It’s been a long while since I’ve bought bottles from a brewery only release sale, and last time I have done so, at just about any brewery, it’s been quite the process. Last month, The Lost Abbey had a snag-ful online bottle sale, and do to the snags they hit, many folks thought that naturally, going to pick the bottles at The Lost Abbey was not going to go smooth. I’m here to let you know exactly how it went this past Sunday AM.

Parking

I found it easy to park when I arrived at about 8:30am, and I opted to park on Mata Way. To my surprise, I could have just as easily parked in the industrial parkway. Lost Abbey staffed the parking lot, so it wouldn’t be a free-for-all even if it did get overly crowded.

Checking In

Again, no fuss, no line. We had to present our order confirmation, and it was exchange for an envelope with our receipt, a sticker and a ticket that will score you a tiny pour of Duck Duck Gooze 2013.

The Tasting Room

I haven’t made it down to The Lost Abbey tasting room in about a year or so. The lines to get beer from the bar was short, and the line to get your one taste of Duck Duck Gooze from the barrel room was non-existant. My only gripe is how hot it is in that tasting room. I am very spoiled with The Bruery’s fancy new tasting room and central air cooled environment. It would be really nice if they decided to do the same at Lost Abbey. I couldn’t get into the mood to suck down strong ales with that humid dank heat, and being surrounded by equally husky guys sweating as bad as I was.

Getting the Bottles

Just as easy as the parking and checking in was getting my allocation of beer. There was no line, and just some very nice Lost Abbey employees.

What about the beer itself?

I really enjoyed the sample of Duck Duck Gooze 2013. It was a lot smoother than my experience with batch 1. I will have to crack a bottle to get more intimate with it, but was very pleased with my purchased based on my initial taste.