Tap Handle #819: Cobra - Dawn of the Dank

February 16, 2024

Tap Handle #819: Cobra - Dawn of the Dank

Tap size: 11.5"

Rarity: less than 50 seen, brewery closed

Mounting: internal 3/8" nut

When I first saw photos of this tap back in 2016 it shot to the top of wish list. Fortunately, friend of the Museum Manny V. was able to hook me up with a Cobra tap almost immediately. I think this is one of my favorite taps...the detail and colors are incredible! The fully hooded cobra snake holds a sign in its mouth with the name of the brewery on it. The lower portion of the tap has the body of the snake coiling around a glass of beer, which has multiple streams of foam running down the side of the glass. In front of the snake coils and the glass of beer is a round oval sign area where a label can be applied. Despite the tap being used for all of their beers, labels were extremely hard to find for these taps...almost every Cobra tap I've ever seen didn't have one. I heard from one source that there were no labels and that the brewery just wrote the name of the beer on the signage area. I decided to create my own label for their Dawn of the Dank beer and I think it turned out pretty well. I've seen about a dozen of these Cobra taps hit the secondary market over the years, with the price swinging between $50-$200. However, aside from one seen in a group auction last year, you have to go back to 2021 to find the last one. It remains to be seen if scarcity will drive the price of this tap up higher in the future.

Cobra Brewing Company was founded in 2013 in Lewisville, Texas by Bill Shaw, his son-in-law Neil MacCuish, and their wives Sharon Shaw and Danielle MacCuish. Bill had owned a karate studio in New York, but he and Sharon relocated to Texas. He started brewing with a home brewing kit and continued with that for years, then when Neil and Danielle relocated from New York to be closer to Bill and Sharon, they all discussed opening a micro-brewery. Bill and Neil started brewing on a 5 gal system in the back yard of Bill's house. Neil started creating the recipes that would be used for production. They moved up to a bigger system, purchasing a 20 gal system, while looking for places to put the brewery. They decided on a section of town in Lewisville called Old Town, purchasing and moving into a 4200 square foot metal hanger that they signed a lease for. They used converted dairy tanks for their 5bbl system, and after 5 months of prepping, including adding a 10bbl kettle, they were ready to open. Neil handled the brewing, Bill took care of sales, Sharon oversaw administration, and Danielle was in charge of marketing and events. They chose the name Cobra from Bill's former karate studio, which had a cobra as its logo.

The brewery opened with 6 beers on tap: 2 year round offerings, 2 seasonals, and 2 brewery exclusives. Inside they featured a small bar, pool tables, pinball machines, darts, and cornhole, while outside was a huge space for table setups and food truck parking, along with a spot wired for bands to plug in their gear. Eventually the number of beers on tap grew from 6 to 12, and live music became a staple of the brewery. Over time, brews with a bit more bite (pun intended) became Cobra's signature, with higher ABV options like Dawn of the Dank Double IPA, Klurichaun (barleywine) and The Kitchen Sink (imperial stout) being some of the brewery's most sought-after offerings. In 2017 the brewery began canning its beers. However, by late 2017 Neil had left the business, forcing the brewery to find a new head brewer. At the same time, they rebranded as Old Town Brewhouse, and the Cobra name, brand, and beers were all retired. New beers were created and were named after classic rock songs, while their new slogan was "craft beer that rocks". Old Town Brewhouse continued on for 2 more years, but they finally closed in late 2019.

Note: for a brewery that was around for 4 years in a highly populated area (the north edge of Dallas), I can find very little information on the brewery. Even their former website cannot be found in the internet archives.

Cobra's Dawn of the Dank was a beautifully balanced, juicy IPA. True to the East Coast style, it had a hop character that was prominent but not too aggressive on the palate. Made with Citra hops supplemented with 8 other hop varieties, this ale showed grapefruit peel and tropical fruit aromas and flavors. The ABV was a staggering 11.7 percent, yet it was remarkably well hidden. It was a delicious IPA that was dangerously easy to drink. Recommended food pairings were barbecued brisket and ribs, Mexican food, or burgers and fries.