You’ve probably heard me start reviews like this before.  The girlfriend and I went to San Diego last year blah blah blah.  Yes another review is starting like that.  Right after we landed in San Diego we got into our rental car and sped over to The Lost Abbey for their Christmas in July event.  It just so happen that it was also Duck Duck Gooze release day. 

I picked up a few tickets to buy some bottles and while waiting in line to get those bottles I enjoyed this beer for the first time.  I loved it and so did my girlfriend, which is a rare feat.  She hates beer but she loved this beer. 

Duck Duck Gooze is labeled as an American Wild Ale.  It’s released every couple of years so you can say it’s a rare one.  It was available that day at the brewery and it was also available as part of the Sinners club I believe.  Not part of the regular Sinners Club but it was a beer you can put in your cart as an extra.  One of the reasons I love the club and it will continue to get my money year after year.  So anyway, how is this beer standing up over a year later?  Very well I must say.

DDG pours a hazy golden color.  It honestly looks like apple juice.  No head is poured and no lacing.  There are bubbles that shoot from the bottom of the glass to the top.  Of course as you get deeper and deeper into the bottle that clearness goes away and becomes cloudy.

Smell is all the way tart apples.  It’s the number one thing I noticed.  Tartness and sourness mixed together wonderfully.  I also picked up some lemon, grass, citrus, and oak. 

The taste is more sour than I remember.  It could be because of some of the age.  This time around while my girlfriend liked it she didn’t quite love it.  I ended up finishing almost the whole bottle by myself.  I never have issues really finishing a whole bottle but when there is a sour ale involved it eventually gets pretty damn puckering.  The sour and tart apples once again take front stage followed by barnyard funk, lemon, citrus, and a oaky finish.  If I could describe this beer to someone I would say it’s Acidic, tart, funky, sour apple juice mixed in with wine like qualities. 

Mouthfeel is dry, mouth puckering, medium bodied, and acidic.  Good carbonation.

I love this beer.  I wouldn’t say it’s as good as Isabelle but it’s damn good.  Bring a friend when polishing off a bottle.  My palette was wrecked by the time I was done but it’s always a good time when I get to sample DDG.  Sadly all my bottles are gone.  See you in a few years DDG.

Found: Straight from the brewery
ABV%: 7.00%
Price: 30 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.lostabbey.com/
What the company says:In Belgian brewing there are fantastic wild ales brewed with naturally occurring yeast. These beers develop over time and are ready on their own terms. Duck Duck Gooze is our homage to these effervescent and wonderfully complex sparkling beers.

A blend of young and old barrel aged beers we expect this to be one of our most sought after beers year after year as it will be released in very small quantities.
Other beers to try from this brewery: The Lost Abbey Angel’s Share, The Lost Abbey Judgement Day
Other beers to try within the same style:Avery Brabant, Russian River Temptation
Rating: A