Ska Brewing Co. announced Tuesday the Durango-based brewery is eliminating Ten Pin Porter from its regular lineup.

Ten Pin Porter was created in 1996 and was the third beer brewed by Ska co-founders Bill Graham and Dave Thibodeau.

The dark ale, similar to a stout, was the victim of changing consumer tastes. Mild dark beers have ceded ground to aggressively hopped India pale ales.

“Porter in general, people don’t drink them,” Thibodeau said. “It’s just not a popular style.”

Thibodeau said Ten Pin had a loyal following in Durango but low sales volume relative to Ska’s other mainstays. Cutting the beer will give Ska more flexibility to fulfill orders for its remaining beers, Thibodeau said.

Ska will host a memorial service for Ten Pin Porter on Black Friday, Nov. 29. All draft dark beers and dark merchandise will be 20 percent off, Ska said in an obituary-style news release Tuesday.

Ska is developing another porter that could be released in about a year, Thibodeau said.

“Our palates, our tastes, the markets and everything has changed quite a bit,” he said.

Herald Staff