Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

Beer shared with Dave Blanchard at the Brick Store Pub. On-tap aged for a year firken. Good mouthfeel and much lace and dark het black. Rich coffee and chocolate, roast and great bitterness in the background well balanced by the other tastes. Half worth the trip to Atlanta.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2008 05:48:17 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oily anthracite with no highlights whatsoever (not even with blindingly bright sunlight behind the glass). The fudge milkshake-colored crown looks more dense than a fudge milkshake and looks fantastic as it slooowly melts. A serrated band of thick lace is just beginning to appear. No hesitation here. This is a picture-perfect RIS.

The snifter is undoubtedly helping, but the aroma is both powerful and pungent. I'm sure that massive amounts of chocolate and roasted malt are the reason why. Rich chocolate fudge actually describes the nose pretty well. Roasted coffee bean and spruce-like hops are noted as well. Given the stated 98 IBUs, the hoppiness isn't a bit surprising.

Although it's still a little cool, the flavor doesn't have the intensity that was expected after the eyeball and nose tests. It's good, it just isn't extraspecialsuperduperamazinglyfantastic good. I spoke a few minutes too soon. A few more degrees make all the difference in what is now a muffled explosion of flavor that oozes into every nook and cranny of my tongue.

Bittersweet chocolate leads the way. A stout with this much malt (let's call it gargantuan) needs a considerable amount of hops (let's call it withering) to maintain some degree of balance and to stay on the drinkable side of cloying. Mission accomplished. This isn't the hoppiest RIS that I've ever had, but it's in the top-5.

Other than Hershey kisses, the flavor profile contains the same roasted coffee beans and pine sap that was noted in the nose. Let's throw in anise, blackstrap molasses and several pounds of white grapefruit zest as well. For hopheads who like massive stouts almost as much as DIPAs (like me) this stuff is manna from heaven.

Like appearance, mouthfeel is a no-brainer. The first ounce told me all I needed to know. It's huger than huge, smoother than smooth and plusher than plush. How in the world did the brewers manage to pack so much malt into such a small can? There are just enough bubbles floating around to keep the beer from feeling flat. Again... perfection.

Now, a word about the beer's name. My first thought was that Ten FIDY was a slang way of saying 'ten fifty', whatever that's supposed to mean. The fact that FIDY is capitalized made me dig deeper. I now believe that it's a recognized acronym meaning (F)*** the (I)ndusty, (D)o it (Y)ourself. Tell me I'm wrong, Oskar Blues. Thanks to SkinnyElvis for the best toss-in ever.

I used to think that Oscar Blues brewed the best canned beer in the universe... until Surly Furious, Bender and CynicAle came along. Ten FIDY, however, can stand toe-to-toe with some of the best RISs out there. Since Surly Darkness will most likely never see the inside of a can, this brew seems destined to be the finest canned Russian Imperial stout the planet Earth has ever known.

Serving type: can

04-05-2008 16:20:58 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into an Imperial Pint Glass and served at cellar Temperature

A – Poured the thickest darkest oil looking liquid I have ever seen. This stuff literally poured out of the can like it was an oil slick, thick and syrup like and a drop fell on the counter, I thought it would stain forever. A huge four finger high head of thick dark colored foam rose up ever so slowly from the bottom of the glass and almost peaked its head up over the top. It had a nice cascading settling effect that really just added to the whole appearance and made look as though it was really a big time player here. Huge amounts of side glass lace were common here as this was just a monster. I would have to say appearance wise this was just perfect.

S – The aroma was thick, but not too overpowering as to be a put off. The deep dark chocolate was the first wave to hit you and this melded seamlessly into a big splash of roasted coffee. Very dark aromas here in general with hints of caramel and possibly some lactose or vanilla swirling around in there, but the overall heavy feel of this one was just getting itself started.

T – The flavor was huge and very dry even from the first sip. As I started I knew it was going to be big. The first thing I could taste was a nice amount of dark chocolate. Not a ton of it, but enough that there was some in there. This was balanced by some nice coffee like flavors and a ton of dry roasted malts. This was a very dark stout, even for the style. Some nice alcohol warming notes were present as well, and were actual welcomed here as it added some depth. The finish was very dry almost unusually so with a big time drawn out finish. Some subtle hoppiness was present in the finish, however nothing that would let you know that from the start, and in fact it took a good long time for that to even come around. There was another tiny little hint of vanilla in and around a sugary bit at the end, but this was mostly a bitter dry stout.

M – Very very full bodied. This was one of the thickest drinks I have ever had. It had the feel and consistency of an oil milk shake. Very big bodied and very filling this was easily something to cap off the night with. The carbonation was very nice as I would have thought for being so thick that it would have gone flat rather quickly, but this was not the case, it actually had a very nice and creamy consistency and the silk like feeling you can get from tiny carbonation bubbles.

D – This was defiantly a sipper, just due to the shear thickness of it. The alcohol content itself was very well hidden and in fact only trace amounts could really be picked up. This was just so filling there was just no way were you going to be able to take down huge gulps of this.

Overall I really thought this was pretty good. Now I will admit I have had better stouts, but I would say this was still more then decent and really showed off what this brewery can do. I would have to say it is more then deserving of its high ranking and is a nice contrast to a lot of the sweeter stouts I have had as of late. A solid effort and a really nice example definitely go out and get this one.

Serving type: can

12-31-2007 23:51:43 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

A: Black, very viscous. There is about one finger's worth of foam initially, but it quickly disappears.

S: Very chocolaty, excellent malt aroma, vanilla, and a mild coffee scent.

T: Very much like the nose. I get the chocolate, primarily. The vanilla is very subtle here too.

M: Very smooth and full bodied.

D: One of, if not the, easiest drinking Imperial Stout I have come across.

Serving type: can

07-20-2009 00:39:22 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at Dark Lord Day 2009. While this certainly isn't my favorite RIS, it has worked to turn me off to the irrational fear of canned beer that I still maintain (I'm sure Surly would have done this long ago were we able to get their canned beers in Chicago instead of having everything on tap.)

A: Very dark black with a good brown head.

S: Some chocolate notes along with some hops and roasted malt. A tad bit weak.

T: Roasted malt and some chocolate underneath some hops. Much like the nose, but a little bit more there.

M: Full-bodied and slightly dry.

D: Pretty good, but this one fails in comparison to the truly great RIS's. It's lacking in deep complexity, but is not a bad beer by any means. Actually, quite good.

Serving type: can

05-01-2009 14:21:36 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a thick, gunky black body with very creamy, very dark brown head. Check that out, huh?

Smell: Lush aroma of dark, hefty maltiness. Plenty of sweetened espresso, molasses, and rich fudge brownies that've been slightly undercooked so that they're still warm and gooey in the center.

Taste: All at once, a thick, rich maltiness engulfs the tongue. Its definitely sweet. Chilled fudge-flavored pudding with a side of roasty espresso and a pinch of chalk dust. The long, smokey-sweet chocolate laden finish is simply heavenly. Hey, is this thing tasty, or what?

Mouthfeel: This one's full-bodied for sure, with an exceedingly creamy carbonation and a somewhat oily body.

Drinkability: This is one outrageously flavorful, exceedingly well done brew. Almost too much fun for one beer. Fantastic work, Oskar Blues!

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2007 05:42:11 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours like motor oil, with a pitch black color and a thick brown head that leaves plenty of lace

Smell: Espresso and licorice, somewhat charcoalish

Taste: Opens with a rich coffee and licorice flavor, with a powdered Dutch chocolate flavor and a build up of smoke and hops by mid-palate; after the swallow, the chocolate flavors become prominent and then fade into the smoke and hops again

Mouthfeel: Thick and viscous, with moderate carbonation; creamy

Drinkability: A really fine RIS, with plenty of complex flavors

Serving type: can

05-09-2008 02:00:19 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Pours an extremely thick black color with a 1 inch super dark khaki head that fades to an oily cap on the top of the beer. Chunky dark khaki streaks of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smells of dark roasted malt, cocoa powder, and dark fruits. Taste is of dark roasted malt, dark cocoa powder, dark fruits, and slight coffee on the finish. Very little bitterness on the palate after each sip. Mouthfeel is extremely thick and creamy. Probably one of the thickest beers I have ever had. Overall, this is an awesome RIS and my favorite beer from Oskar Blues.

Serving type: can

05-12-2011 01:37:10 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle courtesy of Gford217: Poured a deep pitch-black color stout with a huge deep brown color head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma consists of roasted malt with some vinous notes and some sweet notes. Taste is a mix between some vinous notes with some roasted malt and a quite sweet finish. I could not detect much coffee or black chocolate notes that I usually associated with the style. Full body with average carbonation and no discernable alcohol. Interesting sipper but I am not sure what the hype was all about really.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 19:56:31 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Undoubtedly the best Russian Imperial Stout ever poured from a can. For some reason I feel dirty just admitting that. The beer slowly crawls out of the can and carefully eases itself into the glass with a more-viscous-than-most appearance. Low on carbonation, but releases an firm yet terse foamstand that laced and retained quite well. The beer is as dark and opaque as they come. The motor oil comparison that others have used is a good descriptor. Bold aromas of roasted barley malt, espresso, cocoa beans, and sweet alcohols garner attention from the nose. The flavor profile is much the same, but with the major emphasis on the roasted malts and espresso notes that just dominate the beer. Light hoppiness goes largely unnoticed, as do the esters, phenols, and any other delicate yeast qualities. Not overly complex, they have given this stout very few jobs to accomplish, but to do so larger and bolder than anyone else. They've largely succeeded. The beer is heavy, thick, and nearly syrupy. The light carbonation gives just enough lift to make the beer palatable. Finishes as you could imagine with a long lingering of espresso, cocoa, and warming alcohols.

Serving type: can

11-07-2008 15:48:40 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Unbelievably today was the first time I have had this offering.Poured into a way over chilled pint glass at Sticks and Stones a jet black with a minimal mocha colored head that was gone quickly.Aromas of dark fruit,vanilla,and dark roast mainly stood out in the nose,a bit of char also showed thru as the beer warmed up to the right temp.Sweetish and rich up front with vanilla,and dark fruit standing out,the chocolate flavors are more bitter along with a hefty roast in the finish.Its thick and chewey and glides down easy,it is a big brash IRS,one to savor.

Serving type: can

11-28-2010 20:52:03 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

From notes taken at Lenora's Way in Brooklyn, NYC. 26 July 2008:

Whoa! This little can packs a punch! Quite possibly, no... without question, the darkest beer I've ever seen! BLACK. No light gets through. Creamy dark brown head. Exceptional retention given the strength. Nice lacing. Dark malt aroma. Some dark fruit. Some cocoa. Some background 'spent' hop. Mainly just dark malt. Coffee-like. Black coffee like. And that carries over into the flavor. More black coffee. Rich. Blanketing. Somewhat acidic, but not too much acidic. Solid mouthfeel. Firm and oily smooth. Flavors become more apparent as it warms, revealing more fruitiness (fig, burnt currant - which means dark berry-like fruitiness but with a bit of a tang, raisin, prune), lots of bittersweet chocolate, more coffee in a less roasty/acidic vein, more 'spent' and earthy/leafy hops, black licorice, burnt sugar, and alcohol. Solid bitterness. Quite the beast! Impressive. My fellow drinkers are satiated at one sip... ... I, however, could have another! Drinkable in the summer heat in Brooklyn? Yeah, with air conditioning! I'll have to grab some of this to enjoy as the leaves fall or the snow sets. Wonderfully super-rich libation! WHOAH!!! DAMN, I just looked at the receipt - $8 a can!!!?? Better make that just a 'few' cans for the entire winter season ;)

Serving type: can

07-31-2008 02:58:47 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours a black we'll only see when we're staring at the back of our eyelids while lying in our graves. The walnut head is not too much to speak of, rising up to about a half-finger at its zenith, but this completes the image of death: no head can survive when the presence of The End is so omnipresent. The aroma reeks with elements of coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, even an only slightly perceptible hint of smoke. The taste relies heavily on that dark roasted malt flavor, with bits of vanilla, cocoa, and, yes, even that smoke making cameo appearances. This guy sits heavily on the tongue, yes, but not so heavily as to give the experience a negative connotation. Regardless, he's very smooth for his weight and ABV, allowing him to rise above the preconceived notions of his character, ascending to a lofty, relatively drinkable plateau of beery goodness.

Serving type: can

02-18-2010 21:34:24 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Ten Fidy, Oskar Blues, can

Black as night, under a thick, luscious brown head, a slice of chocolate frosting.

Sweet cocoa aroma, next to bittersweet notes, roasty malt next to bitter hops, deeper divinations bring out molasses, dark rum, licorice. Beautiful.

Rich and full-bodied, starting sweet and chocolate-y, ending roasty and dry.
Wonderful stuff.

Serving type: can

06-19-2008 02:35:25 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours motor oil black with a thick frothy brown head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a rich, black and chocolate malt scent that's bitter and roasted. Some hops sneak through the darkness. The taste is good. It has a very bitter, black malt and hop flavor. It's got a nice roasted character also, but the black malts prevail. The mouthfeel is excellent. It is a FULL bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking beer. I have to say that it's a bit over-hyped. It's about as black as a beer gets. But where is the complexity? All in all, I'm glad I finally got a chance to try this one. Thanks JJ.

Serving type: can

03-11-2008 22:06:26 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at a local beer bar. Beer is black and has a thin brown head on it. Head falls away leaving lacing behind.

Aroma is a mixture of sweetness and roast. There is no detectable hop aroma in this beer.

Beer is full bodied and sweet. There is a lot of roast at the end of it. Beer is thick my mouth, like syrup. Mouthfeel is good though and drinkability is high. No aftertaste to speak of.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2009 21:05:07 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.3/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a black color with a brown head. This is what an imperial stout is supposed to look like. The aroma is heavily roasted malt chocolate. The flavor is very nice, with heavily roasted/burnt malt, bitter chocolate and some nice hop character. The alcohol is more present as the beer approaches room temperature. You also get some dark fruit and molasses notes. The mouthfeel is very thick and creamy and the carbonation is pretty low. An awesome beer.

Serving type: can

04-08-2010 04:02:49 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a black color that was darker than motor oil. A black reminiscent of FFF Dark Lord. It had ruby red hints at the top of the glass and its small, tan, creamy head.

S - It smelled of sweet malt, dark chocolate, caramel and molassess.

T - It tasted of sweet, sweet malt. Roasted maltiness and some bitter hops balanced out the sweetness. Also, some boozy alcohol taste.

M - It was soft, smooth and creamy. A medium to full-bodied beer.

D - This is an outstanding brew. Really one of the finest beers around.

Serving type: can

10-28-2008 00:29:50 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a two finger high dark and creamy mocha-colored head that slowly died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of chicory and roasted malts in the nose.
T: The overall taste is quite complex and has flavors of bittersweet chocolate, chicory, cocoa, roasted malts and smoke. There is a mild to moderate amount of bitterness from the initial taste through the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied, smooth and slightly dry on the palate with a light ot moderate amount of carbonation. It is not viscous or cloying. There is a bit of warming from the alcohol in the finish.
D: The beer definitely tastes like it is strong, but nowhere near 10.5% because the alcohol is well masked.

Serving type: can

01-15-2011 05:49:04 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Picked up a four-pack recently in Milwaukee, WI. Served in my Surly pint glass.

A - Pours with a quarter-finger of dark, dark, tan foam that dissipates to a haze and thick ring. Maybe a few specks of lace. Black body - no light penetrates this brew - that looks like oil when being poured from the can.

S - Lots of milk chocolate, roasted malts, fudge, nutty coffee and cream, and a surprising note of floral hoppiness. This is definitely a fresh batch we have here. Alcohol is well-hidden, and the aroma explodes from the glass.

T - The taste starts of with dark & milk chocolates, fudge, almonds, anise, and dark fruit sweetness. This morphs into roasted malt and coffee flavors that contribute bitterness that lingers into the finish and aftertaste. There's also some hop bitterness that mingles with the aforementioned flavors.

M - Slick, oily, silky, full body, with more carbonation than I remembered. The light carbonation is actually welcome here, as it keeps things from getting overly syrupy and heavy. This is reference quality for the style.

D - I drank a can in about 15 minutes without much of a buzz at all. Oskar Blues proves you make a big full-flavored stout without pushing the ABV into the double digits. The thing that keeps this from being even more drinkable is the bitterness - it could use a little better attenuation. Also - if you are crazy you can shotgun these!

Among the best "regular" Russian Imperial Stouts I've had, and much easier to obtain than most of them (even if I have to drive out of state).

Serving type: can

03-10-2010 00:41:09 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

First Canned Batch; Sampled February 2008
Pours with a very tightly beaded, creamy, darkly browned, tan colored head that starts out about a finger in height. The beer is black and no amount of holding up to the light makes it anything but opaque. The aroma is dominated by roast grain notes from the get go; aromas of dark chocolate, smooth espresso, concentrated chocolate malt ball candies, sweet malted grain. When you go in for a really deep sniff of the nose, the sweeter dark grain notes yield to a dry, amply toasted, browned bread crust notes and a blackened biscuit character. Touches of roasted, tart cherries provide a nice fruity character here, though at times it is overwhelmed by the more dominant, yet overall quite smooth, roast character. Quite a nice aroma, this Imperial Stout has escaped the harsher, roasted grain notes and hot booziness that any others have.

Thick, rich, chewy, this is really a meal in a sip. This viscous brew coats the mouth enough that it provides nourishment even after the beer has passed down my throat. Dark, sweet malt notes coat the mouth for at least a minute after my first sip, after which, sharp, roasted grain notes reminiscent of a dark, but well roasted, gourmet coffee take hold and provide a bit of a drying effect. The texture of this brew is quite nice, it starts out a little light, but quickly picks up a rich, creamy texture and a velvet-like feeling that coats the mouth. Sweet grain character provides an interesting dark cherry and bright berry note here that is offset by a nicely roasted dark chocolate note, a touch of chalky blackened grain, some light espresso acidity and a woody charcoal note. An appropriate carbonation struggles to be noticed through the viscous body of this brew. The hop character is fairly mellow, except for a biting bitterness that just cuts through the thick body of this brew, but is noticeable from start to finish.

As the beer warms up I get a touch of that vegetal note (more in the aroma than anything) that I had noticed the first time I had this brew. It is not nearly as noticeable or distracting as it was the first go round though. The alcohol becomes a bit more noticeable as does the sharper roast & perhaps the acidity notes, though not overly so. This still remains a nicely rounded example of an Imperial Stout.

I would definitely recommend this beer to be sampled around 50°F / 10°C as this allows the roast to be well mellowed & integrated; as it warms up towards 60°F / 15°C it becomes a touch more harsh, though still quite tasty. While this brew is has an amped up roast character, it never becomes overwhelming; the sweet malt base is able to hold it in check and allows the mellower dark malt notes of chocolate, roast fruit and woody coffee notes to come through quite well. This is much more engaging and interesting than my first experience with this brew. A really nice sipping brew and a perfect way to end the night.

Serving type: can

02-10-2008 04:28:22 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 4/5/08 at Pitcher's Pub in Cumberland, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, short head that almost the same color as the beer itself, it fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of dark chocolate, roasted malts and black coffee.

T: The taste has very strong malty flavors of dark chocolate and roasted coffee. The dark chocolate flavor brings a bitter bite as well. There's a very mild hops presence as you would expect from a big stout. The after-taste is bitter-sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, heavy body, medium carbonation, sticky finish.

D: Tasty, goes down easy, pretty filling, strong kick, very good representation of style, this is a good stout to drink for a while until you get too full, but I think it's very over-hyped. There are definitely other RIS's out there that I like better.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2008 00:12:45 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the brewery

Poured s mahogany/black with 1 finger of thick mocha colored head. Great lacing great head retention

S: Toasted & smoked malt & chocolate

T: Bitter& sweet chocolate, charred grains & licorice up front. More chocolate as this warms. Finishes with a kiss off warming booze, dark & baker's chocolate, dryness, licorice

MF: Smooth, with medium carbonation & nice chewyness

This was much better than the can I had the other week. If you luck & find this on tap, enjoy!

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2007 20:47:59 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had seen an article about this beer in a magazine a few weeks before I saw some at my local shop. The magazine was really talking it up so I had to give it a try. This beer pours out as black as a moonless night in an abandand coal mine. The thick black liquid chugs it's way out of the can as a dark brown head forms on top. The smell of the beer is very roasted and has just a touch of dark berry and hop aroma mix with a ton of molasses. The taste of the beer is very rich, it's deeply roasted with a subtle sweetness up front that fades into a burnt bitterness in the end. The taste in the middle is kind of earthy. The mouthfeel is very thick indeed. Overall it's a really damn good Russian Imperial Stout. really worth looking into.

Serving type: can

06-13-2011 21:02:58 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

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

Oily black pour, with dense foam that is like whipped mocha tinted by dark chocolate. Some spotty lacing, it barely sticks, but what's left is a smattering of polka-dots.

Slightly sweet aroma dominated by charred black malt.

Big chocolate presence, espresso hint, small note of smoked jerky in the first sips. Hops are there, laying some bitterness over the long roast notes in the finish. A mild sweetness of dusty cocoa is also present. Mild level of astringency attributed to the hop content, and the ninja skills of a 10% abv.

Mouthfeel is creamy and velvety, medium to full, but not sticky or syrupy at all. Drinkability is good, it's clearly one to sip and savor...two cans wouldn't be out of the question.

Thanks to Jay23 for sharing some of this!

Serving type: can

11-21-2007 15:15:01 | More by emerge077