Craft Beer Spotlight: Oskar Blues Ten Fidy – Black As Night, Thick As Oil

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Review

Years ago, when I was new to craft beer, stouts were my go-to style of beer. Hoppy beers were still too harsh and lagers just didn’t do it for me. Knowing my preference for dark beers, a friend recommended I try Oskar Blues Ten Fidy and to this day it’s still one of my favorites. So I thought it was time to do a Ten Fidy Review.

The Base For Some Amazing Beers

Before I jump into details and my thoughts about Ten Fidy, I thought I would mention that this beer has become a platform for Oskar Blues.

While there are many great beers out there, very few have been used to develop so many different variations. Search Ten Fidy on Untappd and you’ll see a nearly endless list of variations of this beer.

There’s the easily recognizable Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy in it’s stovepipe can as well as Java, Tequila Barrel-Aged, Brandy Barrel-Aged, French Toast and many more.

Most of these are just available on draft but others make it into cans so always be on the lookout for any Ten Fidy variants.

My Review Of Ten Fidy

For many, stouts are ideal in the deep cold of winter. But for me, I’ll gladly drink them any day of the year; especially if they are a big, bold Imperial Stout.

And it appears that Oskar Blues agrees as they release Ten Fidy in August while other breweries wait until later in the year to release their biggest stouts.

And don’t worry about shelf life with this beer, most would argue that it only gets better with time. Ten Fidy ages really well and many save them for years to see how it changes.

Related Article: 3 Questions To Ask Before Aging Craft Beer

Ten Fidy weighs in at strong 10.5% ABV and a moderately high 65 IBUs. It comes in 12oz cans can can be found wherever Oskar Blues distributes. It should cost $14 – $18 per four pack. It’s not the least expensive stout on the shelf but it is one of the best.

Here is how Oskar Blues describes their brew:

This titanic, immensely viscous stout is loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hide a hefty 65 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. Ten FIDY (10.5% ABV) is made with enormous amounts of two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Ten FIDY is the ultimate celebration of dark malts and boundary-stretching beer.

Initial Thoughts

Black as night and as thick as oil. Just like the can suggests, this imperial stout pours as dark as a beer can get.

No light passes through this one and even the thick head is a dark brown. It might have the darkest head I’ve seen on a stout.

When pouring it, it’s impossible not to notice how it coats the glass. It almost has a thin syrup appearance to it.

The aroma has ample amounts of roast and coffee in it but it’s not overpowering.

Tasting Notes

The mouthfeel on this beer is memorable. It is smooth and heavy.

Any bitter notes are reminiscent of black coffee and dark chocolate; not hops. This leads me to think of this beer as a great dessert beer.

For being 10.5%, it doesn’t have a harsh booziness to it. And the 65 IBUs are just enough to balance out the sweetness.

As expected, as it warms up, Ten Fidy starts to show more depth in it’s flavor. I got more of the dark chocolate and sweetness as it approached room temperature.

Final Thoughts

Ten Fidy might be my favorite imperial stout. And that’s saying a lot since I’ve tried a lot of stouts and the Imperial Stout is by far my favorite version of a stout.

It’s got everything I look for in this style. It’s strong but drinkable. There’s coffee and chocolate notes without overpowering it. The bitterness is complimentary to the flavor.

And I love that they use this beer in so many different ways; many of which are barrel-aged. I am always on the lookout for new stouts to try but few have come close to being as good as Ten Fidy.

Related Post: Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy Review

Conculsion

I don’t think there’s much else to say except, go try Ten Fidy.

For some, they may be hesitant because of the price but it’s worth it. Many bottle shops will offer it as a single can so that’s another great way to give it a shot without committing to a whole four pack.

For those that enjoy big, heavy stouts; I don’t think there are many that are as good as Ten Fidy and are as easily available either.

If you are not normally a stout fan, I encourage you to still give this one a try. It might be the stout that changes your mind on dark beers.