Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

Lognar

Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour - Black and abyssal, with a finger of khaki head.

Nose - Roast. A bit of savory umami. Milk chocolate sweetness. A bit of smoky BBQ char. It's mostly booze and dark fruits on the finish. An amazingly complex nose on this.

Taste - Big and roasty, but not unbalanced - the roast knows its place. There is some malty sweetness as well. The bitterness builds with warmth and a sort of cracker maltiness is introduced. On the finish, the bitterness hit the front on the tongue and blends with the malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel - Thick and syrupy. You can predict the mouthfeel when you pour it.

Overall - This is a solid and balanced Russian imperial right up there with Stone RIS and Bell's Expedition. I was expecting a roast bomb, but instead got a balance and complex RIS - which was pleasantly surprising.

Serving type: can

03-26-2013 05:12:54 | More by Lognar

Blackbird939

Florida

4.85/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Simply divine stout- what an imperial Russian should be, in my opinion. Ive had the pleasure of getting my hands on a 2010 1050 in the can and it was even smoother, silkier than a more recent vintage. Gets better with age. Delicious cold or room temp, flat or spirited. It is simply- honestly, the best beer I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. I worship this particular beer because it has earned all of my praise and these accolades. The pinnacle of the art form, at least in the world of stouts.

Serving type: can

03-26-2013 03:20:00 | More by Blackbird939

bsp77

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Serving glass: Poured from can into wine glass.

Appearance: Ridiculously black - no light penetrates at all. Thick mocha colored head at first, which mostly settles back.

Smell: Chocolate, cream, molasses and citrus. Decadent aroma, but simpler Han expected.

Taste: Strong roasted core of chocolate, molasses and light coffee. Additional layers of citrus and salt, especially on the finish.

Feel: This is the creamiest and smoothest beer I have ever had. Just, wow. Finish is somewhat dry and warming.

Overall: My first Imperial Stout from a can, and it is an exceptionally good beer in every way.

Serving type: can

03-25-2013 02:07:54 | More by bsp77

beagle75

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a tulip glass.

A: Opaque black color with less than one finger of diminishing light brown foam head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Dark fruit, rustic bread, and faint autolysed yeast stand out in the smell. Unctuous and intense spirituous qualities are also detected after a few sips. Alcohol is well-integrated, rather than obvious.

T: Begins off-dry, with roasted malt and fruity acidity. Flavors expand into the middle, boasting shoyu umami, bitter chocolate, licorice, and even vanilla. The finish is mineral-ashy, with inconsistent moderate bitterness cutting a sharp line on the palate at times. Alcohol vapors linger.

M: Thick viscosity, remarkably smooth early, with low carbonation.

D/O: An old can, set aside since 2009, yields a Ten Fidy experience worthy of the praise that led me to buy the pricey 4-pack in the first place. While this beer was found to be chokingly laden with shoyu qualities when it was young, it wears its maturity well in its fourth year. The heavy-handedness of its origins will never fade entirely, but this sample's profile falls well within the accepted--if not preferred--parameters of the style. Surprisingly good, compared to the last encounter.

Serving type: can

03-24-2013 03:36:02 | More by beagle75

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.56/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz can into a snifter and allowed to warm as I drank it. Purchased in North Providence, RI.

A- Pours a pitch black body with virtually no head or carbonation present. Brown lacing.

S- Heavenly.. Vanilla, chocolate, maple syrup, roasty malt, coffee beans, and dark fruit. Just delightful to smell.

T- Upfront I get a lot of milk chocolate, vanilla. This progresses into a roasty, burnt coffee, toasted malt flavor. Slight dark fruit notes on the follow through. Has an awesome roasty finish.

M- Thick, creamy. Low carbonation. Very smooth.

What an excellent imperial stout. May take the place as my new favorite russian imperial stout, I will have to do a blind side-by-side with founder's imperial stout. Reminds me of a non-ba version of bcbs. Recommendable.

Serving type: can

03-23-2013 17:59:55 | More by gcamparone

tviz33

New York

4.74/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 12 oz can, served in a pint glass.

A- The body is the closest thing to motor oil that I've seen in a beer. The brown head is only about a half-finger high but it looks thick.

S- The first thing I notice about the smell is the chocolate. It smells thick, sweet, and rich.

T- The chocolate is still noticeable, but is balanced out by caramel, coffee, and smoky awesomeness. This is an absolute treat.

M- Full-bodied as full-bodied can be. Creamy and thick. The brew sticks to my entire mouth and there's a nice burn from the alcohol at the end.

O- This is well worth a try for every aspect of the beer. Ten Fidy fires on all cylinders. This surpasses Old Rasputin for me.

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 21:23:48 | More by tviz33

CFHMagnet

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a thick dirty motor oil brown with a rich mocha head on top, a little over half a finger. This disappears and leaves a ring around the glass, about which some light lacing tries but can't quite cling to the glass.

The smells are dark roasted malt, chocolate, and a rich booziness. A hint of dark fruit in there as well.

The taste follows the nose, with chocolate and coffee on the end with the booze.

Mouthfeel is full bodied. Has a slight creaminess to it, but it washes down pretty quick. Leaves a slight residue on the tongue.

Serving type: can

03-19-2013 02:17:06 | More by CFHMagnet

timc100

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Fresh can

Pours pitch black out of the can, big dark mocha head - fantastic looking beer. The smell is huge - bitter dark chocolate and coffee, and a nearly dominating grapefruit and pine hop character. Some chocolate covered tart cherries as well - serve as the middle man between the coffee/chocolate and hops. Taste is incredible - full and vibrant. Dark roast coffee beans, chocolate, hop bite, burnt caramel. Very bitter and sweet beer, in fact. Amazing, super delicious stuff.

Serving type: can

03-18-2013 04:13:28 | More by timc100

RaulMondesi

California

4.66/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thick, silky, smooth, boozy, coffee-ish... and wow! Raul did it, yes he did!!!

Picked up one single can at my local Total Wine (get your shit together, guys) for $4 because I finally had to try it. Straight up, like Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Raul found himself another go to.

If you haven't, get it my children. Get it good.

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 03:43:13 | More by RaulMondesi

Stevedore

Wisconsin

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

12oz can, canned 9/28/12, poured into a Bell's tulip and quaffed today, 3/13/13

Aroma: Smells thickly sweet, like molasses. Hints of nice roasty malt character that you would get from stouts, but covered up by the molassy sweetness. Smells nice. (4)

Colour: Damn. This beer is some sort of a black hole, seems like light disappears when it hits it. Doesn't even illuminate brown. Pours with a generous 3cm brown head that takes almost 3-5 minutes to dissipate. Lacing is superb. You can't do much better than this in terms of RIS appearances. (5)

Flavour: Follows the nose- you get a lot of thick molasses with hints of caramel and dark chocolate. Not so much coffee as I'd get in other stouts. I get a wee bit of umami soy sauce-like flavour on the back end which I attribute to the hop character. Really good! I don't feel the heat at all in this beer. (4)

Mouthfeel: You can't beat this. It's thick bodied, creamy and smooth. Glides over my tongue and the surfaces of my mouth like I would imagine motor oil would (though I haven't personally quaffed motor oil). Carbonation is great. Aftertaste is of the umami along with some sweet molasses that lingers just right- up to 10-30 seconds at a time. Perfect. (5)

Overall: It looks great and feels great. Not the most complex RIS I've had, but its definitely the sexiest appearing, thickest on the mouth RIS. It definitely holds up to any other RIS on the market. And its really nice to know that I can pick this off the shelf anytime, anywhere in WI. I plan to get some more tomorrow. (4)

Serving type: can

03-14-2013 01:31:05 | More by Stevedore

craft_shannie

Indiana

4.44/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: pours thick & syrupy; jet black baby. 2 finger tan head.
S: roasted malts; bit of sweet molasses & touch of smoke.
T: sweet roasted malt; some coffee & dark fruit; ends with some slight bitterness of burnt/roasted malt and hops. nothing fancy - but damn, this is a solid well done RIS. alcohol is well hidden.
M: thick, smooth, creamy. low carbonation. very, very drinkable.
O: i've been reading and hearing about this beer for awhile, so imagine my delight when i scored some cans while in TN recently. this is my favorite RIS to date. reminds me of an old sign that was posted outside a diner in camden, maine: no ferns, no quiche. downhome, downeast. this is just a solid, well done stout that i'll be sure to savor on special occasions . . . like a wednesday in march, damn it. Well done Oskar Blues. Well done.

Serving type: can

03-13-2013 23:34:08 | More by craft_shannie

FoundersFanatic

Ohio

4.66/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Smell is great. Taste is dark and is very balanced between coffee, normal stout flavors, and a hint of sweet/chocolate. Incredibly smooth. Easy to drink a lot. Hits pretty hard with the high ABV. One of the better Stouts I've ever had (and Stouts are my favorite type of beers)! Only thing better I've had so far is Founders CBS + KBS, Bolt Cutter, and maybe 1 or 2 others I can't remember off the top of my head. It's REALLY GOOD! But the one thing I noticed is that it doesn't have anything unique or that stands out, just really really solid, smooth, great tasting stout! Get SOME!!!

Serving type: growler

03-13-2013 20:25:26 | More by FoundersFanatic

METALBOOZESOLID

Vermont

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

This is a great motor oil beer, as some would say.

A: Absolute black.

S: Thick smoke, chocolate, and caramel aroma

T: Strong chocolate, coffee, smoky hop flavor. The 10.5% ABV is quite apparent but does not subtract anything from it's taste.

M: Very thick and creamy, coats the mouth.

Serving type: can

03-13-2013 15:51:59 | More by METALBOOZESOLID

f4zZ3

Sweden

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served from can bought at Systembolaget.

A: Nice looking. Deep black with brown foam about one finger high. Thick and sticky on the glass. Syrupy feel.

S: Not smelling much. A bit och chocolate, hints of coffee and salmiak. Some caramell. Vanilla.

T: Wow, really nice taste. Chocolate, caramell, vanilla, a small bit of hops, coffee, cocoa.

M: This is great. The syrupy feel get's right to your cheeks with some small bubbles and loads of aftertaste sticking to your mouth. One of few beer I can explain as really excellent to drink, alongside Bourbon county Stout or other thick Imperial stouts.

O: Really good! One of my favourites for dessert. Pairs really well with chocolate (cake). I recommend this to anyone wanting a sweet and thick stout.

Serving type: can

03-11-2013 23:31:43 | More by f4zZ3

rdilauro

Connecticut

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

Ok, imagine running your c ar for 3 years, never changing the oil. Then one day, you decide to change it.

JET BLACK, JET BLACK and almost poured in slow motion. Glug Glug Glug into my glass. Then a nice foamy dark brown head. I almost stopped right there, because I couldnt believe anything would like so great.

Now, the aroma/bouquet , honestly there was not that much here. But thats ok, at the first sip I went to stout heaven! My mouth exploded with a deep rich creamy stout. The finish, did I finish it, was so bold and long.

No question, out of the top 15 stouts in the world, this one is right up there.

Today, this is my favorite oil can and by far my favorite Stout

02/08/13:
Snowy Night in the North East.
Ok, went into my stash of Ten-Fiddy (slowly dwindling) and pop'd one open.
That dark rich jet black slow pour is something you just have to see to believe.
After the pour, I am still not convinced if I am picking up a coffee or chocolate noise.
Hard to distinguish. But with the taste, I am getting both flavors, all perfectly balanced.

The hardest thing to accept with Ten Fiddy , is that when you are at the end of your glass, no more and you look for another can, and you cant find one!

03/08/13
Another tasting. Still same results. Before I tasted this time, I think, I put my nose down deep inside the glass that was full of the stout. I picked up a strong aroma of roasted malt, very similar to what you might smell while roasted coffee beans. But there was also this noticeable aroma of alcohol, just as you would get from a tawny port.
The first sip this time. A good amount of carbonation, that roasted barley/malt stands out as well as the alcohol. But as I finish that sip, I left only with a full tasted of the roast. There is a unique smoothness to this stout. It almost coats the inside of your mouth and as you swallow, your entire throat gets to experience the pleasure.
I am still trying to determine if I am getting coffee or chocolate or both out of this stout. The first time I tasted this, it was easier, but now, I am having a harder time. Could be the glass.
I believe the first glass was a white wine glass. This time, I am using one of the Samuel Adams Boston Lager glasses (which I love for tasting beer, narrow at the bottom, opening up, getting narrow again and then opening). So much more can be smelled, tasted and felt using
Last time I reviewed this stout, my only complaint is that at the end of the glass, when it was empty, I was eager for more. Now, this time, I am so perfectly content with having just this one.

Serving type: can

03-08-2013 17:33:35 | More by rdilauro

BWED

Pennsylvania

4.61/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

12 oz. can poured into a tulip.

A- Black with a one finger dark brown head. Leopard print lacing all the way around this glass. Beautiful.

S- Thick with caramel and chocolate. There's a bit of a savory and smoky smell as well, but I can't put my finger on it specifically. It inspires me to eat some oysters alongside.

T- Very heavy chocolate covered dark fruit, a little caramel, and a small hop presence.

M- Thick, creamy, with just enough bitterness to jerk you from the sweet malt. Very filling.

O- Unbelievably rich. Almost a meal in itself, and the ABV is well represented. This beer will get me a little handsy. Throw in those oysters and you're in for a treat tonight. A delicious, rich beer. Amazing.

Serving type: can

03-07-2013 03:45:57 | More by BWED

hornsup

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into a Sweetwater pint glass.

A: pitch black with a beautiful mocha head that dissipates but stays thin over the beer the whole time.

S: smells like roasted malts, dark chocolate, sweet raisins

T: tastes like milk chocolate up front with a decent boozy heat
to follow. Whoever said it has no alcohol booze to it is lying. The finish comes thru smooth and has a good roasted coffee tinge.

M: full bodied, coats the mouth and it exactly what you want from it.

O: great stout, gets points for being in a can as well. Perfect to take pb your travels or tailgating and it has all the characteristics you'd want from a top tier RIS. Get it if you can
It's price is equivelant to buying a 7 dollar 22oz bomber. It gets a bad rap there because its canned. Still is a decent value at $15 a four pack if you think about it...

Serving type: can

03-03-2013 07:18:07 | More by hornsup

GOBLIN

3.81/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Poured into pint glass. Very dark, as black as the stout abyss could possibly be. Just for fun after I poured this I took glass into a dark room and put 150 lumens of light under and on side of glass and no light penetrated this beautiful stout. Nice head on this brew, common foamy tan in color very similar to the other imperial stouts out there. Decent lacing through out drinking.

S: As somebody else has already stated it is strong on roasted malts and the presence of coffee is pleasent.

T: I'm not going to say much about the taste on this one except that I was a little disappointed here. Although it does satisfy the taste buds for us stout fans I believe there are better tasting Russian imperial stouts out there to choose from (especially for the price I paid).

M: I don't like to sip on my stouts. For me they have always been better to take nice size swallows with a couple minutes between to get the creamy explosion of flavors I expect from this style . . . Ten Fidy is smooth and won't let you down.

O: Not bad at all ! If you are a fan of Russian imperial stouts you'll like this brew and again it won't let you down. Favorite thing about this one is at 10.5 the alcohol taste is well hidden. Least happy about what I paid for it though. Better and cheaper out there for this style.

Serving type: can

03-03-2013 03:35:17 | More by GOBLIN

AmitC

Indiana

4.46/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured form a 12 oz can into a snifter glass.

One finger thick shining brown colored head with excellent retention. Super awesome lacing. Dark brown almost black thick while pouring. Very dark black inside the glass. Opaque.

Aroma is full of burnt up malts. Very charred and dark roasted. A slight presence of coffee and dark chocolate. No booze. Roasted malts provide a nice aroma. Overall strength is medium to good. No strong by any means.

Taste is a good amount of roasted malts upfront. Some bitterness in the middle and towards the end. Good use of hops and charring sensation provide a well balanced dry yet bitter finish. Some amount of coffee and cocoa in the flavor as well. No apparent alcohol.

Mouth feel is full bodied. Thick with a strong presence. A good warming feel. No astringency but bitterness is pervasive mostly due to charred malts.

Excellent brew. Love it.

Serving type: can

03-03-2013 00:26:18 | More by AmitC

Mertzy81

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Purchased at a local bottle shop for $16/4 x 12oz cans.

Poured into a room temp nonic.

A - A somewhat viscous black beer. Pours like chocolate milk. Head is a rich medium brown, almost like moose. 2 fingers high. Average lacing.

S - Roasted malt, chocolate, some hint of nuts, reminds me a little of a chocolate milkshake.

T - Dark chocolate. Roasted malt. Some hops. Ends with some slight bitterness of burnt/roasted malt and hops. Its taste easily hides the 10.5% ABV!

M - Smooth and silky, but not like a nitro-tapped Guiness. Chewy.

O - An excellent beer. Easy to drink. In my top ten. Will always be available in my house.

Serving type: can

03-01-2013 08:42:42 | More by Mertzy81

BigBarley

Texas

4.74/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

First TEN FIDY I've ever had, due to not realizing it was available anywhere in Texas. Reviewing live.

A - Pours like bloody motor oil, yielding about 2 fingers of head that quickly receded by about half. Head is a unique and nice looking brown/khaki color. All around, easily one of the best looking stouts I've ever seen (and it's pretty hard for a the look of a stout to stand out)

S - Serious dark fruit, a deep roasted smokey quality, heavy on the molasses with a hint of cocoa and vanilla, possibly some burnt wood. Smells darker than dark

T - Lot's of dark, bitter fruit notes (imagine plum or currant without sweetness), complimented by some dark chocolate and a very faint hop profile buried below (either hops or just a bitter flavor residue from the sheer blackness of this beer), somewhere way in the back is a touch of dark coffee and raisin. Sweet on the finish, all around delicious and flavorful.

M - Carbonation? Well, all that went into making the head. This is nothing but black oil. It still has that bite behind it, but for the most part it's simply a creamy beast. Thick and smooth.

O - Well... this beer deserves the hype. any fan of imperial stout (or powerful beer in general) should drink this when and if they can. Wow. Up there with Oak Aged Yeti in my opinion.

Serving type: can

02-28-2013 17:51:27 | More by BigBarley

sommersb

Tennessee

4.26/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Tasted On: 02-27-2013
Freshness: Canned on 09-24-2012
Packaging: 12 oz. can
Glassware: Snifter
Purchased: Received from a friend

Pours black and opaque, topped with a finger-high tan head. Retention is low with a very nice lacing on the glass.

Aromas are of dark roasted malts, dark chocolate, earthy hops and vanilla.

Flavors include toasted malts with some coffee elements, bittersweet chocolate, wood, smoke and some bittering from the hops and roast. Also features warming of the alcohol.

Thick and creamy body with low carbonation. The finish has some chocolate and malt sweetness plus the bitterness of dark roast coffee.

Overall, a well-rounded and heavy-hitting imperial stout. A slow-sipper due to the strength of flavor and alcohol.

Thanks to Craig for this one!

Serving type: can

02-28-2013 04:34:40 | More by sommersb

falc0n2600

California

4.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Probably the best beer I've ever had in a can. One of the best textures I've ever experienced in a beer: completely velvety smooth. I couldn't think of any other word but "velvet" as I drank it. Incredible carbonation, almost reminiscent of a nitro tap. Very very dark with some very slight aromas of dried fruits. So awesome.

Serving type: can

02-26-2013 06:13:42 | More by falc0n2600

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Black with a light brown head. Pours very thick.

S: Strong chocolate and coffee aroma. Some alcohol.

T: Rich chocolate and dark roast coffee. Sweet and not very bitter.

M: Heavy but smooth.

Overall: One of the best Stouts I've had. Extremely deep chocolate flavors with coffee and sweet malt. Can't detect the alcohol at all. Very good beer.

Serving type: can

02-26-2013 03:31:10 | More by JuliusCaesar

jibjib513

Ohio

4.41/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Serving type: Can to snifter.

Appearance (4.5): Very dark coming out of the can, poured vigorously into a medium sized snifter. Two and a half fingers of milk-chocolate foam, which as it slowly disappates, clings to the glass nicely.

Smell (4.75): Smell very much like a stout normally smells, hints of chocolate and coffee. However, there is something else to it that I can't quite place. It's something very 'wholesome' to the smell.

Taste (4.25): Sweet coffee upfront, with a slight bitterness in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel (4.25): As expected, very thick, but fits the style.

Overall (4.5): This was my first Russian Imperial Stout ever, and I suppose I had high expectations because of Ten-fidy's high score; it did not fail. This is a solid beer, though definitely, a sipping one.

Serving type: can

02-20-2013 22:06:27 | More by jibjib513