Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

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

dougofthefuture

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz can poured into New Belgium tulip at cellar temp. Just over 4 months after the canning date, so I thought I'd give this one another shot and review it this time.

A - BLACK. Very close to what motor oil looks like as it pours from the can. 1/2 inch dark head faded quickly, and then a very strange thing happened. Bubbles from the exact center of the glass came up and formed a four-part clover of swirling new head. Irrelevant, but cool...

S - I like it. Very strong baking chocolate smell - the kind that smells delicious but is really dry and ends up too bitter when you taste it. A little bit of anise, and just a hint of alcohol. No hops.

T & M - The same flavors from the nose are here, but barely. Now I remember why this beer didn't impress me before. It is slightly creamy but not full bodied, the alcohol is not well hidden at all, and there is an unpleseant bitterness in the finish.

D - I'm not giving up on this one, but it will take some time to finish. The flavors are big, just not enticing.

What a deceptive beer - first you notice it because it is a RIS in a can, then it looks and smells great, and then it just lets down big time in the taste. Weird.

Serving type: can

03-09-2010 00:46:35 | More by dougofthefuture

brew3crew

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Cam, Urbancaver for the taste!

A- Dark black, as if there is any other kind of black. No head what-so-ever.

S- Didn't get a whole lot of smell here. some coffee, and chocolate come through

T- Big roasted, dark malts. Is a little off from what a normal RIS is, but I cant put my finger on it. this beer is Not really for me

M- Smooth and full bodied but it doesn't let you forget about the alcohol.

D- Extremely easy to drink. No alcohol burn.

Serving type: can

01-17-2011 03:42:15 | More by brew3crew

JamnesCameron

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Snifter.

Black as night. Dark brown head. 1 finger. drops quickly. dark lacing.

sweet malt. dark fruit. prune. fig. cocoa. dark coffee. no hops.

flavors of anise. dark coffee. roasted grains. dark cocoa. finish is rather short for a ris. bitter, roasted grain stands out.

mouthfeel is thin for a ris. mouthcoating roasted bitterness.

drinkability is good. not outstanding. not sure what the hype is about. not a benchmark as far as RIS goes. good, not great.

Serving type: can

02-28-2011 02:27:58 | More by JamnesCameron

ERASE21

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

Got a can from a friend who bought one of the last cases from the brewery. I was exited. Love the silver can with the simple one color black print. Smelled like cappuccino and chocolate hiding behind fresh cream. Tasted the same but the first aftertaste was home-brewed coffee that had been sitting in the pot all day. Final thoughts - burnt buttered popcorn that you can't stop eating.

Serving type: can

10-17-2007 04:20:55 | More by ERASE21

Voonder

Alberta (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

thanks to Viggo for this one!

Pours pitch black with very nice looking brown head. Smell - cocoa, chocolate malts, toasted sugar. Taste - alcohol stands up, then chocolate and caramel. Agressive, but still pretty interesting sipper. Rich and smooth. As for drinkability, I'd say it's not very drinkable. 1 can is more than enough for me, but I enojoyed it.

Serving type: can

12-16-2008 05:18:21 | More by Voonder

Richardberg

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A: poured from a can into a stemless wine glass. Very thick black liquid. No head, although you can tell there's a decent amount of carbonation.

S: black coffee, molasses

T: bitter chocolate, black coffee, molasses (but not at all sweet). The flavors are not simple per se, but they are all definitely on the bitter side of the spectrum. Alky bite is very present.

M: nice oily feel with ample carbonation to keep things interesting

D: 10% ABV is not at all hidden. Definitely a sipping beer -- which is fine, but I'm not sure I'd want to sip an entire can of this rather one sided brew, much less another.

Serving type: can

03-30-2009 01:09:35 | More by Richardberg

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz can, canned on 11-02-09. Served near warm (probably 55-60ish)

It pours form the can a thick black and looks a tad thinner than motor oil. The head his large, thick, and tan when poured vigorously. It doesn't leave much lacing as it recedes however.

The smell is not what I expected here. This smells more like one of those Eastern European malt liquor deals. It has that unbridled alcoholic scent to it with some honey and maybe molasses. There is a hint of caramel and sugar as well. It doesn't smell as dark and roasty as most of this style.

The taste is more traditional however. It is up there is sweetness though, it definitely has a cloying sweetness and a tingle that lingers on your tongue from the burning and unhidden alcohol. It has a nice roastiness to somewhat counter the sweetness but not enough. It is mainly caramel and sugar in flavor with a hint of roasted malt.

While the mouthfeel is incredibly thick and syrupy it is also cloying and burning.

Overall it is a middle of the road RIS, perhaps a bit too blunt and too sweet for my tastes in a RIS.

Serving type: can

08-16-2010 21:44:59 | More by crossovert

AChamberlain

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap. Dark black with a brown head. Lookin good. Really not that much inthe nose. Roasty. Sweet, caramel. Sweeet flavor, almost cloyingly syrupy. Tasty though. Slick mouthfeel. Smooth amd lush. Overall decent, strong. I feel overated; other neers of the style are much more drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2009 22:24:46 | More by AChamberlain

smakawhat

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can into a pint glass resembling black motor oil, not much head but does give way to a coffee like chocolate brown bubbles. Head does disintegrate eventually and leaves no ring whatsoever.

Smell consists of faint leaf tobacco but also metallic... don't like that, but there are some very good noses on here but they are weak, faint roast, tiny alcohol heat on nose also. I really do like this nose I just wish it had removed some faults and wasn't so weak. Sometimes from a can I can get that metal/aluminum thing others times I don't, on this one I did.

Taste is syrupy, thick bodied, more so than I would prefer, with tobacco flavors, masking the alcohol well, some malt, with a good finish. There is also a very nice smoked meat/sausage quality on the afterfinish which is great. Luckily the metal/aluminum on the nose doesn't come through on the taste so much. I would like this more if it wasn't so syrup/thick in consistency.

Drinkability though all considering is better than average because there are things worth exploring in this brew for sure.

Serving type: can

12-09-2010 23:54:18 | More by smakawhat

davod23

California

3.4/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Fresh Ten Fidy. Had it before, but haven't reviewed it quite yet. Poured from a can into my Bruery tulip.

Appearance: Big surprise here. Pour is thick and black. Maybe it's because it's a canned beer, but the damn thing looks very much like motor oil. Tan head forms but is gone in no time flat, with little cirrus clouds of foam that remain at the top of the brew.

Smell is nice enough. Roasted malts, dark chocolate, anise. Not as big and bold an aroma as I would like from a top-rated imperial stout, but it's nice.

Taste... hmm... yeah, this is pretty much how I remember it. Dark chocolate, anise, pretty sweet... oh yeah, and a metric ass-ton of black licorice. Honestly, the licorice is overpowering in this brew. I wouldn't mind a hint of it, but it really shouldn't be the dominant flavor, IMO. Points for being fairly unique amongst impy stouts, I guess. Long, lasting finish. Notable lack of boozy heat.

Mouthfeel is very nice. Just a hint of carbonation. Very thick, full mouthfeel - like the consistency of a slightly-melted milkshake. Nice.

Drinkability isn't bad for an imperial stout of this magnitude. However, it's not great. The licorice is tough to work through, and it becomes a bit fatiguing. I can't imagine wanting to drink more than one of these in a sitting.

Honestly, I'm not sure why this gets such high marks. It's an okay imperial stout, but there are so, so many that are far better (BT, DL, GI BCS, Abyss, KBS, Expedition, Old Rasputin, Serpent's Stout, etc). I don't know when I will get around to drinking the other three cans I have of this brew.

Serving type: can

11-16-2009 07:04:44 | More by davod23