Beer Me! — Ska Brewing — Durango, Colorado, United States

Read about our trip to Germany and Prague at
The "Beer Me" Blog!

This is not the official web site of

Ska Brewing

225 Girard Street
Durango CO 81303-7938
Telephone: +1 970-247-5792
Hours: Monday-Friday noon-7:00pm, Saturday noon-3:00pm.
Brewer: Thomas Larsen
[Contact] [Update]

Notes

Opened: 1995

Annual Production: 34,000 bbl

Contributors: Dave Thibodeau, Jeremy Kirby, Matt Vincent, Siegfried Binge

Updated: March 17, 2022

News

2016-03-02: Ska Brewing to forget bottles, goes to all-can lineup (Craft Brewing Business)
2014-04-29: Ska Brewing Company: Aus der Not geboren (Neubierig)
2013-11-15: Ska Brewing kills Ten Pin Porter, but why? Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau explains (Craft Brewing Business)
2010-06-08: Ska Brewing Named to "Colorado Companies To Watch" List (The Beer Spot News)
2010-02-08: Ska Brewing Announces Winner in 2nd Annual Snowdown / GABF Pro-Am Homebrew Competition (BeerAdvocate)
2009-06-24: Canned success (Durango Herald)

Beer List

Big Shikes Orange Blossom Imperial Pilsner

Specialty Beer
Buster Nut Brown Ale

English-Style Brown Ale

5.15% abv.
Awards:
- Silver Medal, 2009 Great American Beer Festival
- Silver Medal, 2006 Los Angeles County Fair Competition
- Gold Medal, 2004 Great American Beer Festival
- Gold Medal, 2003 Great American Beer Festival
- Date: November 4, 2008 (#7524)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE
  
  Score: 15 points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Bright brown. Moderate head.
  
  Aroma (3)
  Mildly toasty and earthy. Grassy hops.
  
  Mouthfeel (7)
  Medium body, low carbonation. Sweet and toasty. Fruity, grassy hop flavor. Low bitterness. Sweet fruity finish.
  
  Overall Impression (2)

Decadent Imperial IPA

Imperial or Double India Pale Ale

10.00% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2006 Los Angeles County Fair Competition

Date: November 1, 2008 (#7519)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Big fruity, berry hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big-medium body, smooth. Biscuity malt and fruity hops. Bitter but balanced — not as bitter as many Imperial IPAs.

Overall Impression (2)
Pretty good beer.

ESB Special Ale

Classic English-Style Pale Ale

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2010 Great American Beer Festival

Date: November 4, 2008 (#7527)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Fruity, citrusy hops. Hint of smoke.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, thick. low carbonation. Lots of sweet, toasty malt. Mild grassy hop flavor with a mild bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)

Euphoria Pale Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: April 30, 2010 (#8214)

Package: canned

Place: Brix, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright copper color. Thick head.

Aroma (3½)
Spicy hops, fruity esters.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light-medium body. Fizzy. Sweet biscuity caramel malt. Big fruity, earthy hop flavor, medium bitterness. Lingering clean hop finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Date: May 6, 2011 (#8593)

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 13 points

Appearance (3)
Bright pale golden. Big thick head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, grainy.

Mouthfeel (6)
Light and fizzy. Hugely grainy malt flavor all the way through. Really, that's about it, except for a lot of diacetyl as it warms up.

Overall Impression (1)

Date: March 17, 2009 (#7717)

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-amber. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Huge citrusy hops. Candy orange slices.

Mouthfeel (10)
Medium-big body, really smooth. Nice caramel malt base under huge citrusy, resiny hop flavor. Reasonably bitter. Clean hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer.

Date: November 4, 2008 (#7522)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Deep dark red. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Richly chocolatey. Grassy hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and smooth and malty. Mild roasty character, maybe slightly metallic, and maybe a hint of diacetyl. Finishes sweet and roasty.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: November 4, 2008 (#7525)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Fruity, piney hops. Lots of esters.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light-medium body, low carbonation. Sweet and biscuity. Fruity hop flavor, low bitterness. Sweet, fruity, biscuity, mild finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: November 4, 2008 (#7528)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15 points

Appearance (3)
Deep dark red. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Mild coffee.

Mouthfeel (7)
Thick. Sweet. Big coffee flavor with a grassy, resiny bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: November 4, 2008 (#7523)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Deep dark red. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Roasty and very earthy.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium body. Low carbonation. Sweet. Roasty. Mildly bitter, with some butter.

Overall Impression (1½)

Date: November 4, 2008 (#7526)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15 points

Appearance (3)
Bright yellow. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Mild grainy malt. Mild fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light body, low carbonation. Sweet malt. Very mild fruity hop flavor, but it's all sweet malt.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: November 1, 2008 (#7520)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Herbal honey. Biscuity malt.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-big body, smooth and malty. Mild fruitiness. Suprisingly clean sweet finish.

Overall Impression (2)