Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

prcrawford

Colorado

2.68/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours dark black with off white head. Long lasting head moosey head which slowly dissipates.

S: Roasted and borderline burnt malts dominate. No hop aroma and no diacytel.

T: Roasted almost burnt dark malts dominate. With out hints of other flavors. The finish was alcoholic.

M: Slightly astringent roasted malts finishing with a high degree of alcohol warmth that lingered into the finish.

D: I drank this beer on a 10th mountain division hut trip in the rocky mountains. After carrying this beer 13 miles into the woods I was disappointed by burnt and alcoholic flavors. For me this style should be be about roasted malts with dark fruit or chocolate flavors and slight alcohol warmth. This beer did no have those characteristics.

Serving type: can

07-22-2010 00:20:41 | More by prcrawford

gregmurer

France

2.8/5  rDev -35.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 1

Appearance - incredible appearance, sure it's an imperial stout, but, the head is totally dark like the beer itself...

Smell - It smell like something burnt... no issue, it's full of chocolate malt, heavy smell, but a bit frightning...

Taste - bitterness is not really present, it's totally hidden by the roasted barley or malts, for sure it taste something... too much i may say.

Mouthfeel - it really feel thick, too thick, it's incredibly long and tastefull.

Drinkability - certainly not drinkable, take a 33cc can for 2 or 3 friends, it's too much heavy in mouth, not refreshing at all (even from the fridge).

Serving type: can

06-12-2009 13:10:04 | More by gregmurer

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.83/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Reviewed 11/6/2008 (Tap @ Flying Saucer, Houston, TX): Pours an inky black hole color body. Big tan head, good lacing, somewhat diminishing. Coffee alcoholy aroma, dark fruitiness, some dustiness. Coffee taste, watery, hot. Dusty. Warming up...Still a little hot, dusty. Malty, dark chocolately taste. Eh, not a fan.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2008 04:56:01 | More by jujubeast6000

DaveJanssen

British Columbia (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Split a 12 oz can two ways, poured into globes. Canned 12-22-2008, reviewed 11/4/2009

Ar: Very sweet, smokey/roasty, earthy, coffee roast, chocolate, sweet citrus and fruity hops, molasses, alcohol, vanilla/cream like sweetness, caramel, tangerine

Ap: Black, very low tan head, fair retention, no lacing

F: rough dark malt, very sweet, burnt grain, coffee roast, caramel/honey sweetness, molasses, earthy like burnt wood, sweetness dominates the taste throughout, light fruitiness, hop citrus, toast crust, balance is strongly to sweet and more to malt than hop, low/no bitterness

M: thick, low carbonation, full and heavy, alcohol warmth, cloyingly sweet

O: way too sweet, aftertaste is very good but sweetness makes it difficult to drink

Serving type: can

11-27-2009 02:34:58 | More by DaveJanssen

TheKingofWichita

North Carolina

2.83/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Sampled at Sexual Chocolate 2011.
Pours a deep dark black color with a thick brown russet head and a good amount of lacing. Smells of roasted malts. Tastes of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee. Mouthfeel is medium and has a little carbonation. Drinkability is low because of the heavy booze flavors.

Serving type: can

01-31-2011 18:14:39 | More by TheKingofWichita

beerking1

Virginia

2.85/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I REALLY want to like this beer more. The look is AWESOME, with a dark brown head, about 1/2 inch high, leaving a cap and lace all the way down. Darkest head I have ever seen on any beer. Pours thicker than any beer I have ever had before, much like a 30W oil, AFTER months in the engine.
Aroma is great, EXTREMELY roasty, with burnt notes. There is some notes of higher alcohols in the nose, but they blend well with the roast.
Flavor is where this beer falls apart. HUGE notes of fusel alcohols, and I am expecting a big headache from this. The higher alcohols form a hot, astringent character on the tongue, very slightly overwhelming. The roastiness and malt is great, but the fusels are too much.
I recommend sharing this, as 12 oz seems way too much.

Serving type: can

04-10-2008 01:50:12 | More by beerking1

Crittervision

North Carolina

2.85/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

dark dark dark brown body, small head, small bubbles.

the smell is of half-composted melon rind, perhaps a banana peel that has slowly browned on the countertop for a few days, booze, some maltiness below. not impressed. really hoping for something better in the taste.

taste follows the smell, but has more roasted malt characteristics. could belgian yeast be causing the rotty fruitiness? not sure. no indication from the can. its the only positive excuse i can think of. "average" for an ris in my experience is exceptional for beer in general. this is definitely below that average.

mouthfeel is smooth and moderately thick, great.

the rotten fruit is really bugging me. i dont remember it from previous tastings, so ill take that into account. but its odd that it comes when im first taking notes on it. this was the second disappointment in a row after founders breakfast stout came through with charry, ashy, and bitter characteristics that i didnt recall from past experiences. if i find on future tastings that these characteristics were specific to the can i shared last night, ill alter my scores. but this one was a strange disappointment.

Serving type: can

12-30-2009 20:43:31 | More by Crittervision

Trappissed

California

2.88/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

I don't have a whole lot of experience with imperial stouts, but I will say this one reminded me a lot of drinking a Baltic Porter(i.e. Okocim and Zywiec). Very similar sweetness, that I don't actually enjoy very much. Its true the alcohol is hidden pretty well, but the taste just isn't doing it for me. Very nice appearance with a nice tan head. In the flavor, I was getting a little fruity nuttiness. A little roasted chocolate taste as well. Just overly sweet in my opinion.

Would make a nice dessert beer either paired, or by itself as it is a pretty heavy brew. As someone else mentioned, I just wish they could have gotten a little more hops in this, and toned down the sweetness, or something to balance it out a little more. Mouthfeel had a nice quality, definitely appropriate for the style. However the taste and drinkability were lacking; those are kind of important. I know this is a sipper, but I will go as far to say that this was cloyingly sweet.

Obviously I am in the minority here, seeing all these other reviews. But I am comparing it to other Imperial Stouts I've had, so who knows.

Serving type: can

05-11-2009 06:55:22 | More by Trappissed

Trueant1

Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Recomonded by a friend.

Pours a nice head. Off white and 1 inch thick.

Smells of malts, hops and a hint of chocolate.

Tastes a bit thin for this style. A bit stale. chocolate, coffie and maybe even burnt malts present.

A thin mouthfeel for this style..

This was a decent beer but did not want to finish it.

Serving type: can

07-28-2008 01:14:17 | More by Trueant1

Fluke828

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz can -> Cigar City Snifter.
Canned on 10/9/2010
"Who does #2 work for?"

A-> Jet black, viscous oil that looks thick and syrup-like in texture. Very thin wispy. film of a head appears briefly but very quickly disappears.

S-> Whoa! Bitter Baking Chocolate dominates first and foremost. Smoky and robust malt aromas are also present. Some sinus-clearing booze is also detected.

T-> VERY BITTER, like unpleasantly so for the first few sips before my palate adjusted. The bitter bitter baking chocolate taste dominates through the middle where finally a toasted grain and smoky malt flavor becomes apparent and finally finishes with a tiny bit of hops and sweet, metallic-esque taste on the back end. (Full disclosure: This beer did improve significantly for my taste after it had warmed and I had consumed about half the can...Also got some molasses as this warmed)

M-> Would have liked just a scootch more carbonation but otherwise this is a full bodied brew that finishes. Maybe that would have helped or hindered the astringent-like feel I got from the alcohol, who knows....

O-> Overall, I'm really not sure why this beer garners so much of the praise it receives. Maybe it is better fresh? Or with more age on it? Not sure. What I am sure of is that this was far too bitter for my liking and way too overdone on the chocolate. I didn't get any of the coffee notes others were finding. I wanted to like this, I really did as I enjoy Imperial Stouts quite bit...I just couldn't force myself to enjoy it....it got a little less harsh on the bitter chocolate as it warmed but then the booze just took the reigns from there. Either something was up with my can or I just don't care for this brew. Different folks have different tastes and I just don't share others infatuation with this beer...I can think of a handful of RISs that I would rather have for less dough. I will have to revisit this in the next winter but for the absolutely absurd price I really don't feel compelled to do so...

Serving type: can

05-11-2011 03:22:25 | More by Fluke828

TheChauffeur1

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

First I must say this in not my style and far from it. I am trying many new beers and this review is IMO. This is a big beer that looks good. Had it on tap at Capone's.

This beer smacked me in the mouth and overwhelmed my taste buds. Others tasting with me loved this beer. I am trying. Even for its class this beer is a mouthful for sure.

If you are into RIS, this is a beer you should try.
Later

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2009 23:09:22 | More by TheChauffeur1

marvin213

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pouring this out of an aluminum can is like adding a quart directly into the engine block: black, viscous, and almost menacing-looking. It's a bit more beer-like when a hint of fizz climactically escapes the top. Oddly, the fizz quickly fizzles; the small, Sprite-like bubbles diminsh back into black. This beer is solid black.

I detect some aluminum in the smell--not like a contaminant, but the near inevitable residuals you get from those containers. There's also anise, as is characteristic of most Russian Imperials. Other than that, there's nothing. It's like liquid anise within a watery black nothingness. It chugged out of the can like thick broth, but its smell is simple and thin.

It tastes eerily like it smells. The anise adds a licoriceness to an aqueous solution containing aluminum. It's simple--and not bad--but simple--and underwhelming. The feel is thin and watery, and the metal has absolutely impacted the taste. I've had some Surlys about which I didn't feel this way, but the taste and feel is just beyond Guiness. I actually wonder what this'd be like from a nitro-can. Though it tastes better and stronger than a Guiness, it's status is similar: a genuine stout that meets but fails
to exceed expectations. The feel, particularly for the style, is lacking because it's so aqueous. Sometimes I've wondered about the "chewy" designation on mouthfeels; this one, clearly, is far from chewy.

Drinkability is that most subjective notion where we consider things like experience and price. At $14.49/4-pack, my lasting thought involves this costing more than FBS. As the template for stouts the Ten Fidy fails to compare. Though this beverage is far thinner, I'd easily and enjoyably down two FBS before I'd consider reaching for this. With no prior attention to the malt liquor-like marketing ("Ten Fidy--Half-Baked. Fully Roasted."), perhaps my expectations were falsely elevated. In fact, the more I ponder it, the more the marketing strikes me as apt: this is like the malt liquor of Russian Imperial Stouts.

Serving type: can

01-17-2010 19:37:41 | More by marvin213

SQNfan

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from can. This was black in color with very fine brown bubbles that dissipate quickly. The nose is quite hoppy with grapefruit clearly poking out along with dark chocolate. The grapefuit edge makes this very strange for me. There is more of the same in the mouth with the grapefruit, sour cherry and dark chocolate lingering to a bitter finish.

Serving type: can

05-02-2008 02:37:34 | More by SQNfan

marcpal

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this one alongside a Storm King to see if I could pick up differences. This one was good but came up short.

12oz can poured into snifter.

A: This thing looks like motor oil. Thats all there is too it- intimidating from a can.

N: Roasted chocolate and malts. I do detect some licorice on this one but an absence of hop flavors.

T: Roasted coffee, espresso and raisins. As it warmed, I actually didnt like the flavor as much and tasted more of the alcohol and burn. Far from put off tasting, but not great. Something I cant pinpoint here but the strength of roast is not pleasant.

M: Coatingly thick, a bit too much. Some bitterness would have been helpful to balance this one out.

D: High alcohol detection, overly thick oily feel leads this to lower ratings. I far favor the Storm King and may not just be my style here.

Serving type: can

05-22-2008 19:51:51 | More by marcpal

industrialswill

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Will Ten Fidy live up to the hype? At $3 for a 12 oz can, it had better be good!
A = very dark syrup
S = mole asses, burnt barley
T = not bad. The high ABV is well masked. It tastes like I'm drinking a certain amount of barley charcoal, but the overall taste is good enough to make it through to the bottom of the glass.
M = thick, syrupy. Good if you've got a sore throat.
D = I'll keep it to this one can and call it good. For my money, there are WAY better malt liquors in the same ABV range out there.

Serving type: can

05-30-2010 21:52:02 | More by industrialswill

bishopdc0

Maine

3.1/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an oil black into my British pint glass the head is dark and foams to the top. As it cools the head resides to the glasses edge

The aroma is smoky with a sweet malts a hair better then average.

I like the concept of this beer a smoky imp stout but it isn't for me. The taste isn't complete I want more but it could be my mood the flavor is there and my wife loved it. The taste is smoke and not artificial. A smooth malt and sweet choc and almost cherry comes in. It finishes a numbing from the alcohol.

For a Imp stout and given the price its a good one but when compared to many other it would fall short....for me

Serving type: can

09-20-2011 02:42:17 | More by bishopdc0

OtisinAZ

Arizona

3.15/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

WOW! This beer poured blacker than black. Very small head that appears to be brown.

I smell burnt chocolate, sugar and I want to say, oil.

Taste was bitter with a touch of chocolate and something else I can't nail down.

An ok stout that I had to try more for the history on BA, rather than want.

1 or 2 would be the max for me.

Serving type: can

12-14-2008 22:43:17 | More by OtisinAZ

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a can of this at Julio's.

A - Poured into a Duvel tulip a super deep oil slick black. There was a slight half finger head that fades quickly to leave no side lacing and a barely there halo.

S - Shockingly average here. While the ABV is incredibly hidden, I cant look past how this is almost devoid of aroma. Not getting any chocolate or coffee or malts or anythign really. Almost a slight metallic aroma.

T - Similar to the nose in that its well, fairly average. Yes, the alcohol is hidden masterfully, but I really dont have much in the way of flavor. There is some light chocolate and roasted qualities but considering how big this beer is I expected it to be much more flavorful.

M - Excellent mouthfeel though on this beer. Drinks like its a 5-6%. Easily the best part of the beer, nice and smooth, ridiculouslly drinkable.

O - Overall, I feel like this beer SHOULD have been incredible. Instead, its almost a mess for me. I dont know if it was just a bad batch, or not handled propperly, but this was incredibly dissappointing. No where near worth the $5+ I paid for the can.

Serving type: can

10-10-2011 03:23:48 | More by rudzud

Wegomlegging

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured black with a dark tan hide head that rises nice and slow. Smelled like wet tin cans. Flavor is a rush of sweet toasty malt, followed by warm alcohol down the back of the throat. Just the right amount of carbonation, wet drink. Drinkable, but not leaving me yearning for more. Overall a good beer, but stay away if you don't like this style.

Serving type: can

03-14-2011 02:20:55 | More by Wegomlegging

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.18/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Canned on January 11, 2011.

A: Black. An aggressive pour creates about a finger's worth of dark brown head that lasts for a minute or two. The lacing is quite prominent for the style. This is what an imperial stout should look like.

S: Sweet miso, roast, dark fruit, and booze. I found the miso a bit too prominent.

T: Tamari, blackstrap molasses, some chocolate and roast. Some dark fruit. And booze, of course, but not as prominent as I expected from the smell. I found the tamari and sweetness overwhelming and would have preferred more hop bitterness to balance the sweetness.

M: Smooth and creamy. It's definitely thick, but it doesn't feel anywhere near as syrupy as it looks.

O: This beer has a great appearance and mouthfeel. The unbalanced sweetness and the tamari put me off. I occasionally pick up miso/tamari/soy sauce in roasty imperial stouts, but this was way too much. [On a later occasion, I sniffed some actual soy sauce while drinking the beer, and that helped me break the soy sauce association somewhat. It didn't help me enjoy the beer any more, though.]

Serving type: can

04-28-2011 15:09:06 | More by greybeardloon

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

12oz can poured into a Gulden Draak tulip glass.

Appearance- Black as motor oil with a 2 finger brown head that lasts quite a while. Nice lacing and alcohol legs. Best LOOKING beer I've ever seen.

Smell- I get mostly the acidity and piney hops with a slight coffee note.

Taste- Soy sauce is there can't deny it. Also lots of metallic bitterness. There are some nice chocolate and coffee notes but they are overwhelmed by the odd soy sauce and metallic taste.

Mouthfeel- Once again they hit this right on the head. As silky smooth as smooth gets.

Overall- The off flavors really deture from the beautiful look and mouthfeel of this beer. Very sad because this could have been a 5 star beer for sure otherwise.

Serving type: can

09-18-2012 21:23:59 | More by BrownAleMale

taez555

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a pitch motor oil black body with an extremely dark, possibly the darkest head I have ever seen on a stout. The head isn't just mocha colored, it's chocolate milkshake brown. Quite an interesting contrast and spectacular to look at.

Nose is a very nice mix of dark chocolate, dark roasted espresso beans, milk chocolate with some mild roasted grain smells as well. Very strong and very inviting.

Taste is medium full to full bodied. Dark over roasted, bitter espresso beans.dark chocolate, a dark metallic bitterness. There's a strong medicinal, chalky, earthy taste as well that flows from beginning to end. There's really not much more to it. Dark burnt espresso, dark chocolate, bitterness and chalkiness. It ends with a long lingering chalky bitterness. .

It smells and looks amazing, but taste wise it's VERY much out of balance. All the flavors are there, but it's just so overly burnt and bitter as to make it hard to want to drink more. I love Oscar Blues, but think this one is a pass.

Serving type: can

07-02-2008 23:37:56 | More by taez555

champ103

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours black as night. A decent tan head forms, but recedes fast (standard for a high ABV beer). Lots of sticky lace is left in rings.
A: A roasted malt aroma. Chocolate and coffee. A nondescript fruity hop aroma.
T: Roasted malt of chocolate and coffee up front. A bit of soy sauce. Cloying sweetness. A hop twang as the flavor lingers.
M/D: A full body that is almost to thick and syrupy. Some prickly heat as I take deep sips. Not a hard beer to sip, but one is plenty.

A big monster of a stout. Everything about this is huge. I can't say that it is something I will get again, but interesting to try once.

Serving type: can

11-09-2008 00:57:09 | More by champ103

NoHipTee

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not my favorite RIS. The promise of the smooth dark pour was not delivered in either smell or taste. Two qualities that I cannot separate when tasting a beer for the first time. The whole experience is so tied together that I am almost shocked by what a let down the smell is. Watching it pour into my glass made me long for a deep nose full of rich aroma but I was left with a strong alcohol and burnt molasses. Like biting into bakers chocolate when expecting a hersheys bar.

A: dark smooth appearance with a small amount of head that dissapates quickly in the glass. No lacing to speak of.

S: Almost rubbing alcohol with a burned candied cherry hiding in the back.

T: Hard to distinguish from the smell. Definite cherry flavors (I know this sounds wierd but this tastes like one of those pie cherries that had already fallen off the tree and started to ferment.) Mom told me not to eat those.

M: The rich undertones do coat your entire mouth. Very little carbonation to get in the way. Feels like an after dinner dessert liquor.

D: One is enough to last a long while. A sipper for sure.

Glad to be able to try it and review it. Not a beer I would share with less seasoned palates.

Serving type: can

10-28-2009 04:04:47 | More by NoHipTee

nms1987

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From can dated 12/31/08 into snifter

Pours black with a dark, dark brown head. Not a big head but some.

Rough, sharp nose. Piney earthy ness and a healthy wiff of harsh alcohol.

Better on the palate. Initially quite smooth with some chocolate and espresso coming through. This beer is much smoother than when fresh. Finish is sharp with hops and alcohol coming into play in an unpleasant combination. Has some real bright points but pretty average overall

I'm bumping this a little, it is better as it warms (predictably) but the nose and finish are aggressive and off-putting.
This isn't bad, but not all that good either. B-/B and not worth 15 a 4 pack, though I wouldn't mind getting to try it again

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 07:04:52 | More by nms1987