I finally tried my can (yes, a can of craft beer) of Oskar Blues’ Ten Fidy Imperial Stout (yes, an Imperial Stout in a can). I have to say that this is one of the best Imperial Stouts I’ve had. It pours a nice thick black with a very small tan head. I don’t know if it was my allergies or not, but I couldn’t detect a whole lot of aroma from it. Maybe a slightly hoppy aroma (which is odd for a stout as that’s all I got). The flavor, however, was awesome. It’s smooth roasted malty goodness, along with a nice bitter coffee/dark chocolate flavor really made this beer an easy drinker. And at 10% ABV, it’s strong, though it drinks like it’s only 5%. I don’t know where the name comes from because it’s not 10.50%, and it doesn’t cost $10.50… I guess I’ll never know. It’s just a great Imperial Stout and something that any stout lover should definitely try. Don’t fear the can (at least not in this case).
I love Ten Fidy. What a great Imperial. I decided to make it my first reviewed beer after a long time being registered on Beer Advocate.
I’ve been noticing that while I love Imperial Stouts, most of them have been a little harsh this year (though I have yet to have one of my favorite, Brooklyn Black Chocolate). Ten Fidy was a great smooth beer with just enough hops to balance the malt and add a little bitterness, but not overwhelm the flavor (which is what I thought of this year’s Storm King, so I packed 4 away for next year or the year after).