. I believe that you guys make some of the best beers in the Great Lakes Region and are amongthe best the U.S. has to offer. However, I am a little hesitent to pay about $42 a bottle for 375ml of Whisky that is most likely very young (no age statement). I am not only a beer lover, but a whisky connoisseur with extensive experience. I would love somebody to convince me (sell me please!) on why I should pay $84 a bottle (comparing price for 375ml to the typicle 750ml size) for a young whisky, wich is essentially about the same price for 16 yr old Lagavulin, $14 more than 18 yr Laphroaig, more than twice the price of Basil Heyden or Eagle Rare 10 yr. Single Barrel. I am serious. Please convince me and will pick it up can bring it to one of the many whisky tastings my friends and I have on a nearly monthly basis. We are always looking to try something new, and would be excited to have the opportunity to love a great whisky from our State of Michigan. Who knows, I might even be able to turn on some new fans. We know our stuff though, so I forewarn you
No hard feelings and I will still buy your beer if you are honest and tell me that your whisky is overpriced. I understand if you had to do that to pay for start up costs or something along those lines… We all know that The Arran and Ardmore both did the same things when they started getting going with ther Single Malts. They finally ended up with a pretty good product and dropped their price as the years wet by.
Matt Voorhees
West Bloomfield, MI
Matthew,
Thank you for your honest and thoughtful post. We fully understand and appreciate your comments regarding the price of Zeppelin Bend. The most direct answer to the high cost of the whiskey is the high cost of everything that goes into the whiskey. Every spirit at New Holland is made by hand, there is no automation involved. With the small volume our distillery produces we don’t realize any economy of scale for anything that goes into the whiskey (glass, barrels, corks, etc.). We also distill on a 60 gallon pot still requiring extensive distillation time. But we also bring an innovative culture to whiskey making, experimenting with various grain combinations you likely won’t find at a traditional American distillery. Our series of “Brewers’ Whiskey” demonstrates this well. Soon (May) and throughout 2011 we will introduce no fewer than 4 new whiskeys in this series. I invite you to come visit the distillery in Holland, MI and I would be happy to show you how we make our whiskeys.
Dennis Downing
Distilling Operations Director
dennis@newhollandbrew.com
In addition to Dennis’ comments below; Zeppelin Bend is a straight-malt whiskey, so it must be aged for a minimum of two years in new American oak barrels. We age this whiskey for a minimum of three years, in barrels with a heavy char. We are very proud of our whiskeys and hope you pick up a bottle, and enjoy it very much.
Feel free to contact me at rich@newhollandbrew.com to discuss variations in pricing from store to store, or to further discuss the merits of Zeppelin Bend.
Thanks for the kind words regarding our beers, and we hope you enjoy our spirits as well.
Cheers,
Rich
Just picked up a 750ml of Zeppelin Blend tonight and I’m very pleased. The aroma is a thing of beauty by itself, full and well… intoxicating is really the best word. The flavor is smooth with a vanilla overtone that really goes down well. There is almost a nuttiness about it that I would normally not care for but I find it compliments the whiskey well. I drink it neat and there is very little burn to speak of other than a pleasant warming. Normally Bourbon is my whiskey of choice but this is bringing me around to the Single Malt side of things. I thought that the price was well worth it. Thank you for creating such a fine Michigan spirit.
Jason
Dowagiac, MI
What’s not to like about this whiskey?
Last night I had a glass of the Zeppelin Blend for the first time in downtown Ann Arbor at the Raven’s Club at the recommendation of our server. I was more than surprised at how complex the flavors are and how well this drinks. This drinks far better than more expensive bourbons and scotches I own and I can say this is now one of my favorites. So good that tonight I went out and found a bottle to enjoy over the Christmas holiday.
Congratulations on a successful spirit and Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Jon
Jon, thanks so much for your kind words! Sorry for the late reply