Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

julian89

Georgia

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

I had this beer at Brick store pub in Decatur, GA.
They're have a series of rare barrel age brews that they receive with collaboration and due to the fact that Brick Store is a world renowned pub.

A 2010 Barrel aged Ten Fidy from tap to Tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a thick, pitch black body with a great creamy, brownish head. Beautiful Stout.

Smell: Dark malty smell with espresso, chocolate throughout. The ABV is masked well and the aging makes the smokiness very subtle.

Taste: Oh so smooth, the flavors have mixed and become less pungent with age which make it so drinkable for a RIS. I can't stress how smooth this is. 2 years has done good to this beer.

Mouthfeel: Very full, very creamy, very rich.

Drinkability: A very smooth, very tasty, RIS. Good job on the aging Brick Store, good job on the beer Oskar Blues.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 23:27:58 | More by julian89

Gatch

Massachusetts

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

On-tap @ Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids and Solids.

A: Pitch black with a dark brown head that fades quickly. No lace or retention. Just dark liquid.

S: Roasted malt and booze with a hint of molasses and dark chocolate.

T: Huge bittersweet dark chocolate, sweet roasted malt, faint American hops, molasses.

M: Boozy, sweet, delicious malt.

O: Awesome RIS. Great flavors. Well done, OB.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 00:37:21 | More by Gatch

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Tasty Weasel. Oskar Blues does big beers well and this is no exception. Everything the style demands is present. Thick and creamy, but not overly sweet. Strong espresso, chocolate covered coffee beans, char, and a blast of herbal hops. Black as night with a lasting collar of tan foam. I wish I could get cans of this in Oklahoma...

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2012 19:33:25 | More by bump8628

martyl1000

Wisconsin

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

Note to self: this one's too big, too. Great, but rather sickening in its richness. Definitely a personal problem, as I can imagine big beer lovers having no problem, here.

On tap at Dexter's, Day 2 of Madison Craft beer Week. Had this after a Tallgrass stout that had been run through a hop rocket filled with cocoa nibs and dried chiles (at Malt House).

Coffee flavor is overshadowed by the booziness. Mouthfeel is quite nice. If I weren't on the verge of puking from an evening of overindulgence, I'd probably enjoy this quite a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2012 04:23:42 | More by martyl1000

mactrail

California

4.13/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Near black in the glass, with a nearly brown head, which lasts quite a long time. Pleasant spritz on the tongue.

Huge mouthful of flavor. Dark roast malt, licorice, and hops. Rather tart with a big smack of alcohol. Massively rich without being syrupy. Maybe a whiff of smoke and some raisins, but a clean powerful taste.

Such a a black flavor, a blast of malt shot with crazy darkness of charred sugar. Really none of the sour burnt taste. A mouthfilling, hot, vast expanse of flavor. Great sipping beer and to me, more friendly and pleasurable than some of the other icons of the RIS world.

On tap at Ciros on Garnet Ave in San Diego.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2012 23:25:47 | More by mactrail

BrownNut

Florida

2.65/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I don't get it. People hold this up as a holy grail stout. It didn't even taste like stout to me. It didn't really taste like beer. I can't figure out what it tasted like but it was a taste that shouldn't be in a beer. Not quite fruity - maybe some kind of perfume? It wasn't necessarily a bad taste but I guess it's like when you go to take a sip of your coke and you're thrown off for a second because you had forgotten you were actually drinking iced tea. I loves me some RIS but this one must be an acquired taste. I've never had anything that tasted similar. I wouldn't order it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 04:31:24 | More by BrownNut

2xHops

Texas

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

I've seen this beer in my local stores so many times, but I have never bought a 4-pack. However, I finally got a glass at a local watering hole I frequent, and here I am.

The beer looks good with a good thick and black body to go along with tan lacing that's very thick and does not fade away quickly. The aroma's not something I'm qualified to assess. I can't smell very well!

The taste's great. It doesn't have strong coffee flavors like many RIS beers, and it's something I prefer. There's some sweetness to the beer to soften up the stout flavor profile.

The mouthfeel's great, and it's very viscous and nowhere close to being thin. It lingers in your mouth for a long time, and what can I say?

I'd buy this beer once in a while, and I imagine when I'm in the mood, it'd be worth the $14-$15 for a 4-pack.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 02:34:20 | More by 2xHops

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

this is a HUGE beer. pours muddy fudge black into a full pint glass (wow) with a dark brown head and inch high. smells really really strong, bittersweet coffee notes, and bread grains. taste is really bold, heavy dark roasted malts up front and a stiff bitterness on the back end, molasses and espresso in between. mouthfeel is great here, carbonated just enough, and really smooth for such a strong brew. overall a very impressive imperial stout, maybe the best ive had. got to be careful with these though, can get loose pretty quick with the abv. fresh at the brewery in lyons this was epic

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2012 19:44:04 | More by StonedTrippin

chadsexington

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on-tap at a local bar. This brew blew my effin' mind!

A- Poured into an 8 oz snifter this. It's as black as the ace of spades. The head is also a very dark coffee color and sticks around for a bit. Not even light can escape the surface of this beer.

S- Sells like what you would expect from this style. Lots of chocolate upfront with a hint of hops. No trace of booze at all.

T- Mother of God.... It tastes strongly of chocolate and malty goodness. This beer has an alcohol content of 10.5% (hence the name "Ten FIDY"), but it is hardly present in the taste. Everything is balanced perfectly. Not too sweet. Not too bitter. Not too boozy. One of the best RIS's I've had.

M- It feels like velvet going down. Decent carbonation. One thing I will mention is that I think this beer is pretty filling. It would be difficult to drink more than two of these in a night....and expensive. I'm sure i would if i could though.

Over all, I love this beer. It has given me a new appropriation of the RIS family. I found a four pack of this at a grocery store on the East coast. Unfortunately it was about $17...I almost cried.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2011 20:46:37 | More by chadsexington

JTSbeerislife

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at The Fridge, Lancaster, PA

Notes taken when served.

Poured into a 12 oz Snifter, an acceptable glass.

Pours a very thick two finger head, which rapidly reduces to a thin cap. Lively stout though and easily revived with a swirl of the glass.
Black, opaque color.

Rich, malt driven aroma, chocolate and caramel, roasted malt, yeast and dark break. Complex. Could be a little more distinct IMO.

Incredibly rich, chocolate and huge roasted malt entry on the palate. Massive body, very full mouth feel. Dark unsweetened chocolate, caramel. No bitterness, just mind blowing richness. Wow!

Long, rich, chocolately finish. Coats the mouth and clings forever.

A top notch, delicious stout. Unbelievably rich! An extremely enjoyable and delicious drink.
Highly recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 22:55:39 | More by JTSbeerislife

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Prime 16 into a 3/4 pint glass.

A: Fully black body that glows vermillion around the extreme edges when held up to light. 1/2" head of dense, pillowy brown foam. Good retention, great lace. Intense-looking, gorgeous stout.

S: Big + rich: chocolate, coffee, brownie batter, and booze. Quite good, but nothing really stands out to make it especially memorable.

T: Follows the nose: sweet and roasty up front, with major chocolate and brownie elements leading to a finish that balances the malty goodness with some earthy hop bitterness and a healthy dose of alcohol. Definitely boozier than I'd like for a sub-10% beer, but still very tasty.

M: Thick, viscous, and explosive. Definitely a bit overly frothy, but still hugely enjoyable.

O: Great beer, but I think I like it better from the can.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2011 18:15:05 | More by woosterbill

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

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

Enjoyed on tap at Pinocchio's in Media, PA. A 12 ounce pour into a tulip glass.

A: Black with a one-finger mocha head that sticks around for more than half of the beer. Fair amount of lacing along the glass.

S: Major notes of chocolate as expected, but also strong hints of bitterness from the hops. I expected the hops to come through in the taste, but probably not in the nose. Some clues that the beer will be sweet as well.

T: Chocolate malt upfront, with a light caramel sweetness. Strong bitterness from the hops also. Definitely not used to this level of hop bitterness in a stout, but it works well.

M: So creamy, so delicious. This is easily the creamiest, full-bodied beer I've had. Imagine the creaminess of Guinness, but without it's thin body. Perfect.

O: Great beer. I really enjoyed it and will keep an eye out for it on draft again in the future!

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2011 19:20:54 | More by Hophead717

Hands22

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Beachwood BBQ (Seal Beach). 

A- Poured dark brown (almost black) with a thick, brown head that lasted for most of the glass. 

S- Chocolate malt with a little bit of roast and booze. Strong malt sweetness reminiscent of dark fruits (plum especially). 

T- Chocolate malt and the dark fruit again. The beer is well balanced enough that the malt isn't overwhelming but it is still the focus. 

M- Medium-full bodied. Medium carbonation.  

O- A great imperial stout. Very well designed but a bit pricier than I'd like.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2011 04:37:53 | More by Hands22

CrystalShipMS3

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours black inky darkness. Super dark brown almost chocolate colored head. Head doesn't last long leaves some sticky residue on the glass as you drink.

Smell: Coffee and some cherry. Dark and bitter smell but slightly sweet.

Taste: Brilliant. Perfect. Sweet alcoholic fruit and bitter coffee and chocolate balance perfectly together. Lots of depth, each flavor develops on your palate with every sip. It's just plain excellent. Strong but tasty alcohol flavor develops as it warms, almost vodka like but it fits with the thick flavor well.

Mouthfeel: Cream. Perfect for the brew. Heavy. Delicious.

Oveall: I'll never forget this beer. Dear god. It's amazing.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2011 22:48:42 | More by CrystalShipMS3

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

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

A - Pours a dark engine oil color with minimal caramel colored lacing that's very thin, and no carbonation. The beer is very viscous and sticks to the sides of the glass like cough syrup before oozing back down into the beer.

S - Aroma is chicory, oak, toasted toffee, extreme mild expresso, and big time roasted malt.

T - Massive woody oak character, bittersweet dark chocolate, mild charcoal, licorice, and anise. There's a moderate boozy presence with lingering chocolate and charcoal.

M - Heavy medium body, sticky, and viscous.

O - A big beer with big flavor and definitely worth every penny

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 01:43:52 | More by jzeilinger

StoneTSR

Colorado

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

A: Stark black with no head other than a little wispy lace resting on the surface. No light is getting through this sucker.

S: Coffee. Yep, coffee.

T: A very smoky coffee flavor with hints of chocolate and caramel. This is a very, very tasty beer.

M: More carbonate than you might expect, but still on the oily and smooth side. This is a pleasant and not too heavy beer considering its density and ABV.

O: Oskar Blues is in the business of brewing classic beers. This is certainly one of them. One of the best, widely available stouts you can find anytime.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 21:40:33 | More by StoneTSR

ehammond1

California

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

On Tap (2010)

Blue Palms 3rd Anniversary Party
Blue Palms BrewHouse
Los Angeles, CA

(Aged 1 year)

Dark black and thick as hell. Shimmering and oily. Brown, persistent head. Sticky, thick, and decadent. Amazing!

Huge combination of rich chocolate and roasted coffee in the aroma. Very little hint of alcohol.

A huge amount of divine, rich chocolate, some roasted coffee character, and a bit of sweet vanilla. Some mild bitterness but little to no hop flavor present.

Big, thick, luscious, velvety mouthfeel. The gold standard.

An exceptionally simple yet divinely delicious RIS. I want more!

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2011 21:38:48 | More by ehammond1

DarthKostrizer

California

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

Look: Black with a 1/4 mocha colored head and ok retention and lacing

Smell: Mild coffee and bitter chocolate notes with hints of vanilla

Taste: Traces of chocolate and roasted/burnt malts. Traces of coffee oatmeal and vanilla but very muted.

Mouthfeel: Full body with low carbonation

Overall: Good beer but not great it is a Russian Imperial I could drink everyday and I highly recommend it

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2011 00:10:10 | More by DarthKostrizer

MrDonQuixote

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Oskar Blues tap room

A- oily black with a chocolaty black head

S- intense smell, Smells of chocolate and espresso and a hint of grain

T- chocolate notes. Slight oatmeal taste. Slight espresso taste as well. Enjoyable flavor

M- extra smooth, strong bite at the end

O- great look and feel. Intense taste.. Want to try again soon

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2011 04:44:53 | More by MrDonQuixote

4.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 Fidy on tap at The Tasty Weasel OB Tap Room.

a-black and thick looking with little head. No lacing, head dissapated quickly.

s-roasted malts, hop smell had faded away. The chocolate malts were big in the smell. As the beer warms, the smell opens up slightly.

t-smooth, and rich. The alcohol has faded away, but the hops still have some life. The malts obviously are king in the taste. Really well balanced for being two years old. Lots to think about still in the aged version of Fidy. This beer has responded well to time.

m-just what you would expect in an imperial stout.

o-great treat at OB's. Really glad I had the chance to try this beer. Really good example of how this can age well in the keg. Hope it's still there next time I go!

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2011 02:19:08 | More by

bierguru

Florida

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

A - pitch black and THICK. About 2 fingers of a dark mocha head that is simply gorgeous. Great retention and lacing.

S - Dark dark chocolate, roasted malt, and some coffee.

T - Deep roasted malt characteristics with a TON of chocolate flavor. A bit of coffee bitterness as well. Delicious. you really do not taste the alcohol presence in the beer

M - the beer is for sure full bodied and no real abrasive mouth feelings

O - really awesome like really really awesome lol

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 02:25:15 | More by bierguru

Alpar

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very dark (like the name implies). The pour gave a 1.5 fingers worth of brown head and not much retention after a minute.

S: A little bit of alcohol, chocolate/malt maybe some leather in there too but nothing else that I am detecting.

T: Hmm this is not what I was expecting at all. Its malty and strong and that's about it. Even as it warmed I didn't pick up much more...

M: Very thick and an ok carbonation level.

O: This is a good beer but I am not seeing what is so spectacular here. I definitely wouldn't pay the $15 dollar price tag for a 4-pk, but not a bad stout overall.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2011 20:09:49 | More by Alpar

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

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

Had this on tap and in the can at the Distillery in Sav. GA. Both were equally great.

Ten Fidy pours jet black with a coca colored head. Aroma is full of Roast, Coca, and Dark Fruit, Flavor washes your senses with roast, coffee, rasins and prunes. The alcohol is present as it is in all my favorite imperial stouts, but it is not obtrusive, subtle actually when you consider that it is 10% ABV. Superbly drinkable this beer could get you into trouble if you are not paying attention.

Comparing this beer to others in the style I have to put it at the top, de-throning others such as Avery's Czar, Bell's Expedition, and Old Rasputin. Even the perennial #2 beer can take some lessons away from Ten Fidy.

I don't want to rate this beer perfect, but I can't mark it down in any of the categories in good conscience. At $8 for 12 ounces that is a bit steep, but I'll gladly pay for a couple of snifters full to revisit this gem every winter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 20:10:22 | More by ExtraStout

Ralphs66

New York

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

Whoa nellie! The menu said that "there are few beers that make us say HOLY SHIT"...well, now I understand why the kind folks at Holy Smoke included that as part of the menu description. Let me state that I am NOT a huge fan of RIS. I'll try, and usually enjoy, anything; but if I had my pick, I'd go with a Kolsch. The RIS anti-thesis. But this beer blew me away. The head was so dark, heavy and rich that it gave off a purple hue. The color of the beer was as dark as anything I've ever seen. Smell was to die for. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, a good stout should have. Coffee, chocolate, molasses, vanilla, caramel. At 10.5, I wasn't knocked over by the smell or taste of alcohol. Smoooth...and the perfect ending to a fine BBQ meal and four tasting flight.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 12:28:08 | More by Ralphs66

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Philly, PA

Pours and oily, pitch black, with a finger of dense brown head that laces nicely. Smell of coffee, ash, and licorice. Taste of dark roasted coffee, cocoa, licorice and molasses, with a rummy alcohol kick. Bitterness from the coffee notes lasts into the aftertaste. Full body and good drinkability. Very good stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2011 15:34:44 | More by Rifugium