Ten FIDY - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

screamking

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into snifter.

Appearance-pours dark, i'll call it black. With a thick brown head that slowly disappears. 4.25

Aroma-roasted coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, licorice, some mix dark fruits. 4.25

Taste-chocolate up front and center, coffee is there too but not as powerful as smell would indicate, toffee, buttercream, hint of plum at the end. 4.75

Feel-lighter then expected, coats palate but doesn't stick, alcohol is barely there. 4.25

Overall-first things first, for 4 beers your looking at spending 14 bucks. A little math and that comes too $3.50 a can. It's a little pricey. Okay with that out of the way, with this beer you get one of the smoothest imperial stouts you will drink. You will also get one of the best can beers available as well. If there is ever a session RIS this is it. So if you don't mind the price this has Saturday night written all over it. 4.5

Serving type: can

02-12-2013 02:17:35 | More by screamking

KFBR392

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an incredibly heavy pitch blackness. An awesome tan head formed on the pour. Some nice carbonation throughout. Just has a wonderful thick creamy texture.

Smell: One of the most complex and wonderful aromas I've ever experienced. A robust maple aroma mixes masterfully with hints of vanilla, burnt cedar, and a smokey roasted malt, and some slight hops. Man I could get lost in this aroma. The maple/vanilla sweetness really sets this beer aside from other RIS.

Taste: The sweetness takes over in the taste of this brew. A really nice hop bitterness bites on the front of the beer which leads to the vanilla malt body. The high ABV cannot be felt expect in the wonderfully warming sensation as this beer goes down. A hop dryness sticks on the palette for a long time.

Mouthfeel: Thick and syrupy. Creamy texture which sends this brew down too easy.

Overall: Someone stop me from drinking the other 3 of these I have right now. Probably my favorite RIS. Wonderfully rounded and complex, this beer has all the traditional checkpoints along with some extra perks.

Serving type: can

02-12-2013 01:32:46 | More by KFBR392

beerdrifter

Germany

4.29/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This one's been in my cellar for a little over a year. Thick, pitch black pour with a one finger caramel colored head that fades quickly with great lacing. Roasty malts dominate the nose along with hints of chocolate, mocha, coffee, and some subtle dark fruit. The taste follows suit with loads of roasty malt, milk chocolate, and espresso along with hints of toffee, molasses, cocoa, and just a touch of licorice on the finish. The mouthfeel is creamy, thick, and chewy with a nice bitter finish. Overall this has to be one of the best readily available Imperial Stouts on the market today.

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 15:24:42 | More by beerdrifter

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Lovely dark brown head of two fingers thickness. This quickly recedes to just a super thin ring. Color is a jet oil slick black. Makes me think of oil and coffee that has added viscosity.

Rich, deep roasted malt aroma. Savory coffee notes with stronger dark milk chocolate overtones. Smells warm and relaxing.

Pretty bitter roasted, maybe burnt in places, malt flavor from front to back. Warm oily palate. Bitter dark chocolate finish for sure. Good sipping beer, but not as good as the hype in my opinion.

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 13:48:48 | More by scruffwhor

spoony

Colorado

4.19/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From a 12 oz can into a snifter (notes collected from three cans over three nights).

A-This brew pours heavy and dark, pretty much black. The head is decently tall, about one fat finger, and dark mocha brown in color. The amount of head is surprising for 10.5% ABV. A chunk or two remains laced to the glass. Great looking RIS.

S-Smell is rich with heavily roasted malts. I detect notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and also a touch of warm, caramel-scented alcohol. The smell, unlike some RISs, is not overly bitter to my nose.

T-Taste mostly tracks the smell, but I find the taste to be more complex. I still get that ultra-rich, slightly caramel malt flavor, and a certain amount of semi-sweet chocolate and coffee, but there is also a booze-soaked fruit component (macerated cherries come to mind). A little smokiness on the tail-end, too.

M-Feel is heavy, carbonation is low, and it matches the brew well.

O-Having had Old Raspy and Narwhal recently, I was curious to see how Ten Fidy would hold up (especially against Narwhal, which I thought was a great brew). The canned beer does just fine, thank you. The flavors here are complex, the heat is nicely integrated, the appearance is right, and the feel is a great match. The only let-down (and I use that term loosely) is the smell. The nose just doesn't match the rest of the beer.

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 04:51:58 | More by spoony

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Single can from Premier Gourmet in Buffalo. Pricey, but I've heard so much good about this brew I had to indulge. Something special for my 700th review!

Ten Fidy pours a viscous inky blank into my Duvel tulip, producing a dark tan head of about an inch that settles into a thick ring. Each sip shows the real weight of this brew, generating a sheet of lacing.

Amazing nose for a canned stout - hell, for any stout. Sweet and mildly boozy, caramel, toasted malt, coffee, chocolate syrup, and a slight hint of smoke. Just smelling this brew is a treat.

Intense, delicious stout which displays remarkable balance of the aforementioned flavours. Begins sweet, with caramel, chocolate liqueur and coffee, before transitioning to a drier, roastier brew with smoke, toasted bread and sugar. Mild hops enter here. Surreal.

Smooth and silky, nice light but persistent carbonation.

If you are fortunate enough to have Ten Fidy in a nearby store, please send some this way! Why did I only buy one can?

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 03:55:57 | More by JohnnyBarman

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

12 oz can poured into a snifter
Canned on 10-15-12

A- Pours midnight pitch black with a half finger brown head. Minor alcohol legs..

S- Roasted caramel, Coffee, char, toffee, Chocolate. A smooth smelling imperial stout.

T- A big roasty bitterness at first followed by a big roasted malt profile. Roasty to the point where coffee and smoke are presenet. A slight chocolate and cocoa. A big caramel body. A big hop bitterness and quite bitter for a stout. Fairly well balanced and drinkable for the size.

M- Big but drinkable. High bitterness. Smooth carbonation and body. Solid stuff all around.

O- This stout is the bomb. It hits on all key points and is quite balanced. Dangerously drinkable. A stout for any day of the year.

Serving type: can

02-07-2013 01:16:08 | More by TwelveOunces

chugalug06

Colorado

4.54/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thick, dark, deep, pitch black, three-finger foamy lt brown head, lacing is nice...

Maple, chocolate, chalky, molasses, milky, and sweet.

Whoa. Smooth, highly drinkable, no heat shows through, well hidden sweetness, nice balance between dryness and wetness... Carbonation is light-medium and well blended. Complex malts, roasty, dark chocolate, and sweetly milky...

Highly recommended, even at $4/12oz can.. Get some!!! First time having this brew and will not be walking past it any longer.. YUM.

Serving type: can

02-05-2013 01:42:45 | More by chugalug06

StArnoldFan

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Can dated 9/24/12

Pours out so black and thick that it literally looks like used oil. Soft pour in the center of my glass leaves a half finger dark brown mocha head that doesn't stick around long. Smells like a typical imperial stout, dark malts come through most. Slight alcohol burn on the tongue but its nice. I don't see much difference in this can with 7 months on it than fresh which I had many times. Overall this is my go to Imperial Stout, to me it doesn't get much better than this for the style.

Serving type: can

02-03-2013 01:30:46 | More by StArnoldFan

DocJitsu

California

4.46/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque, very dark brown, with a diminutive light mocha colored head that dissipates quickly. If the head was a bit larger, and I tried to create that with my pour, and long-lasting, this would have been an extraordinarily gorgeous beer. As it is, it's just really, really sexy. The nose is huge chocolate with some British yeast notes wafting at times. The mouthfeel is creamy and viscous. It dries out like Baker's chocolate at the finish. There's also a bit of carbonation bite that occurs late. The flavor is a bit lacking. There's definitely some dark cholcolate, a bit of lactose, and some tart cherry that emerges in the middle and lingers after all else has passed. Some coffee bitterness is also noted after the beer has been swallowed. This is a very good RIS, but not as good as, say, Old Rasputin.

Serving type: can

02-02-2013 23:06:54 | More by DocJitsu

tekn0ph1sh

Florida

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

I have been on a stout kick as of late. This was my latest find. And what I have been comparing all of my other stouts to.

Poured into a pint glass. It was thick and dark like pouring motor oil from a can. It had maybe a quarter inch reddish brown had that quickly dissipated to a little bit of lace around the edges.

I was thinking I wasn't going to like this beer all that much. It smells like chocolate and espresso and dark fruit.

I took my first sip and it tastes almost like it smells and is velvety thick and smooth as it goes down with a warming feeling in your belly as it settles. It is very nice and smooth. It is well balanced and the favors just meld together.

My only complaint about it is that at around 5 bucks a can...it's pretty steep but at 10.5 abv you don't need all that many to have a good night.

Serving type: can

02-02-2013 14:31:41 | More by tekn0ph1sh

Argion

New York

4.61/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I was looking at the list of top imperial stouts on this site and came across this beer. My local distributor had it and I was surprised to see it was in a can. That threw me off a bit, but given the good ratings it has received on the site I decided to give it a try.
All I can say is wow.... it poured a very dark/black colour with no head whatsoever. The combination of flavors was very good with hints of chocolate and espresso in it. There was some sweetness on the tailend of the beer but it was not as bad as other imperial stouts I have tried. Overall an excellent beer.

Serving type: can

02-02-2013 05:05:12 | More by Argion

wedge

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

CANNED ON 10-05-11 @ 11:45
FIDY LITTER

Pours dark and thick...pitch black beneath a squat, brown head. Deep, dark chocolate, heavy roast, sweetened coffee, syrupy molasses, and a touch of oxidation in the nose; all very nicely melded into one heavy, yet not overpowering aroma. Big, malty, chocolate-forward flavor...dark cocoa, toasted caramel, subtle vanilla, bread, and some coffee bitterness. Purply berries, raisins, vinous notes, and hint of port in the end. Properly viscous and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation and bitterness to keep things lively, but not get in the way. Not so rich that it loses it's appeal after six ounces either, nor is the alcohol ever readily apparent. Very good...

Serving type: can

02-01-2013 23:29:35 | More by wedge

Moose90

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Canned On: 11-14-11 @ 15:34 - "10WFIDY"
Tasted On: 01-28-13 @ 17:24

A - Pours jet black, almost entirely opaque. A thin dark coffee colored head comes and goes quickly. Lacing is left with each sip and is reminiscent of motor oil, as is this whole beer.

S - Chocolate, licorice, coffee and anise seed. Alcohol does come through on this one. Rich toasted malts, dark and semi-sweet. Smells of chocolate brownies or cookies.

T - Rich dark chocolate. Sweet and toasty. Bitter cocoa, big malty chewiness to this one. Dark caramels and molasses here, licorice again.

M - Med-full to full bodied. Not too sticky. Finish lingers & leads to deeper more complex flavors.

O - Huge stout. Awesome balance, not too much char nor chocolate. Medium sweetness hides alcohol well. Nice work OB.

Serving type: can

01-29-2013 00:47:57 | More by Moose90

Efay

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Every time I've had this beer I've been preoccupied to do a real review! I picked up a 4pack after a long, cold day in the Chicago weather to warm me up. Poured into a pint glass and enjoyed.

A- Poured black, with some light being able to refract some dark brown color on the edge of the glass. This thing is really dark! When poured, big bubbles of foam, equaling around 3 fingers worth of dark caramel head was present. However, there was not much retention, but some spotty lacing appeared.

S- Initially I got a scent of booze, but I then got smells of baker's chocolate with some burn malt that was highly defined. This all ended with a smell of burnt sugar that made this thing smell pleasantly sweet, but complimented with the alcohol and bitter burnt malt.

T- Smooth and sweet baker's chocolate, followed by some sweet toffee. Ends with some bitter coffee and malt flavors that make this oh so enjoyable.

M- Moderate body for an IRS. Nice and smooth with a little amount of carbonation. Ends with a nice warmth down the esophagus.

O- This IRS is to die for. This beer is highly drinkable yet very complex. The great thing though is it's not too complex and I can drink a 4 pack of this in one session it's that good. It also isn't hot on the tongue but you do feel that nice warmth down your esophagus. Just a superb beer.

Serving type: can

01-26-2013 01:00:27 | More by Efay

barczar

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Canned in 2009, so a good 3 years aged.

Pours a jet black opaque color with a whisper of a burnt caramel colored head that leaves only a touch of foam around the rim.

Chocolate explodes out of the aroma, with a hint of soy. Roast malt and malted milk balls combine with booze, a little coffee, vanilla, and licorice to round things out. Dark fruit notes of cherries, figs, and raisins emerge.

Roast malt dominates the flavor throughout. Not as sweet as the aroma would lead you to believe. Chocolate, dark cherries, and toasted nuts form the background. Booze is subtle, along with vanilla and raisins, which carry into a coffee ground, slightly bitter finish. Sherry notes emerge as it warms.

Body is slick and syrupy, with minimal carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.

Very complex brew. Roast malt and dark fruit are in good balance. Not overly sweet or boozy. Just enough chocolate to accentuate the sweetness and detract from the roast bitterness.

Serving type: can

01-25-2013 04:42:49 | More by barczar

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Can opened on 1.10.13.
Canned 09.24.12 Haulin' Oats

A - Pours a very dark brown with a thin dark brown head that sticks around.

S - Roasted malt up front, then some chocolate, subtle coffee and a bit of booze.

T - Very chocolatey, bitter coffee and then the booze.

D - Velvety smooth, low carbonation with a heavy body.

O - Great balanced and chocolate, in a can.

Serving type: can

01-22-2013 06:42:01 | More by HuskyinPDX

57md

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown, not quite black with a thick finger and a half of fluffy tan head. Surprisingly, there is little retention in the head and only a trace of lacing on the glass. Nice roast in the nose and a modest sweet note as well. Stout bitterness combines with the smooth and silky body of a classic RIS. There is definitely some mild chocolate notes present as well as a hint of raisins and other dark fruits. The finish is roasty and bitter with only a trace of alcohol present. This is a complex offering that hides its powerful 10.50% ABV very well. Tasty and dangerous!

Serving type: can

01-22-2013 05:25:58 | More by 57md

SaxmanRick

Minnesota

4.46/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

WOW!!! Poured black as tar with a beautiful two-finger milk chocolate head, which receded quickly. Smells of sweet malt and a bit of chocolate. Taste is fairly complex, much like the aroma. Subtle chocolate, some molasses, maybe pumpkin skin bitterness. Not as extreme as BCBS and such, but definitely not a “standard” stout. Nice medium mouthfeel for a stout, but somewhat creamy. Very balanced…a real winner.

Serving type: can

01-21-2013 02:38:48 | More by SaxmanRick

--Dom--

Missouri

4.93/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

All I can say is, I now believe the hype. Wow.

Poured from a 12 oz can into a snifter. Pours like motor oil, short dark brown head. Smells of rich chocolate, dark roasted malt sweetness.

Opens up with sweet rich chocolatey goodness. Dark deep roasted malt. The taste just keeps on going for what seems like forever. Slight alcohol heat, but it's definitely held in check. The finish is long and sweet. Some slight hop bitterness creeps in toward the very end.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth malty syrup. Carbonation is just right. Overall.... all I can say is just wow, this beer really lives up to the hype. By far the best Imperial stout I've had in this price range so far. I'm sure it's not the best in the world, but I picked up a 4 pack for $13. So it get's my vote based on value. Once again, well done oskar blues, well done.

Serving type: can

01-21-2013 01:49:17 | More by --Dom--

DesertRat

North Carolina

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

God damn this beer is thick! It is like pouring motor oil into a glass. At $15 for a 4 pack you would hope it stands out. It does, everytime I pour it I get excited. It's the first Oskar Blues beer I have had and it lives up to the hype the brewery gets.

I place this beer above; SN Narwal, Old Rasputin and Founders Imperial Stout.

Serving type: can

01-20-2013 02:29:57 | More by DesertRat

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Canned 10/19/12, poured into my Founders snifter. First time reviewing this, but I have had it in the past before.

Glug, glug, glugs out of the can, resulting in a towering three-finger dark mocha head; bubbly and foamy. Head falls to a thin layer of a slightly lighter color, with chunks of lacing sticking behind. Almost black in color, motor oil black. Looks like a delicious Imperial Stout, I would say nearly perfect.

Full-bodied roasted malt aroma dominates at first, and throughout the drinking experience, though it does mellow along the way. I do not smell coffee or chocolate.

Taste is similar, but I do get hints of chocolate. Obviously severely roasted malt dominates, but I do get a dark chocolate flavor in there as well. It's also slightly bitter/hopped up a bit. Very enjoyable.

Feel is incredibly smooth until the end when the bitterness is noticeable. Perhaps most impressive, Ten Fidy somehow masks the 10.5% ABV incredibly well, where with others in the style there is a considerable amount of heat that goes hand in hand.
Here, there is no such "heat" accompanied by high ABV.

Overall, this is an amazing, unique imperial stout that I would love to get more of, even a case, maybe? It's very thick and heavy, but smooth and easy to drink at the same time. Cheers.

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 21:52:00 | More by rodlavers

BierJager89

California

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a can into a St. Bernardus Goblet

A: Pours thick and black, like motor oil with a dark brown head.

S: Vanilla (God I want to try the whiskey aged version), roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee in the nose.

T: Tons of dark chocolate, some coffee, some vanilla, roasted malt, yet not bitter.

M: Very full bodied and quite smooth.

O: If you can try it, do so. It's cheep and absolutely delicious. One of the best values out there, too.

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 20:05:51 | More by BierJager89

TBoneJones

Texas

4.44/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pitch black pour with a caramel/tan head.
Malty cocoa smell. Light smokiness.
Tastes great for this style. A lot going on. Chocolaty cream, burnt cocoa, toasted malts, and surely anise.
Thick, smooth drinking initially then a thick, sticky finish.
Overall this is one I pick up every so often (you do pay a premium). While I really like licorice in the form of the candy, I never enjoy that flavor profile so much when it's part of a beer...but Ten Fidy is the exception for me, as the variety of other flavors complement the anise aspect so it doesn't overpower. That make this a greatly unique imperial stout.

Serving type: can

01-13-2013 22:40:51 | More by TBoneJones

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage...

A: Pours perfectly pitch black with about a half finger of dark mocha head. The foam settles fairly quickly, but a thing rings remains on the top of the beer until it the beer is gone.

S: The nose is malt, roasted nuts, slight burnt toast and raisin, and big milk chocolate.

T: The taste follows the nose exactly. I get a huge amount of milk chocolate, some malt, big roast, slight burnt toast, and minimal raisin. It really is excellent. I like my stouts with more burnt/roast than raisin.

M: Full bodied beer. It's sticky and sweet, coating and smooth.

O: Great beer. It's well balanced, and the flavors blend nicely between bitter and sweet. It's a wonderful stout... in a can or out.

Serving type: can

01-13-2013 20:54:12 | More by trxxpaxxs