Review of 3 Floyds Brewing/Dogfish Head Poppa Skull Collaboration
Posted By Ken Thursday, 18 November 2010 22:03
Tonight I had the chance to attend the release party of the 3 Floyds Brewing and Dogfish Head Brewing collaboration beer Poppa Skull at the Brugge Brasserie here in Indy. I read about this one ahead of the party, just to see what I was in for flavor-wise. Read on to see how the tasting went.
Ken's Review
Taste: A- Poppa Skull was one of the more complex, yet well-balanced beers I've had in awhile. A third of this brew was aged in oak brandy barrels. Now, I'm normally not a fan of any beer aged in barrels, but this one hit it right on. There is an initial blast of spice and brandy flavor, and after it settles you get that nice cooling feel in the back of your throat from the brandy, but it doesn't overwhelm. Rather, it settles on just the right level of flavor. You also have on the back-end a nice caramel and vanilla blend flavor, and overall this one really hit all the notes for me.
Packaging: B Poppa Skull comes in 22 oz bombers, when it isn't on draft like tonight. On the label is a skull in a top hat, with the word "Poppaskull" on alternating high-low "planks" of wood. Overall a simple design, but one that keeps you in the dark as far as how it is going to taste.
Value: B+ Not sure what the bombers cost, but the little glass that was served to me tonight, which I would guess was around 7 or 8 ounces was $6. A little pricey, but for a collaboration beer of this level that is pretty fair. Depending on the cost of a bomber, I might be inclined to get a bottle to have one more time and keep, but if it is over $15 or so, that would be a little hard to swallow.
Drunkeness: A- At 10% alcohol content, this one can start to really get you going fairly fast. It almost tastes like an 11% or 12% beer, but that tad bit lower content helps you enjoy more, and this isn't one that you would be drinking a lot of any way. It's a nice sipping beer.
Overall: A- I was very impressed with this collaboration. I went in thinking I was going to get a certain kind of flavor, and it really shocked my taste buds. If you have the chance, I would highly recommend giving this one a shot while it is available, as it is only a limited-time beer. Distribution isn't wide-spread, but if you aren't in the area of distribution, find someone that is and get them to get it to you! You won't want to miss this one if possible. Excellent job by 3 Floyds and Dogfish here.