I absolutely intend on having a presale model ala The Bruery or The Rare Barrel for barrel-aged releases.
However, I think brand identity (and demand) needs to be established beforehand. Not supplying demand after you're already in the market is bad enough. I would imagine if you didn't supply a pre-paid demand, your brand would go to the 7th circle of Beer Blogger hell. Big risk. Once you know what you can produce, and your customers know the quality is worth buying in, pre-sale allows you to keep the wheels turning while sitting on beer. I also think its a unique interaction with customers that generates buzz and excitement.
The Rare Barrel sold pre-sale, reserve memberships before they had product in the market and did quite well. I don't see how I could ask my customers to buy $300 in beer before they've tried any of it.