Last month I attended Belmont Station’s Oskar Blues Brewery beer tasting that featured their elusive Ten FIDY Imperial Stout. I have had this beer only once prior while visiting Milwaukee, Wisconsin at NOMAD. I remember ordering this beer and it was a bit before noon. It may have been a bit of a mistake ordering this strong of a beer for your first beer of the day. But then again, I did see a one-armed bicyclist ride by us twice and no, he was not riding in circles!
Anyway, back to the Ten FIDY in hand. This Imperial Stout is one that’s worth seeking out and paying the premium price. It’ll set you back about $11.99 for this 4 pack of canned delight. Yes, the Ten FIDY is a canned beer that happens to be a Russian Imperial Stout. All of Oskar Blues Brewery beers come in the easy to recycle aluminum can. This beer that I am reviewing was “canned with care” on 10-01-09.
Ten FIDY pours out a very nice thick, black color that leaves one heck of a nice thick chocolate tinged foamy head. At first mouthfeel this beer offers many various notes of smokiness, chocolate, coffee and a slight tart fruit of cherries on the back of the mouth. As the beer sits and warms up the thickness of the original pour wears through a bit but it definitely hides that 9.5% ABV. This part could be dangerous as I could easily drink the 4 pack in one sitting. The hop presence is well balanced with the chocolate malts and oats used in this brew to provide a nice evening of drinking.
If you’re looking for a nice welcoming winter warmer, you cannot go wrong with the Ten FIDY!
