At long last, it’s here.

Rainier Pale Mountain Ale, the first Rainier product to be brewed in Washington since the turn of the 21st century, hits stores this week. Rainier Brewing Company announced on Wednesday that a six-pack of the beer will retail for, ahem, $11.99 (it should be noted that the six-packs feature 16-ounce bottles, rather than your normal 12).

Company reps say the beer is based on an old Rainier recipe from the 1930s. Brewed at the Redhook brewery in Woodinville, Rainier is pushing the ale as a return to form for the storied Northwest brewery.

Yet some are skeptical of the return of the Big R. Aside from that steep price tag, the beer is still not locally owned. Rather, Rainier is part of the Pabst Blue Ribbon portfolio, and the Pale Mountain Ale is part of its Local Legends product line, which seeks to update regional labels like Rainier and Lone Star for modern consumers.

We had a chance to chat with John Wilhelm, who is heading up the product launch. He argued that Pabst is being true to the Rainier brand.

“What it comes down to is understanding what’s important to a consumer in those local markets. There is a tremendous amount of love and passion, obviously, that Seattle and Washington beer consumers have for the Rainier brand; same thing for some of our other brands too. Understanding those local insights is key, and making sure we stay true to who the brand is,” he told us.

We haven’t had a chance to sample the beer ourselves, but the Seattle Times put it in front of some beer lovers to get their takes.

Here is the full release from Rainier:

This week, beer lovers throughout the Northwest will soon find a new beer from Rainier Brewing Company in stores, bars and restaurants for the first time in nearly 20 years. What’s more, Rainier Pale Mountain Ale will be brewed in Woodinville, WA, marking another historic milestone—the return of Rainier brewing operations to Washington state for the first time in 13 years.

“We’re very excited about the launch of Pale Mountain Ale,” said Kurt Stream, Seattle field representative for Rainier Brewing Company and local beer author and historian. “Rainier has such a rich heritage in Seattle and throughout the Northwest. Our goal with this new beer is to honor and build on that.”

Both the beer and the packaging for Rainier Pale Mountain Ale were inspired by one of Rainier’s own post-Prohibition pale ales from the 1930s. The new beer is made using two-row barley and Yakima Valley hops, giving it a solid malt backbone and a clean, citrus finish. In retail locations, it will be offered in unique, 16-oz. “pounder” bottles sporting retro-style labeling and embossed, signature Rainier “R”s. Rainier Pale Mountain Ale will also be available at restaurants, bars and taverns in bottles and on draft.

“In developing Rainier Pale Mountain Ale, we mined Rainier’s archives for post-prohibition pale ale recipes and worked hard to stay true to the authenticity of the brew while adapting to modern tastes,” said Greg Deuhs, Master Brewer at Pabst Brewing Company, parent company to Rainier. “I’m very proud of what we came up with.” From 2008-2012, Deuhs served as Director of Operations at the Craft Brew Alliance Woodinville brewery, where Rainier Pale Mountain Ale will be brewed.

At a May 13 launch party for the new beer at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry, King County Executive Dow Constantine remarked that “a lot of us remember Rainier as the first beer we shared with our dads or granddads.” Constantine added that, “to have Rainier back in our community is really capturing a little piece of authentic Seattle culture and history.”

The launch of Rainier Pale Mountain Ale marks the beginning of an effort by Rainier to develop more craft-style beers inspired by the company’s archives and 137 years of brewing tradition. Rainier Pale Mountain Ale will be distributed throughout Wash., Ore., Idaho, Mont. and Nor. Calif. The suggested six pack retail price is $11.99.