Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

adamette

Ohio

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

Live review. I literally just returned from my favorite bottle shop, Save-On in Mentor, Ohio. I purchased a four pack for $13.99 from the fridge near the back of the store. Wally and his sister (her name escapes me) were very good to me as always. Poured into a clean, clear glass.

A Oil black body under a dark brown (that is DARK brown!) creamy head. I cannot imagine that the look of this beer could be any better. I also enjoy the can that resembles an oil can. The similarity cannot be a coincidence. 5.0

S Dark roast malt and some chocolately goodness but this is a rather distant smell. I had to attempt two or three smells in order to get that scent. 4.0

T/M Wow. This is one great Stout! Dark roast malt, velvety sweet malt goodness predominate. I did not count on the slight effervescense of carbonation in the feel but it is welcomed. This is such a big, huge beer that describing it is difficult. This is one of the deepest, darkest beers that you will find. The taste and the feel are very hard to improve on. 4.5

O/D Drinkability is not that high. The ABV is over 10% and it is such a huge beer. Really, I would only handle one of these in an evening. Overall this is a world class stout. 4.0

Notes: Thanks to Oskar Blues for finally distributing to Ohio. I had to travel to Atlanta before now to find this. Now it is at my favorite bottle shop!

Serving type: can

11-22-2012 02:59:58 | More by adamette

ChiPool

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can poured into snifter. Date on can (blurry).

Pours like motor oil into this snifter. Comes with about 3/4 inch of tan colored head, which leaves a bit of foam around the edges of the glass. Smell offers a bit of dark fruits, and a bit like tiramisu (cocoa & alcohol). Taste meets expectations for a RIS: lingering bitterness, and a bit sweeter that some that i've had. I do like the mouthfeel on this one: just the right amount of gravity to me. No off notes to mention: cold probably use a bit of maturing.

Overall: at face value, I enjoy this. I have to say that I'd take Old Raspy 10/10 times over Ten Fidy, especially for the price. I would like to try this on nitro at some point.

Serving type: can

11-20-2012 03:07:07 | More by ChiPool

MattyG85

Minnesota

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

Poured from 12 oz. can into a Surly Darkness chalice glass. Canned on 10/04/12.

Appearance: Pours a very dark and oily black with no other color coming through. Moderate amount of bubbles. Solid three fingers of tan head that slowly fade into a thin layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A very roasty and fairly sweet aroma. Dark roasted malts with big hints of chocolate cocoa, coffee, burnt caramel, oats, toast, toffee, and a little vanilla. Some molasses and burnt sugar. Hints of dark raisin and prune. Also a hint of anise spice and smoke. Light hints of earthy hops. A scent of booze is also noticeable. Smells pretty good.

Taste: Like the aroma, a very roasty and fairly sweet dark taste. Dark roasted malts with a big taste of chocolate, burnt toast, caramel, toffee, oatmeal, vanilla, and a little smoke. A fair amount of burnt sugar and molasses adds some sweetness. A little bit of anise spice. Undertones of dark fruits including raisin, prune, and dark cherry. Light earthy hops add some bitterness. A little alcohol heat is tasted. Taste is fairly sweet but well balanced by the bitter roast. Very good.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, chewy, and fairly thick. A little alcohol heat is felt.

Overall: A really great Imperial Stout. Very rich and has a good balance of roasty bitterness and sweetness.

Serving type: can

11-17-2012 07:27:49 | More by MattyG85

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a thick black pour, jet black.. into a tulip. finger of brown head, great retention. smells of sweet chocolate, coffee, molasses, tobacco.

the taste is very BOLD. a very abrasive bitter burnt coffee flavor, followed by dark chocolates, dirt, slight hint of hops, finishes in a subtle milk chocolate sweetness.

full body, creamy mouthfeel, low carbonation.

i've heard a lot of great things about this beer.. it's good, but i've had way better. it's a little too bitter/burnt tasting for my liking. the body is perfect, and the abv is masked well. maybe some aging will do this one justice. i'll save the other 3 cans for a later "use"

Serving type: can

11-17-2012 01:21:53 | More by facundoCNB

hopstermonster1

Pennsylvania

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

This imperial stout is one that deserves recognition. I poured this from a can into a tulip shaped beer glass. Color is very black and the consistency is thick and heavy. It smells like dried fruits with toasted dark coffee beans mixed together. It is a bit alcoholic tasting, but not overwhelming. When I first sipped this beer, I was immediately reminded of my love for imperial stouts. Oscar Blues did a awesome job with this one. If you see this beer in your area, I highly recommend sampling it!!

Serving type: can

11-12-2012 18:44:08 | More by hopstermonster1

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black, viscous, oil slick of a beer. Beautiful.

S: Chocolate, char, malt, cocoa.

T: Delicious. Chocolate, burnt brown sugar, roasted malt, chocolate milk shake, chocolate lava cake, mild booze, coffee hints. What a great melange.

M: Pretty viscous...and a sipper for sure. That being said, absolutely satisfying. Fantastic body...maybe a little too much. And the alcohol definitely hits but not abrasively.

Fantastic beer. I actually like it better fresh than aged. The flavors are much more present, melded, and explosive when fresh. Love it.

Serving type: can

11-10-2012 00:17:01 | More by bcostner1

TheSixthRing

California

3.55/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours jet black with dark amber brown edging where light can penetrate. The head is a menacing reddish brown tinge, 2 fingers thick and with good retention. Silky lace with decent stick.

Smell - Chocolate, smokiness, a dominant jagermeister-like aroma creeps in at the tail-end.

Taste - True to the smell: starts with chocolate and a bit of smoke. Roastiness is subdued in favor of a funky anise / black liquorice bitterness that rings heavily, especially in the aftertaste. Hints at dark fruit beneath. A little heat peaks through in the finish. Gets more boozy as it warms.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied, with low to moderate carbonation. Chewy, and a little tough to swallow.

Overall - I don't know that it's worth the hefty price, but it's a unique imperial stout in the least. Too much of that bitter anise / black liquorice flavor dominates much of the flavor profile. If I were looking for that, I'd grab a glass of absinthe; Lord knows I've had enough in my time. It's not undrinkable, and I appreciate it's originality, but all-in-all it's not what I look for in an imperial stout.

Serving type: can

11-09-2012 07:01:25 | More by TheSixthRing

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz can into a snifter

A: Pours an opaque pitch black, one of the darkest beers I've ever seen. A finger of dark tan foam forms. Retention is average.

S: Dark chocolate, malted milk balls, licorice, prunes, and a hint of roasted malts. Lots going on here, though the aromas are a bit muddled.

T: This beer starts off with intense molasses, caramel, and malted milk ball sweetness. Right behind this, I get some dark chocolate and roasted malts to balance the sweetness, actually quite strong, but not quite enough. The malted milk ball and molasses sweetness is really overpowering here. I also get quite a bit of anise in the flavor.

M: Quite thick and creamy - very good.

O: The complexity here is wonderful - I love the flavors here, there is so much going on. However, the malted milk ball and molasses sweetness is overpowering - it needs more dark chocolate and roast to balance. Either way, a solid RIS.i

Serving type: can

11-08-2012 04:15:32 | More by coreyfmcdonald

damndirtyape

Ohio

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

12oz can (canned on 10-15-12 @ 9:15 Peanuts Envy) poured into a snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black and lets no light through at all when held up to the light. Dense and thick dark tan head at first, slowly died down to a thick ring at the edge and thin skin across the top. Sheets and strands of persistent lacing. A great looking Russian Imperial Stout.

Smell: Rich roasty smell with mild alcohol notes, bittersweet chocolate, some dark fruity esters (a hint of raisin).

Taste: Rich bittersweet chocolate, smooth roasted malt, a pleasant sweetness through it all. It's just a hair on the sweet side of things, but perfectly balanced with roasted malt bitterness and some black coffee-like bitterness at the end. Simple, but very very tasty and well done.

Mouthfeel: Very creamy, thick, and smooth. Just right carbonation on the tongue at the end.

Overall / Drinkability: What an amazingly rich stout! I can see why people rave about this one. A slow sipper on a cool fall night (and would be good this winter, good thing that I bought a 4 pack) and I think would be great with food. I had it with a banana butterscotch muffin at the end and it paired pretty well. Definitely a one at a time beer - the ABV is notable pretty quickly on after starting to drink this one. It warms you up. I can't say I want another one right away....and yet....I wouldn't mind if I didn't have to go to work in the morning. One does sate though. Overall I'm very impressed with this beer from start to finish and I will definitely have to hunt this one down again when its in the area.

Serving type: can

11-05-2012 00:04:41 | More by damndirtyape

Danny1217

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black. A nice brown head forms and then fades into a ring around the top. Incredibly thick looking. I'm contemplating grabbing out a fork.

Smells nice and roasty. Some coffee notes, and slight dark chocolate. Smells is good but rather subdued compared to...

The taste. Oh Lord! This thing is thick and delicious. Lots of rich roasted characters. Very bitter, exactly how I like my RIS. Coffee, chocolate, and a decent hop profile. Low carbonation and very full body. There's also something mesmerizing about watching a thick stout pour from a can.

Ten Fidy is one of the best stouts out there, and not too difficult to find. It's a bit pricey at about $15 for a 4 pack, but this one is worth shelling out the money when I want something special. A+ Will drink again.

Serving type: can

11-02-2012 04:49:57 | More by Danny1217

tectactoe

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The pour is extremely viscous, thick, and blacker than a black hole. Let's put it this way - if your motor oil looks like this, then you should have changed your oil months ago. A creamy, tan-leather head caps the beer as it just sits, still and menacing. Swirling the snifter around allows the head to grow even more as the beer makes a slow and deep sloshing noise as it lapses over itself.

The nose is as powerful as the appearance; deeply roasted, almost burnt malts and grains; thick, bittersweet chocolate; creamy, dark fudge. Sweetness is heavily present from the malts, and some cocoa beans, burnt coffee/espresso, and slight char reside in the background. An ever-so-slight hop presence can be detected as well, even more so as the beer warms up; ashy, leafy, herbal. I like RIS's to have a deep, bitter offset, and if the nose is any indication - Ten FIDY will fulfill that desire.

Upon taking the first sip, I'm pretty blown away. The body hits my palate as creamy and chewy as they come. I feel like I should be cutting this beer into pieces with a knife, I can't tell if I'm drinking it or eating it. The intense roasted malts hit your tongue right away and come hand-in-hand with a gentle gradient that runs a slow course on your palate from a mellow sweetness to a sharp, yet delicate bitterness. The malts appear as a rich, dark chocolate, creamy, bitter espresso beans, and even a deep, dark fruit sweetness in the form of bruised figs and raisins.

Once the sweetness has taken its turn, the bitterness starts to make its crescendo on your palate - some more of that sharp fruitiness comes back in a subtle, yet effective way, along with a new set of flavors that start to take over. Ashy, leafy, and herbal hops, woodiness, slight nuttiness, and smokey, charred bitter hints sift through the static and leave a lasting impression long into the aftertaste. I haven't taken a sip in 5 minutes and I can still taste Ten FIDY. The 10.5% ABV is nothing to scoff at, and it provides a robust feel and a solidifying warmth all around. Carbonation is fairly low, but strong enough to bring out the best flavors - it works incredibly well, here.

Ten FIDY is simply outstanding. One of the first Russian Imperial Stouts that I truly fell in love with. It's quite a shame that I can't get this regularly in my region, or you can bet my fridge would be stocked with it all the time. If you're a fan of big-ass, robust RISs, do yourself a solid and seek this bad boy out - you won't be disappointed. Plus - it comes in a can. How fucking cool is that?

Serving type: can

10-31-2012 23:53:14 | More by tectactoe

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can into a pint glass

A: Pours completely opaque dark brown, bordering on black. There is a mocha colored head which fades to a thing film and a ring of foam.

S: Dark and roasted aroma. Bitter chocolate and cappuccino.

T: Very chocolatey and bitter. Dark chocolate, roasted coffee but with a slight sweetness similar to a milk stout. Faint fruit, black cherry and fig. Some pine mingles with a notable alcohol flavor to make a bitter and lingering finish.

M: Smooth and creamy with a good amount of alcohol heat. Low carbonation.

O: Alcohol heat is fairly high so that might turn off some people, but I think the thick malt compensates. Very good, dry, chocolatey and roasted.

Serving type: can

10-30-2012 01:57:20 | More by WankelEngine

JamesShoemaker

New York

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

12 oz can poured into my snifter. I was really excited to see this in a store near my house! (Also found AleSmith and some Weyerbacher barleywines; very good trip overall.)

A - jet black, actually a little darker than most RISs I've seen. Pours very, very little head. Foam is dark brown, hugs the perimeter of the beer all the way down.

S - really complex, lots of anise and a bit of chocolate. I detect a faint trace of something bitter, coffee maybe, but it's tough to put my finger on. Very good anyway.

T - a little less complex than the taste, but still very good. I detect hints of chocolate and coffee, but the bittersweet flavors like raisin really come out in the taste. I'm surprised that the alcohol content is so high.

M - another really great facet of this beer. Almost the perfect amount of viscosity; again, the alcohol is difficult to detect.

O - I wanted to give this beer a 4.25 overall, but couldn't, so I deferred to the slightly lower score. (sorry, Oskar Blues!). Good beer, would get again for sure.

11/30/2012 EDIT: I've had this several times since I reviewed it - it's becoming one of my favorite beers.

Serving type: can

10-29-2012 23:43:08 | More by JamesShoemaker

C20Percent

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

**Bottled on 10/11/2011**

A: Pours like a can of oil -- just pours so thick and black with a bubbly brown head on top. Surely, depending on how vigorous you pour the can the more head you get, and I definitely let it fly. Don't expect the head to stay like this throughout. But, this is what I feel a stout should look like.

S: Heavy chocolate, cocoa -- lots of nice roasted maltiness and toasted grains. Nothing bad here -- a bit of booziness, but very solid.

T: Warm, syrupy, roastiness with a little bitter finish. Not the booziness that I smelled. Some definite cocoa in there. Maybe even some caramel flavors. Nice taste.

M: Thick body -- syrupy, oily. Little carbonation, but that works here. Good chewiness, which brings out the chocolate. Nothing wow here, but good.

O: Very solid Imperial Stout -- the look of this is the winner. The smell and taste back it up. If you're looking for a heavy stout, then I'd suggest this brew.

Serving type: can

10-29-2012 21:32:41 | More by C20Percent

hoody711

Illinois

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

Found in Houston, TX. Only had seen Dale's PA, so it was great to find this and Deviant Dale's. Hopefully it lives up to the hype. I'll try not to be too biased - not my favorite style.

A - Canned 9/17 (40 days ago, about). Poured into a tulip. Inky and thick, motor oil. Dark tan 2 finger head that settles to a thin film but laces beautifully.

S - roasty malts, a little sweet fruit maybe (?), chocolaty, toffee. A little hint of booze at the end of a big whiff.

T - Subdued is the first thing I think of. After mostly tasting nothing, just experiencing the silkiness on your tongue, a nice sweet maltiness blends into dark chocolate and more roastiness. Follows the nose with a little alcohol warmth at the end. I want to say complex, but I don't mean it changes from one taste to another to another etc. It's more the nice fade from a great silky warming mouthfeel to the imperial stoutness, leaving a nice sweet aftertaste if you lick your lips.

M - rich and silky at the start, then warms and coats the palate. Great, if you're into that sort of thing.

O - well, not my favorite beer style, but this is amazing, and definitely lived up to the hype. I love stouts/porters that don't smash you in the face with coffee taste, and this is one of those. The beer is beautiful, the taste is complex and subtle, and the mouthfeel makes you want to light a fire, throw on pajamas, and watch football with snow falling outside. An incredible beer.

Serving type: can

10-27-2012 02:37:17 | More by hoody711

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Pours jet black with little to no head, only a thin cap; however, lots of nice sticky lacing.

Smell: Dark fruit aromas emerge from the combination of hops over roasted malt. Lots of chocolate too with a small hint of coffee underneath.

Taste: Really delicious the dark fruit flavors mingle with the heavy chocolate and the result is just superb. Really not getting a ton of coffee but there is a subtle mocha flavor. The alcohol is completely masked.

Mouthfeel: Rich and creamy (very creamy). The hops just keep this brew from becoming cloying; however, as the beer warms this line becomes thinner and thinner as the beer seems to coat the palate a little more.

Overall: An excellent RIS that I have waited way too long to try, on the list of stouts with a dark fruit flavor component this one falls just below Peche Mortel, which I consider pretty strong praise (as it’s also nicely cheaper than Peche).

Serving type: can

10-26-2012 15:10:26 | More by BobZ

Jagen

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a snifter. 3rd one I’ve had out of the 4 pack…haven’t reviewed yet
A – pours a very pretty looking, thick tan head…3 fingers initially. Slowly fading down. Thick, brown/tan bubbles…leaving an ever-so-slight lacing on the side of the glass. It pours black. Can’t really describe it other than black…”the darkness is coming” indeed! Head fades into an extremely thin layer that just barely covers the top of the beer.
S – smells like a nice roasted coffee…the roasted smell almost makes me think of a burning sugar/syrup when cooking. Dark chocolate (slight hint). A hot boozy smell lingers tantalizingly at the end, hinting at the beast you are about to drink!
T – very rich flavor. Immediately a heavy roasted malt flavor hits the palette. It has a bitterness I associate with a very strong batch of coffee. Tastes like strong, bitter cooking chocolate. This coffee flavor lingers for awhile. You can just barely taste the hops in the background…a very nice addition. I normally don’t get many hops in the background of a stout. This starts out sweet and gives way to the nice bitterness at the end. This beer is delicious.
M – Very low carbonation…when you open the can you almost think it might be flat! Very thick body…smooth. I would love to try this nitro-tapped.
O – One of the best things to ever come out of a can. A tad pricey ($15/4pack), but I would say it is worth it. If I had more money, I would stock up on this and see if it ages well in the can. The alcohol is surprisingly well hidden. I normally am not a fan of stouts but this is helping bring me around. I would say this is a little heavy on the roasted flavors…some may like it, some may not. The beer is damn good but not perfect…worth picking it up and I enjoyed every sip.

Serving type: can

10-26-2012 02:33:20 | More by Jagen

warrenout330

Ohio

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

One more beer kicked off the bucket list...

A- motor oil black, thin dark tan head quickly disappeares to nothing

S- roasted dark chocolate with a tad of anise in the nose

T- roasty chocolatey toasted icing on cake.... followed by that inevitable hop bit for a perfect balance. A never ending roasted chocolate taste lingers for minutes upon minutes

M- when I say this I mean it... thick oily liquid all the way down to my tummy and I'm completely fine with this. Zero to a negative one percent in carbanation leaves this beer looking like a tar pit in my snifter.

O- my second beer from OB and I'm very impressed with this RIS in can. Smooth, creamy, chocolatey and a tad boozey... MY TYPE OF BEER!

Serving type: can

10-25-2012 03:10:15 | More by warrenout330

ScottR

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oh my yes yes heaven rapture holy blessed joy oh God oh God yes yes die happy now.

Okay, let me see if I can be at least a little more articulate.

Served: poured from a can into a snifter.

A: 10WD40, heavily used. I held it up to a bright reading lamp and not a speck of light showed through it. With a sufficiently aggressive pour, you can get a finger or so of caramel-colored head.

S: Surprisingly, not much. Hint of dark chocolate.

T: See my opening statement. More prosaically: creamy, with suggestions of chocolate, caramel, toffee, coffee, and being enfolded in the arms of a loving God. Slight bite of alcohol at the end, but surprisingly little in view of the 10.5% ABV.

M: Thick, heavy, dense, without quite being "chewy." Again, 10WD40.

O: Ambrosia. The nectar of the gods. What Prometheus should have brought us instead of fire.

Very possibly the best beer I've ever had. Ignore my insane ramblings and just try it if you ever get a chance. You'll never be the same if you don't.

Serving type: can

10-25-2012 01:27:21 | More by ScottR

Brandywine

Washington

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

Appearance: Pitch black. Poured almost a fingers worth of milk chocolate brown head, which dissipated quickly. Alcohol legs sticking around for days.
Smell: sweet dark chocolate, coffee, burnt sugar, licorice, figs.
Taste: Rich dark chocolate. Some coffee. Milk chocolate coming out as well. Nice roasted notes. Starts off with a little sweetness but ends with a roasted bitterness. There's a little bit of alcohol but it adds to the beer rather than detracting and is very subdued for 10.5%. There's some anise too, which blends well with the chocolate and roasted notes.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy, almost tastes like nitro.
Overall: Tons of dark chocolate, like I sat down to munch on a brick of bakers chocolate.

Serving type: can

10-25-2012 01:00:54 | More by Brandywine

denver10

Colorado

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

Looks like I have yet to review this one. Currently enjoying a can I found sitting on the local shelves with a canned on date of 11-14-11.

Pours black with a nice dark brown head. A roasty aroma with some nice chocolate and coffee. Taste follows through. Taste thick and rich, roastiness that travels into some burnt and bitter territory (which I love), some nice thick chocolate, and some coffee. As it warms the chocolate becomes stronger and more upfront than the coffee and a little something else shows itself in the middle there, perhaps molasses? A little alcohol shows itself but much tamer from what I have come to expect from fresher bottles. A nice full, creamy mouthfeel. Overall, a great beer new or old. Arguably Oskar Blues's best offering.

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 00:37:06 | More by denver10

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

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

Really excited to try this one. Oskar Blues just started distributing to Northern Kentucky. Poured from a can into a Lost Abbey Teku. It pours out a luscious, black liquid with a majestic rocky brown head that has some nice retention. On the nose I get some nice roasted notes, coffee, and chocolate.

The beer has a full body, a creamy, velvety mouthfeel, and a big, sweet malty flavor profile. Flavors of sweet milk chocolate hit the front of the palate. As the flavors develop, a little bitterness kicks in and you get complementary flavors of cafe latte. Right on the back of the palate, there is definitely a pleasant, warming hit of alcohol. The beer is not boozy, but it is very noticeable. It complements the bittersweet flavors perfectly and makes it very liqueur-like. As the beer warms, the sweetness recedes and the bitter and roasty notes start to come forward more.

Just when you think you know what to expect from this style, a beer like this one comes across your path and surprises you. I did not anticipate how sweet this beer was, but combined with the roastiness of the style, it works and doesn't seem cloying or syrupy. While some RISs display lots of burnt fruit flavors, this one is all about coffee and chocolate. It's almost like drinking AleSmith's Speedway Stout. It's not really roasty enough to be my favorite RIS, but it's awfully high up on my list. Moreover, at this price point, it is a superb bargain.

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 00:03:48 | More by deadonhisfeet

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

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

Served in a snifter. (A very happy one at that.)

A - Wonderful black color with a 1-finger, brown and bubbly head. Just makes you want to drink beer.

S - Ooh yeh, baby. So nice, so chocolately. I'd take this over Ghirardelli any day.

T - Rich chocolately, very roasty with a slight bitterness. went so well with my fresh Soba noodles and toasted pine nuts. Where's Euell Gibbons when you need him?

M - Yum. Rich, creamy, enhances the feel of food.

O - Could this be as good or better than Old Raspy? Different taste but delicious as well. Better get your rubles in order, Rasputin.

Serving type: can

10-23-2012 19:33:20 | More by Beer-A-Lot

davey101

Connecticut

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

12 oz can into a tulip glass. Canned on 10-31-11. Scared o da dark?

A - Picth black with a quick one finger dark, dark mocha head. Leaves behind some dirty edging and light lacing. Alcoholic legs on a swirl.

S - Roasted malts, sweet milk chocolate, and espresso beans. Very smooth and balanced. The finish is uniquely sweet, like a mix of figs and caramel.

T - Roasted malts, milk chocolate, bitter espresso beans, and some bright dark fruits. Has an almost red wine like flavor that I associate to a lot of RIS's. Finish is hot and boozy which is my only gripe. The intense flavors seem to wash over that quickly though. Nice balance between the sweet and roasty.

M- Thick and coating being a notch below syrupy. Very silky with a low level of carbonation.

O - One of the best readily available RIS's I have had. This is very comparable to Expedition stout, but with a bit more sweetness. I now know that this beer kicks ass. Canned stouts...its a wonderful thing!

Serving type: can

10-19-2012 02:15:13 | More by davey101

Pinknuggets

Vermont

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

Got this in a trade from mateuszekxxpl poured from a can to lawsons sniffer

A: pours motor oil inky black, one of the darker beers I have ever seen. There is a mocha colored head that is about a centimeter or two but ligers in a ring around the edge of the glass

S: It smells of roasted coffee honestly I don't think my nose is trained enough so the best way I can describe it is exactly how I think an imperial stout should smell however it is not as strong as I would like it to be

T: The taste starts with a blast of coffee flavor the bitterness fades gloriously to a mocha creamy tastes that fades into a dark chocolate coffee flavor that lingers for a long time and is delicious down to the last second. The alcohol, though not extreme for an imperial stout is essentially invisible I don't taste it at all.

M: It starts off with a feeling of smooth creaminess that is lightly carbonated (enough to make it a beer without being overwhelming) it goes down easy and I found myself enjoying it a little two fast for the ABV.

O: This stout is well balanced it is not overly coffeey or too thick for an imperial stout it is incredibly drinkable, I really like this beer it is not my number one but it is damn close. I thought there was no way I would love an imperial stout out of can but I'm a believer now good stuff oskar can on.

Serving type: can

10-17-2012 02:28:51 | More by Pinknuggets