Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

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

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

Bernardkowalski

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

Absolutely one of my favorite beers!! honestly can go good with anything, but you are better off enjoying this beer by itself. it has so much too offer, such great combination between the yeast and malt's making this an outstanding brew. you can put this on my list of top beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 00:33:03 | More by Bernardkowalski

thlayli87

New Jersey

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

A - Black viscous liquid with one finger of dark tan head. A ring of lace as the head recedes.

S - Roasty sweet malt, chocolate.

T - Somewhat boozy at first. Chocolate flavors intensify as the beer warms. But the roasty flavors really dominate.

M - Thick, full bodied, and sticky in the mouth.

O - This a big bold beer full of roasty flavors, thick body, and high ABV. One of the best imperial stouts available for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 14:31:20 | More by thlayli87

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

3.96/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Hermthegerm for this!

Appearance: Black as death with a small head that quickly moves to the perimeter only. There is some lacing, which is more than I expected.

Smell: Big roasted malt, brown sugar, caramel, coffee, yum.

Taste: Barley and roasted malts combine nicely with subtle coffee. A hop punch hits in the middle and then fades as the malt becomes evident once again, fading into a bitter, clean finish. Booze is hid nicely.

Mouthfeel: Just right, not exactly viscous nor thin. Medium bodied feel that lends nicely to the downability of this beverage.

Overall: Glad I got to try this. Not my fav imp by any means but it's a quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:56:48 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

bmwats

Louisiana

4.26/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz can, into my Surly Darkness mini-snifter.

A: Black. Pours about a half finger, bubbly, brown head. Settles quickly, but leaves a lingering smattering of carbonation of the surface. No real lacing.

S: Dark roasted espresso, with hints of molasses, dark chocolate, and peat.

T: Hearty malt serves as the base. Charred coffee beans, unsweetened bitter dark chocolate, pungent peaty moss, and just a hint of maple syrup or molasses. A little bitter pecan shell in there and tea leaves, too.

M: Thick and syrupy (...where's my spoon?). Lightly diluted sweetness in the start. Pungent, bitter, dry finish. High alcohol content is apparent.

D: Sip and enjoy.

Atmosphere is good. Dark and intimidating appearance. Fair head, but no lacing. Nose is a collection of coffee, chocolate, and molasses. Flavor even more so, a great combination of coffee, malt, sweet and bitter notes. Very well-balanced. Heavy alcohol content is deceiving. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 05:37:08 | More by bmwats

erikshewmaker

Iowa

4.63/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Can that was cellared for a year, poured into a snifter.

A- black with a medium expresso colored head
S- vanilla, coffee, malty notes
T- flavors that mirror the nose, with a slight molasses finish
M- very lively in the mouth with medium carbonation. The taste continues to evolve in your mouth and has a great lingering finish
D- This is so good that it is hard to save the time to savor each sip. The high ABV doesn't appear in the taste as an alcohol burn.
O- One of my favorite beers, period. This is what I look forward to after a long day! I have never been disappointed by anything from Oscar Blues.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 22:45:51 | More by erikshewmaker

stonermouse

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have hesitated for years on this one because of the price point. Finally went for it.

Poured into a Sam Adams glass.

During the pour, it splashes into the glass with a deep brown/purple color that I've never seen in a beer before. The head is a smooth, chocolate brown color of its own.

The aroma has a boozy, slightly cocoa flavor, with a touch of plum and sweetness.

The flavor is fantastic overall. There's just the right amount of heat, which compliments the slight, dry chocolate primary flavor. Sweetness comes from a touch of vanilla, with some nice sweet raisin and a touch of fruitiness. Finishes dry and slightly bitter, but clean. For as big and bad as the can and pour look, this beer is like a big, soft pillow in the flavor. Pleasant and delightful all around.

Mouthfeel is just right; not too syrupy, not too thin.

Just a great beer all around. This is easily one of the best widely-available big ABV stouts, and certainly the best one in a can. Dare I say, it's worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 03:14:45 | More by stonermouse

codysjb

Florida

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Ten fidy
A: pours a black motor oil with no head.
S: coffee, caramel and some minor vanilla notes. What a mouth full.
T: Coffee and chocolate coat the palate as a nice chocolate flavor balances out the end with a slight alcohol burn.
M: Lots of vanilla notes intertwine with chocolate.
O: Wow, pretty good especially for a stout that can be found everyday.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 05:25:24 | More by codysjb

Neorebel

New Jersey

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

And now, for my Ten Fidy review... I have been waiting a long time to try this beer! It looks perfect... nearly opaque cola-colored syrup flows out of the can as a cascade of bubbles comes to a very frothy, tan colored head. The head later recedes, but stays put at about 1/2" tall. It sticks nicely to the side of the glass. The beer looks like an espresso, which is very pleasing to me.
The aroma is very vibrant, with wonderful dark fruits, such as raisins, dark chocolate, fresh coffee, grains, and smokiness. There is a zesty hint of some sort of citrus fruit tucked away in there somewhere, too. Now for the first sip... after a big mouthful I pause to take in just how rich and overwhelming this is! It's like a mouthful of devil's food cake. I actually pick up very sweet cherries initially, before the roasted, doughy chocolate and espresso flavors wash over it. Still, in the finish the cherries and bittersweet hops sneak out for a second. As the beer coats my mouth and goes down, it is very warming with the alcohol presence very apparent. Although being full-bodied is an understatement here as well, I can't put it down. One of the best stouts I've ever had. Not for those who are intimidated by very big beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 03:10:25 | More by Neorebel

bengore

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a deep, dark black with a bright brown head that slowly dissipates. Leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass.

S: Rich and nutty, with sweet notes of chocolate and malt.

T: Rather bitter to me at first, and subsides into a more chocoately deliciousness. Definitely a lot of malt.

M: Very heavy and filling.

O: Overall a wonderful RIS that gets better as it warms up a bit. Wish it was a little cheaper, at $14/4 pack it's not an everyday drinker for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 04:36:34 | More by bengore

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is the typical motor oil stout, dark, opaque, chocolate brown 2 finger head. Decent lacing, pretty much what you expect but one of the prettier stouts both at original pour and as it laces down.

Aroma is sweet, roasted malts with a strong alcohol nose. This brew definitely smells hot. What little hop aroma does come through is very earthy as would be expected for a likely english hop schedule. A touch of burnt/chalky chocolate but most aroma is overpowered by the alcohol nose.

Taste is very much a chalky roasted malt with a touch of chocolate and coffee flavors. An enormous amount of specialty grains must be used to produce this brew. After an initial complex malt flavor up front it quickly falls off to just a hot alcohol flavor that tends to linger. However, the more aged the beer, the less bite this alcohol flavor tends to have. Great upfront but the heat of the beer leaves a bit to be desired.

Carbonation in this beer is a bit heavy and it detracts from what otherwise seems to be a very smooth beer with great mouthfeel. Again, the overall heat of this beer also seems to detract.

All in all the makings of a great beer are present but the high ABV takes a lot away from this brew. There are other great examples of high ABV stouts out there that don't have such an overly strong heat flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel. Trying to go big and bold seems to hurt more than help this beer and I would be really interest in trying this same beer made to say an ABV of 7.5% just to see how much of a difference it might make.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 23:23:26 | More by ElderPuma

Grohnke

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours oily black, thick and opaque. Densely creamy dark mocha colored head forms effortlessly and holds.

Strong punch of bittersweet chocolate, backed with espresso. Slight notes of vanilla, malt balls and smoke. Dull trace of alcohol spice.

Strong chocolate and roast malts. Espresso notes and molasses like sweetness. Soft hints of ripe fruit, black licorice and smoke. Medium bitterness with a slight earthy hop flavor. Finishes long and sweet, with some surprise tobacco flavors subtlety making an appearance, as well as some light alcohol notes,

Full bodied, low carbonation. Very creamy, silky on the palate. coats the entire mouth and leaves a pleasing sticky and sweet film.

What a joy it is to finally get to try ten fidy. Bold, assertive, and complex. Perfect for the autumn/ winter seasons.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 01:34:05 | More by Grohnke

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. can, 'canned on 10-04-12' (10 days old), poured into NB Globe Glass
A- Jet black,thick, opaque body, tannish caramel maybe one finger head, thin layer of retention, some spotty lacing
S- A lot of Ripe dark fruits right away and dominate with creamy chocolate, little bit of roast deep in there, not overly impressed
T- Really nice chocolate syrup taste and sweetness, dark fruits there throughout but not as strong as in the smell, finishes with a little bitterness, chocolate stays on the tongue, booziness is pretty well-hidden
M- Massively Thick, Smooth and Creamy, bitterness and carbonation come into play late, nice and diverse, best aspect of this beer
O- Before it went into my mouth it was just ok but the taste and feel of it is soo good, looking forward to enjoying this with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 00:02:15 | More by BasterdInABasket

tastybeer

North Carolina

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

Canned on 10-5-2011...

A: Super black with an unusually dark brown head. Head is large right at the pour and fades to a dense dark brown layer within five minutes. Eventually there is nothing left but a solemn jet black pond. This beer looks intimidatingly heavy.

S: Big soft piles of caramel-dark cocoa syrup, grain, fig, tobacco, and various lingering purple and red fruits. Big and complex aromas smoothed together into a calm, harmonious arrangement.

T: Heavy concoction of sugary berries drizzled in syrupy chocolate liquor. Just the right amount of sweetness vs. bitterness. This beer brings layers of awesomeness to your mouth.

M: Thick with a lightness. Soft texture and lightly syrupy. Carbonation is perfect. Body is heavy as is should be. Metaphorically engine oil is appropriate.

O: This beer is pretty fantastic across the board. I'm not sucking it down, but instead its like an elongated delicious desserty meal.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 21:46:36 | More by tastybeer

gottabetweed

Texas

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

Pours a dark motor oil black with a thick luscious tan head that stays, and stays. Lot's of lacing.

Smell is coffee, chocolate, oak, and alcohol

Taste is coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, wood, and good.

Mouthfeel is ceamy, like a milkshake.

Overall, stouts are not my favorite style, but this is outstanding. Great for a cold night!

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 23:42:41 | More by gottabetweed

EnemyWithin

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance 4.5
Dark opaque black beer with one inch brown head. Mild to moderate lacing. Head dissipates into thin covering. Good looking beer.

Smell 4
Robust roasted malt with dark and milk chocolate and faint notes of dark fruit and coffee. Overall good combination of roasty-ness and sweetness. Note of chocolate malt.

Taste 4
Initially, a prominent dark/semi-sweet chocolate flavour with a touch of bitterness and faint notes of coffee. Also a slight sweetness from the malt. Midway through sweet chocolate notes come out and a nice robust roasty-ness that becomes present. Finishes with a slow fading roasty-ness and a lingering bitterness from the hops. Also with a slight coffee aftertaste. Reasonable contrast between the sweetness of the malt with the bitter aspect of the coffee flavour/hops.

Mouthfeel 4
Mild to moderate thickness with mild to moderate carbonation that is initially a little brisk, but fades to a nice creaminess. Again, nice contrast between the astringent and sweet aspects of the beer. The bitterness prevents this beer from being overly sweet.

Overall 4.5
Great beer with enjoyable robust flavors that you come to expect from a stout. Good use of malt for the sweet roasty elements, without being overly sweet by any means. There is an element of bitterness to prevent the palate from becoming too fatigued. Incredibly smooth and does not seem anywhere near the 10.5% alcohol content. There’s been a lot of hype around this beer, and for the most part it lives up to it. Of the many stouts I’ve had, it’s definitely near the top and would be something I’d seek out again. The can provides interesting format. Reminds me of founders breakfast stout with more roasty/sweetness.

Highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 13:10:15 | More by EnemyWithin

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

355ml can poured into tulip 11/4/12

A shes black right out of the can and up to the edge of the glass, short lived dark two finger foam leaves zero lace, points for utter darkness

S chocolate covered prunes and black-strap molasses take center stage, a little booze comes out stronger then I'd like

T the chocolate covered prune's still there but much less booze and much more dark roast, with some espresso, and burnt wood coming through strong on the finish, just a little licorice between the espresso and char

M thick for sure but needs a few extra bubbles to give it some life, just a little heat but I love the lingering charred finish

O tastes awesome and that's always nice, I've never aged a can before but this one could use just that

a little heat needs to be worked out and perhaps my glass was dirty because zero lace is odd for style, but when a beer tastes this good its got to be a good thing. I need to thank the very awesome Rutager for sending me this

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 04:37:48 | More by wordemupg

zac16125

South Carolina

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

12oz can poured into a snifter
canned on 10/31/11 @15:29 (pretty cool, I’ve never seen the EXACT time on a beer before)

A: Pours an opaque black with a very nice espresso colored head that has a subtle red hint to it. Head dissipates down almost immediately to leave only an outer ring. Leaves some mild lacing on the side that’s being drank from but otherwise no lacing.

S: Roasted malt and a smokey character are the predominate scents. They are joined by aromas of dark ripe fruits (particularly raisin), coffee, booze, and a subtle hint of bakers chocolate.

T: The initial flavor is dark fruits upfront with roasted malts on the back end. As I continue to drink other flavors that come out are bitter dark chocolate, plums, raisins, and coffee. The roasted character is initially the most prominent flavor, and then is joined by a significant hop bitterness. As it warms the coffee and chocolate flavors become more prominent, and a boozy character shows itself as well, but in a balancing way not a distracting way. Very good palate profile.

M/D: Damn is this smooth. Such a silky smooth oily mouthfeel with not a hint of heat going down. Full bodied, a nice very subtle carbonation. Incredibly easy to drink, with a double digit ABV that’s wonderfully kept in check. Perfect.

O: Overall, a fantastic RIS. The appearance was pretty standard, and the aroma nothing spectacular but then you take the first sip and realize this is a special brew. Incredibly smooth, with a flavor profile that gets better with every sip. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 23:54:58 | More by zac16125

Centennial

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Midnight black, thick and rich, slightly syrupy

S. Bitter chocolate, dark roasted malts, honey and soy.

T. Roasted chocolate malts, mild coffee and nice hop bitterness rounds this out.

M. Rich and chewy but does not linger.

O. Very good Imperial stout, gets better with age.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 08:12:28 | More by Centennial

bubseymour

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - super black and brown 2 finger head
little to no retention or lacing however

Smell - not the most aromatic or complex of RIS styles. Some chocolatey malts but subtle

Taste - Very nice chocolate, malt, coffee notes ans slight smokeiness and actually an easy drinker for 10.5%. Some slight hop crispness in the finish to help balance. Not as complex or smokey as other RIS's I've sampled but still a very nice taste.

Mouthfeel - Not quite as full bodied or buttery as some other RIS's but still very fine.

Overall - A very enjoyable beer and RIS. Not quite world class in my book but I could go back to this one on a cold winter night anytime. Easy to drink as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 23:58:36 | More by bubseymour

monitorpop

Michigan

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

Aged in cellar since 2007

A: Thick opaque black.

S: Chocolate, vanilla, roasted coffee beans.

T: Dark chocolate, sweet vanilla and faint cherry. light roasted coffee and malt. Zero bitterness an no noticeable alcohol.

M: Really creamy, smooth and chewy, but not syrup like.

O: Not sure what this is like fresh, but but this 4 year old version was amazing. Best thing I've had from a can.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 14:15:47 | More by monitorpop

vandemonian

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY is an intensely strong stout: malty and bitter.

A: Black colour and a 1 cm tan head that lasts. 4.5

S: Grainy malt aroma mixed with maybe some slight smokiness. 3.5

T: Roasty malt with a sweet candy tang, blanced with bitter hops that resembles coffee somewhat. The aftertaste is smooth with a slightly bitter charcoal kick. 4

M: Silky and thick without being especially carbonated. 4.5

O: Nice, but after half a glass I'd had enough. 4

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 03:04:49 | More by vandemonian

Sensaray

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

With very aggressive pour got a whopping 1/4" brown head. Pours deep dark brown almost black motor oil style.

Huge roasted notes were released on the pour. Upon closer inspection, some vanilla coffee sweet notes then also chocolate some nuttiness. Sense of hops. The can smells like strong alcohol and coffee.

The first thing I noticed was a chocolate flavor that kind of developed more intensity through my sip. Blended well wtih a hoppy flavor and bitterness, and some coffee. Bit of pine resin to the bitterness.

The mouthfeel was lightly creamy with little carbonation. Warming alcohol.

This was a delicious sipper. Nice and complex.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 04:30:20 | More by Sensaray

bobhits

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Blackest black pour I’ve ever seen, even the pour looks nearly black. Once in the glass nothing not even the slightest hint of light gets through. The head is also the darkest I’ve seen, extremely dark chocolate head. Brandy like legs top off this motor oil like stout.

Dark fudge and floral hops dominate things here. An extremely hoppy beer without much coffee/espresso notes which makes me wonder why I’m missing what others have noted. Ah, the nose without a swirl that brings out the hops does take on some powdery coffee notes. Among the RIS style this is pretty par for the course.

Sickly sweet malt just dominates this making for a nearly too sweet sugary beast. Hops are very present and they simply add to the sweetness adding a fruity finish. This reminds me as an intense and darker black out stout. The back ground has chocolate and mellow liquorish. Hops are the show case here, nothing like night stalker and it the IBUs don’t bite, but the hops add a wonderful flavor.

Creamy, viscous, nearly syrup levels of body with virtually no carbonation. Simply amazing and without any alcohol notes!

Ah, canned beer, the best thing since the best thing before sliced bread so what the wheel? All things being even this is a bit too big and sugary for me. If I wanted something this sweet I’d eat things like cake. So now I think I need to go run and go no carb for a month to make up for this glass. Still extra points for canning as nothing is better than pouring a beer from a can into a snifter!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 17:32:23 | More by bobhits