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Pale Weizenbock | 7.2% ABV | 21 IBUs

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How often do you get the chance to join the release of new beer? How often do you get the opportunity to drink this new beer on tap while talking to the head brewer? How often do you get the opportunity to just enjoy something radically new, experimental, and out of the ordinary? And how often do you feel like a valued customer and not just a number in a file one someone else's computer screen?

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When I bought some beer the other day, the waiter told me about the release of a new beer from Saggy Stone Brewing Co. They assured me it would be a big event, with much free beer, pretzels and live music. How can you not participate in such an event, how can this not be the highlight of the year?

My girlfriend and the rest of the family joined this event, the launch of Saggy Stone's take on a Weizenbock, or what they have called the Pale Weizenboch. And we were blown away....

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As we walked into the brewery, we were greeted with many pretzels and beers. We were one of the first to arrive at the venue. The head brewery greeted us personally, a character in and of himself. We talked beer-related things as we began sipping on their latest creation, a wheat beer mixed with the strength of a big beer and then their unique pale ale signature! As I understand it, a Weizenbock is a wheat beer with more alcohol by volume than the traditional wheat beer. This beer boasts a strong 7.2% ABV, and after a couple of them, I felt their effect!

The IBUs are quite low, but they definitely added some extra hops in, as the maltiness of the beer came through with some hoppy aromas.

It was definitely one of the best beers I had in quite a while, and from what I can assess, this is something that is not usually done by a brewery. Or at least, it seems like the approach to this beer was authentically experimental. And it showed.

The brewer was so excited with the new beer, and from what I could attain, he also does not like the neat boxes we place things in, he was an artist in soul. But this is obviously after a couple of beers and we could definitely tell the passion he had for his beers!

And you could taste it. The experiment was indeed a success and we could not get enough of it.

Back to the beer. The traditional wit beer, wheat beer, or Weizen taste, whatever one might call it, came through strong, but with the added ABV, it rounded the beer off so well. I am not a big Weiss or Wit beer fan, but when I have a good one, I really enjoy it. And this beer surely was something special.

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The atmosphere was one of joy - there were so many pretzels, live music, good company, and great beer. We continued to talk to the brewer, we continued to eat, and we continued to drink. It reminded me of simpler times when we did not have so many worries and things to think about, about times when time itself did not tick so fast.

I even snapped a photograph of the brewer's hands, pouring us a beer.

These are rare and special moments, when breweries are becoming corporations themselves with millions of dollars being spent on them, the customer can sometimes just become a number. But while talking to the brewery, enjoying a beer with him and his family and listening to the live music, I did not feel like a number on a spreadsheet contributing to the profit of the company. I felt like a patron drinking alongside the brewer.

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And I shared this moment with my fiance, my family, and now with you, the reader. I wish I could share one of the beers as well! As beer is something you need to share with others, you cannot keep it all to yourself; the brewer shares their craft with us, so we can at least enjoy it with loved ones.

At first, the brewer told me that they were not going to sell the beers, but since then, I see that they have begun selling them in small batches. I am happy for now I can buy some more.

I hope that you will experience something similar, sharing a beer with family and friends, and enjoying the liquid gold for what it is. And that you do not feel like just a number consuming a product. Life is too short.

For now, happy drinking, and stay safe!

All of the musings and meanderings are my own, albeit inspired by the delicious beer. The photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300.