Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

dar482

New York

4.93/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

This little silver can packs the one of the best Russian Imperial Stout I have yet to have. The color is a dark black with a creamy slightly brown head.

The aroma isn't too strong, but it makes it up with the flavor.

It starts off a bit creamy, with a bit of dark chocolate and strong roasted malts. The coffee and huge chocolate flavors are in this. It has great creamy mouthfeel, but then cuts off the tongue nicely once you start tasting the alcohol in there.

The can is a good amount because it is so rich and boozy at times, you might want a snack or something with this. Its boozy, but does it so well.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 08:10:14 | More by dar482

Michigan

Michigan

4.54/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured from a can into a 22oz snifter. Used motor oil in both viscosity and color. No light at all is passing through. 1.5" frothy dark head that slowly emerges from the depths of the beer. It was actually pretty cool to watch! Leaves good lacing and caps the beer with a thin layer of foam

S- Roasty chocolate. Slight alcohol presence and more as it warms. This is going to be good!

T- Very much like the nose. Roasted bitterness. Malty. Dark chocolate-like bittersweetness.

M- Medium full. Smooth and mouth-coating. Just like a stout should be. Slight alcohol warming after a bit.

O- Great stout! Something I would like to pick up in multiples on the next release. Possible candidate for aging, but I don't know where it would go, flavor wise ....

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 02:09:17 | More by Michigan

beergoot

Colorado

4.69/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pitch-black body with a decent, rich, thick light brown head. Currants, deep roasted grains, bitter chocolate aroma. Powerfully rich malt flavors; deep and robust; milk chocolate; really nice alcohol warmth throughout; lightly perceptible bitterness near the finish. Heavy body; silky smooth.

An incredibly well-made stout. Immense balance and complexity throughout and a real joy to sip.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 23:24:30 | More by beergoot

Fireslayer

Wisconsin

4.29/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Jet black with two finger mocha head that quickly fades. Mild lacing

S- Roasted malt and chocolate with mild alcohol notes

T- Dark chocolate, coffee hints, toffee and fruit like qualities. Upfront alcohol smell is well hidden in the taste and sweetness. Great malt flavor on the backside.

M- Thick and creamy but not cloying. Great bodied beer

O- Great beer overall, lots of refined character and great mouthfeel. Definitely a winner.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 19:16:25 | More by Fireslayer

gr0g

New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Can dated "09-24-12." Viscous and black, looking like a proper Imperial stout. One-finger head and no lacing. Mocha at the forefront on the nose, with alcohol not too far behind. Sniff harder to try and find more complexity, but more of a solvent-like note comes out. Some nice roasty, dark chocolate notes are there, but they get squashed.

Creamy texture with a restrained sweetness upfront. The silky mouthfeel is noticeable and appreciated. Dark roasted malts evoke the flavors of dark chocolate, toffee, and a hint of raisin-like fruit. Slight hop bitterness, more of a roast astringency. The alcohol is more well-hidden than on the nose but still present. Good balance with all the right flavor notes for a big stout.

Ten Fidy is a very good Imperial stout, but the fuel note on the aroma and the high price tag are major negatives. There are better alternatives at better price points.

Serving type: can

05-14-2013 01:26:29 | More by gr0g

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

4.53/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

A - Jet black, no light shall pass. Two fingers of head billow and collapse into a sandy cap.

S - Dutch process cocoa powder, chocolate malt, roasty, bourbon, vanilla, ancho chiles

T - Dark chocolate, espresso crema bigtime, cinnamon, currant/prune, coconut cream. Sweet, but not cloying. Malty, but hoppy enough to keep it grounded

M - Absolutely luscious and viscous without being syrupy. Light carbonation. Big body.

This is definitely the best IS that seems to always be available somewhere in Nashville

Serving type: can

05-09-2013 23:07:14 | More by hopoilcrazy

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Tried Fidy for the first time fresh at Oskar Blues on a snowy Colorado afternoon. This was almost perfect!
Had it again in March after a day of Spring skiing in Steamboat Springs and it was almost as good as getting it right from OB!
To date this is my favorite Imperial Stout and my beer of choice now from late Fall through ski season! I look forward to having this again next Fall!

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2013 13:41:20 | More by DenverHopHead

emyers

Illinois

4.31/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

12 ox. can poured into a Founders snifter. Canned on date 12/02/10.

Appearance: Pours thick, jet black color. No real head to speakof, but a thin dark brown lacing.

Smell: Molasses, milk chocolate, caramel, with a touch of dark fruit. Smell is very rich and sweet.

Taste: Similar to the smell - Rich chocolate and molasses take the forefront, some caramel/toffee and dark fruit come through. Alcohol is hidden well. This beer is very rich and finishes pretty sweet. The only thing I would add is more bittering hops to balance out the sweetness on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Thick, rich, and velvety smooth. Appropriately low carbonation. Stays true to the motor oil name. Pretty much spot on for what I'm looking for in an imperial stout.

Overall: Phenomenal beer. As far as "straight" imperial stouts go (no flavor adjuncts, barrel treatment, etc), this is one of the best.

Serving type: can

04-30-2013 02:17:13 | More by emyers

danieelol

Australia

4.15/5  rDev -5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark black with massive, massive tanned head. Great head/lacing.

Smell is nuttiness, soy and minerals a la Old Chub. A nice green apple. Would like a little more roast to this but it definitely has a presence regardless.

Taste is green apple, caramel, and soy. A little bit of roast in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is, as expected, huge. So thick.

Worth drinking for the thickness alone. If this had more roast it would be spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 11:45:00 | More by danieelol

Hendry

Vermont

4.63/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

You don't just DRINK a can of Ten FIDY, you COMMIT to it!

Opaque obsidian appearance with a slight head from an aggressive pour. The nose brings back childhood memories of opening the cap on a bottle of Brer Rabbit molasses: notes of espresso and black Australian licorice also.

Not much in the way of carbonation, but an RIS isn't supposed to be effervescent. Taste is exceptionally rich, deep, and creamy. There is a wave of full force flavors that coat your palate like roofing tar: dark roasted espresso, dark heavy molasses with a dose of black licorice. Full bodied and drinks like a can of beef stew.

Lasting aftertaste of roasted espresso, Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup, Brer Rabbit dark molasses with a touch o' booze and intense black licorice.

A must try for any serious beer fan, Ten FIDY delivers a meal in a can! Flavors intensify and change up slightly as it warms, a good idea to have a bottle of spring water to go with this bad boy.

Serving type: can

04-24-2013 03:30:13 | More by Hendry

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.71/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oskar Blues Brewing Company - Ten FIDY - 12oz can

Haha! RIS in a can! Love it!

Look - Pours oil black with a negligible fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Great creamy lacing.

Smell - Rich molasses and hearty malts, dark chocolate and sweet espresso. A tinge of fennel or black licorice.

Taste - Wow.. Fennel or black licorice followed by sweet creamy chocolate and then hearty roasted molasses, smoked and sweet. If you are into RIS style then this is most definitely your bag.

Mouthfeel - Rugged, a bit boozy here but otherwise quite enjoyable. Sticky and creamy and it sits like a meal.

Overall - Amazing brew, full of depth and character. Evolves as it warms and has a few tricks up its sleeve. Definitely not a brew for the weak!

Serving type: can

04-23-2013 22:20:15 | More by JMScowcroft

beerbully

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured into tulip glass

A-Black w/ 3/4 inch mocha head. Thick lacing

S-Chocolate, dark fruits, raisins, sweet coffee, slight anise

T-notice the anise at first then fades as chocolate takes over. Alcohol is present but not over powering given the 10% ABV, roasty, sligthly smoky, some vanilla flavors are well balanced

M-Thick, thick full bodied beer that is full of flavor

O-Great tasting thick balanced beer with great mouthfeel exectly what one would expect from a well made RIS

Serving type: can

04-19-2013 22:50:17 | More by beerbully

swoopdog

Arkansas

5/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Pours a syrupy motor oil black with a half finger of a dark mocha brown head that disappeared rather quickly into a thin brown ring of a head around the inside of the glass.

S - Nice big chocolate some coffee with a bit of maltyness at the end. With a few twirls I was getting less malts and more sweetness I am noticing almost like a sweet soy sauce aroma now or almost like some fresh baked cookies. Pretty interesting and delicious smelling.

T - I am letting this sit for around a half hour to get the most of it. The can wasn't really cold but I figure a good half hour after the pour should warm this up everything nicely and let it breath. Very malty with a big bitter dark chocolate taste. There is a nice caramel taste in the middle of the mouth that has some warmth behind it from the huge ABV on this. There is surprisingly more hops that I was expecting. The end of the tongue has a bit of that dank coffee in the aftertaste that gives this a great overall taste.

M - Full bodied (almost chewy) with minimal carbonation, the malt gives this a creamy overall feel that smooths this thing out to pure silk. Lots of alcohol warmth reminds you that you are in fact drinking a massive RIS. The bitters from the dark chocolate and the hops give this dry finish and gets you just thirsty enough to have another drink.

O - Ridiculous this thing is ridiculous. I love Russian Imperial Stouts but this thing is over the top I have maybe only had 5 oz of this thing because I want to make it last forever. Damnit I wish I could get this regularly!

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 23:17:01 | More by swoopdog

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

4.34/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A- Pours think and black. Viscus with two fingers of foamy light brown head. Sticky lacing and creamy-looking.

S- Rich scent of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. There is a little roasty and boozy smell, but the nose is overwhelmed by sweet, rich flavors.

T- Very full flavors of chocolate, roast, toffee, lactose, and coffee. The beer is quite sweet. There is a subtle booze flavor and aftertaste of bitter dark malt.

M- Thick, syrupy, heavy, creamy and medium carbonation. I'm happy the residual mouthfeel isn't too sticky and overwhelming. Excellent execution.

A fantastic RIS. IMO, it's one of the best mouthfeels of any and also has an awesome flavor. I think the booze will settle down and the beer will balance out with some time. I hope the fullness and carbonation hold up well with some age!

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 02:16:30 | More by lunarbrew

ZDub

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Can to snifter-hybrid. Pours a used engine oil brown with just a small dark toffee colored head that doesn't hang around for long. A quick swirl coats the sides of my glass. As expected from an imperial stout, the aroma has a powerful roasted malt character with a significant backbone of dark chocolate and just enough alcohol to let you know this beer isn't effing around. The taste backs up the smell and then some. Dark roasted malts, dark chocolate, a hint of alcohol, a moderate sweetness, and just enough hops to balance it all out. Ten Fidy is heavy but not too much so. It's a thick velvety liquid that coats my mouth like fine grade A maple syrup. As the first sip touched my lips my stubble grew to a beard that would make a Viking blush, my wife became instantly 6 months pregnant, my enemies felt a chill run up their spines, and a battle ax appeared before me. This is a mans beer. On the can a message reads, "this dog'll hunt." And it will.

Serving type: can

04-13-2013 01:39:58 | More by ZDub

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Wow.

Pours an oily and inky black, cream-like. Minimal but dense brown head has very good retention. Mouthfeel is rich and satisfying, despite the low carbonation. Broad aroma of barrel tannins with dark roasted and chocolate malts. The 10.5% ABV is evident in both aroma and taste, but it’s still a pleasure to enjoy. Flavour starts surprisingly mild but quickly builds to quite a crescendo of malt and barrel tones, with an alcohol burn and bitter finish that lingers. Coffee, chocolate and whiskey tones are all beautifully balanced.

A stunning imperial stout and sipping beer.

Serving type: can

04-12-2013 00:53:38 | More by hopsolutely

JEdmund

Kansas

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out looking thick! Inky black color. An initial dark tan head forms, then subsides.

It’s got that RIS smell, which is a good thing, though not charting any new territory. Just huge roast, char, espresso, cocoa, and fruit notes.

Before I can even think about the flavor, I’m remarking at the body. This is thick! Body is just so full and satisfying. Flavor is equally large with an enormous amount of roasted malt at work here. Finish reveals some leafy hops, and there’s also a lingering char and black chocolate that dry it all out. Slight boozy tingle.

Overall this is a fine beer and worthy of all its accolades. Now I’m really eager to try it fresh to compare. Though I suspect it’s held up well in the can.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 01:41:24 | More by JEdmund

JamesQuaff

California

4.5/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Removed from the fridge for about a half hour and poured into a large wine glass. Split a can 60/40 with a friend who doesn't drink much beer at all, let alone monsters like this. He loved it.

Pours black as pitch with ruby highlights around the meniscus, otherwise totally opaque. Thick, billowy 2 finger dark cappuccino colored head. Very thick and syrupy looking. Gorgeous stout.

The aroma is a big caldron of caramel, creamy coffee, chocolate, molasses, dark bread and plenty of hops. Very big and bold.

Taste follows the nose pretty well, with a spreading caramel malty sweetness up front, fading into bitter coffee/chocolate and big hops. Huge flavor. Alcohol well masked.

Mouthfeel is thick, rich, creamy. Carbonation is just right. Body is massive.

Man, that was some kickass stout. My non-beer drinker friend instantly said "whoa, you sip this stuff" and was surprised to be able to pick so many pleasing flavors out of a beer. I'll be getting more of this for sure.

Serving type: can

04-10-2013 22:48:02 | More by JamesQuaff

dtivp

West Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very thick dark black, like a used motor oil, with a surprisingly dark, dense, one finger mocha head, that fades slowly into a thin ring with light lacing.

Aroma of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malt.

Taste starts slightly sweet of caramel, but quickly moves to a dark roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and a slight bitterness of hops.

Mouth Feel is thick, full body, chewy yet smooth. The dark roasted malt and bitter chocolate becomes more dominate as the the beer comes to room temperature. The alcohol makes an appearance as it warms.

Overall this is a very nice RIS, I really enjoyed it at room temperature, best to savor and drink slowly.

Serving type: can

04-08-2013 23:33:56 | More by dtivp

cnbrown313

Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from their signature can into a snifter

A - Looks and pours like motor oil. I actually got a pretty nice 2 finger khaki head on my glass too, which is rare for such a big imperial stout like this.

S - Smells like chocolate, a little bit of fresh coffee, and dark roasty malt

T - Definite alcohol and chocolate up front, but this is surprisingly drinkable for such a big beer. It has a creamy, slightly bitter finish that make you want another sip

M - This was my favorite part of Ten Fidy... It's thick, slightly chewy, and creamy all at once.

O - This isn't my favorite non-barrel aged RIS, but it's definitely in my top 5. I prefer Plead the 5th, Expedition, and Founder's RIS. But if none of those were available to me - I would happily choose this to cure a big RIS craving!

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 13:32:16 | More by cnbrown313

Fux

France

4.15/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pitch black. Almost no head. Only some lacings spread onto the glass.
S: Smoked, roasted malts. Soy sauce, chocolate. Sweet.
T: Coffee, roasted malts, milk, soaked red fruits. Aftertaste of bitter chocolate.
M: Smooth, milky. Full bodied. Strong kick of alcohol.
O: Thick, rich, nice. A very good imperial stout. This dog will hunt!

Serving type: can

04-01-2013 16:27:09 | More by Fux

sniper061

New York

4.86/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

This stout is another example of a fun beer, a pitch black pour with a caramel head. The pour out of the can was awesome and made a great 2 finger deep head in the glass. Great malt flavor, chocolate and anise on teh backside.
Ten Fidy is an incredible imperial stout that is great from can to can.

Serving type: can

04-01-2013 10:31:22 | More by sniper061

Mojo

Alabama

4.49/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12 Ounce can -> snifter

This one is as good as its rep. It poors up a gorgeous black with a 2 finger mocha head, not much in the way of retention, not much lacing. The nose is very sweet and malty, some soy sauce, and chocolate. Taste is complex. I detected notes of cola, licorice, roasted nuts, chocolate, coffee, molasses, and just the smallest hint of alcohol, mostly being well hid. Mouthfeel is full and syrupy. This is now my favorite RIS, even better than Ol' Raspy.

Serving type: can

03-30-2013 04:33:58 | More by Mojo

Kerrie

Michigan

4.94/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at the Berkley Front. As far as I know, this isn't distributed in MI, but the last reviewer is also from MI, and I saw an IPA from the same brewery at my bottle shop today. Are they finally branching out here? Let's hope!

A- Typical stout. Pitch black, tan head, and I actually did have some lacing. Near perfect for me.

S- Chocolate and licorice, like most imperial stouts.

T- So, so good. I don't know how to describe it other than "smooth." For a beer that's 10.5 percent, it certainly didn't taste like it. I pretty much guzzled it down, and my bf still had half of his 5% drink when I was done. It was like liquid candy. Not too bitter, but not too sweet, either.

M- Not too thin or thick. I'd call it a perfectly balanced stout.

Overall, I loved it. I really hope that they're starting to distribute here in MI. The price tag is the only bad thing about it, but I would certainly splurge every now and then.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2013 04:11:30 | More by Kerrie

Alextricity

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Canned 1/03/13 "One ’til November?"

Appearance: As you’d expect, the beer is pitch black with a pretty small head. The head is a dark brown, and the lacing is poor. Nothing out of the ordinary for an Imperial Stout, but it’s still very good looking.

Smell: Probably my favorite part about this beer. I love the milk chocolate aromas I get, as well as the woodiness. I don’t get any sort of coffee note from Ten Fidy like a lot of people seem to get. However, I do get plenty of sweetness and dark fruit aromas.

Taste: Super sweet with dark fruits up front, and the finish is almost equally as sweet with some smokey tasting malts in there. I was expecting SOME amount of bitterness in this beer, but I actually find it to almost be cloyingly sweet. Keep in mind I haven’t had many IS’s (maybe three or four), but this one seems to be the sweetest that I’ve had. Once the beer warms up a little bit, the sweetness dominates even more. The smell turns much more heavily to sweet, dark fruit, and the taste does the same... cherries come out a LOT once the beer warms up a lot.

Feel: Along with the smell, the feel is among the best parts of this beer. As to be expected, super thick, coats the mouth wonderfully, and just smooth as all hell. The best thing about the feel though is that it never feels syrupy despite the thickness.

Overall, Ten Fidy is a good beer ... when it’s colder. Given its ABV AND the fact that it’s a big Imperial Stout, it’d be hard to drink this one quickly. I find Ten Fidy to be much more enjoyable when it’s colder, as it gets much too sweet when it warms up, and the roasty tastes seem to go way in the background to the super sweetness. I’d definitely try this one again, but $4 for a can and about $15 for a four-pack is a bit too high for a guy that doesn’t particularly love RIS’s for the most part. Definitely try Ten Fidy and decide for yourself, and consider aging one that you don't drink.

Serving type: can

03-27-2013 02:38:35 | More by Alextricity