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Ten FIDY - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
![Ten FIDY - Bourbon Barrel-Aged](https://cdn.beeradvocate.com/im/beers/189272.jpg)
![Ten FIDY - Bourbon Barrel-Aged](https://cdn.beeradvocate.com/im/c_beer_image.gif)
- From:
- Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
- Colorado, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
Ranked #105 - ABV:
- 12.5%
- Score:
- 99
Ranked #248 - Avg:
- 4.47 | pDev: 6.26%
- Reviews:
- 504
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Monday at 04:27 AM
- Added:
- Sep 06, 2015
- Wants:
- 196
- Gots:
- 487
Aged through four seasons and from a blend of the top Bourbons around, this Ten Fidy has morphed into a monster of cranked up flavor. Espresso, burnt sugar, rich chocolate, caramel notes are now driving alongside the vanilla, oak, bourbon from the barrel and been smoothed out during maturation. Even at 12.5% (75 IBUs) it is cool and drinkable, letting each sip add more and more complexity.
ABV varies year to year
ABV varies year to year
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by strohme2:
Rated by strohme2 from Michigan
4.32/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Jan 13, 2016
4.32/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Jan 13, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut
4.27/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Canned November 20, 2017
This is a really nice looking and smelling beer. While the body of just about every stout I drink looks the same, the head, lacing etc. still leave room for differentiation, and it's in these ways that this one stands out. While the head isn't robust (maybe a third of an inch), it has a wonderful dark tan hue, and it really sticks to the side of the glass. The well above average lacing continues as I consume this. The aroma is rich & chocolatey but with just enough roast.
Whereas I couldn't detect any bourbon barrel on the nose, it's definitely there on the tongue. Given the age of this, I wasn't sure it would still come through, but it definitely does, albeit in a balanced way. It's the lightly bitter roast with just a little bit of sweetness on the finish that brings this all together. Full bodied with pleasant, if well disguised alcohol warming.
Overall, very good beer.
Mar 03, 2024This is a really nice looking and smelling beer. While the body of just about every stout I drink looks the same, the head, lacing etc. still leave room for differentiation, and it's in these ways that this one stands out. While the head isn't robust (maybe a third of an inch), it has a wonderful dark tan hue, and it really sticks to the side of the glass. The well above average lacing continues as I consume this. The aroma is rich & chocolatey but with just enough roast.
Whereas I couldn't detect any bourbon barrel on the nose, it's definitely there on the tongue. Given the age of this, I wasn't sure it would still come through, but it definitely does, albeit in a balanced way. It's the lightly bitter roast with just a little bit of sweetness on the finish that brings this all together. Full bodied with pleasant, if well disguised alcohol warming.
Overall, very good beer.
Reviewed by cdinardo21 from Pennsylvania
4.31/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Breakneck Tavern in Wexford, PA (2023 version).
The beer pours a deep dark brown decent head and lacing. Tastes of coffee, and bitter chocolate and barrel. Mouthfeel is decent... Alcohol is balanced. This is an above average stout. A little surprised it's on the Top 250 list, but it's nothing I'd refuse to get again - above the line, but unspectacular.
Feb 28, 2024The beer pours a deep dark brown decent head and lacing. Tastes of coffee, and bitter chocolate and barrel. Mouthfeel is decent... Alcohol is balanced. This is an above average stout. A little surprised it's on the Top 250 list, but it's nothing I'd refuse to get again - above the line, but unspectacular.
Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky
4.44/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.44/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Super dark like ink. Tannish head. Decent lacing. Nose is bourbonish but more hard charr on the nose. Doesn't smell as sweet as expected. Nice partially harsh initial flavor. Good warmth.
Jan 07, 2024Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin
4.36/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.36/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a completely dark, black color with a massive, deep, rich, and heavy tan head. SRM of 23. (4.50)
Aroma: Strong aromas of bourbon, chocolate, roast, coffee, vanilla. Smooth, rich, deep, and sweet.
Flavor: Strong flavors follow of rich chocolate and bourbon upfront. Smooth decidant chocolate, mixed with smooth coffee, vanilla, rich toffee, and maple syrup sweetness. Mild roastedness, and ultimatley sweet chocolate and syrup sweetness with a bourbon balance.
Feel: Heavier bodied, strong and soft carbonation to balance. Sweet, but smooth mouthfeel and hides the alcohol extremely well in the softness and smooth mouthfeel.
Overall: A World-Class rated BBA Imperial Stout. Not a big BBA person, but giving it a go. Strong chocolate, coffee, vanilla, maple syrup balanced by a smooth bourbon flavor. Incredibly smooth and soft. Hides the alcohol surprisingly well. Sometimes the bourbon and alcohol is overpowering. Not so here. Incredible Stout flavors balanced by smooth bourbon without any of the cloying alcohol or bourbon bite. Extraordinary flavors and mouthfeel. (Rating: 4.36)
Nov 19, 2023Aroma: Strong aromas of bourbon, chocolate, roast, coffee, vanilla. Smooth, rich, deep, and sweet.
Flavor: Strong flavors follow of rich chocolate and bourbon upfront. Smooth decidant chocolate, mixed with smooth coffee, vanilla, rich toffee, and maple syrup sweetness. Mild roastedness, and ultimatley sweet chocolate and syrup sweetness with a bourbon balance.
Feel: Heavier bodied, strong and soft carbonation to balance. Sweet, but smooth mouthfeel and hides the alcohol extremely well in the softness and smooth mouthfeel.
Overall: A World-Class rated BBA Imperial Stout. Not a big BBA person, but giving it a go. Strong chocolate, coffee, vanilla, maple syrup balanced by a smooth bourbon flavor. Incredibly smooth and soft. Hides the alcohol surprisingly well. Sometimes the bourbon and alcohol is overpowering. Not so here. Incredible Stout flavors balanced by smooth bourbon without any of the cloying alcohol or bourbon bite. Extraordinary flavors and mouthfeel. (Rating: 4.36)
Rated by Herbabee from Pennsylvania
4.5/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
(out of the can into a sample snifter...) Tasty little thing... i think i'd like to match it up with the BA Narwhal for a blind taste-tester.
Nov 16, 2023Reviewed by John_M from Washington
4.06/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
On tap at Roscoe's today in PDX, this is the 2021 version.
The beer pours the expected blackish brown color with excellent head retention and lots of sticky lacing all around. This beer looks great. On the nose, this beer seems a bit lacking. There's coffee, licorice and burnt toast, but without much chocolate or bourbon (which I've gotten from fresh batches in the past). The flavor profile replicates the nose, and again, I'm not getting a lot of barrel character here. Mouthfeel is still pretty good... it's fairly full with a long, fairly smooth finish. Alcohol is very well integrated into the flavor profile, so drinkability is pretty good I guess
This is a decent ba impy stout, but it's not a stand out. There are a lot of really good ba stouts on the market, and there's really nothing exceptional about this one. Not sure this is a beer I need to revisit any time soon.
Nov 01, 2023The beer pours the expected blackish brown color with excellent head retention and lots of sticky lacing all around. This beer looks great. On the nose, this beer seems a bit lacking. There's coffee, licorice and burnt toast, but without much chocolate or bourbon (which I've gotten from fresh batches in the past). The flavor profile replicates the nose, and again, I'm not getting a lot of barrel character here. Mouthfeel is still pretty good... it's fairly full with a long, fairly smooth finish. Alcohol is very well integrated into the flavor profile, so drinkability is pretty good I guess
This is a decent ba impy stout, but it's not a stand out. There are a lot of really good ba stouts on the market, and there's really nothing exceptional about this one. Not sure this is a beer I need to revisit any time soon.
Reviewed by klarcbarr3 from Michigan
4.9/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.9/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
L= Black as a moonless night. Light tan two finger head. Gorgeous lacing from a thinning but substantive collar.
S= Delicious... bourbon, chocolate, caramel, licorice, spice.
T= Hops, chocolate, bourbon, malt sugar, all forward, coffee right behind. taste varies as it rolls over tongue. Strong, luscious flavors.
F= Spot on balanced... neither watery or sticky. Perfect.
O= This is one impressive brew. I might have a new favorite here.
Sep 20, 2023S= Delicious... bourbon, chocolate, caramel, licorice, spice.
T= Hops, chocolate, bourbon, malt sugar, all forward, coffee right behind. taste varies as it rolls over tongue. Strong, luscious flavors.
F= Spot on balanced... neither watery or sticky. Perfect.
O= This is one impressive brew. I might have a new favorite here.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
4.23/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
It's not possible to add anything to the many thoughtful reviews of this stuff, but just for my own memory: Handsome dark brew, near black, with the beige foam and lacing in the Grand Cru goblet. Inviting aroma of cocoa and coffee. Sweet and malty with caramel and burnt sugar. The winey taste is complemented with figs and prunes. The moderate bitterness is enough to balance the sweet but keeps it highly sippable. This is my second favorite of the Big Stouts box from BA, next to the persimmon one. Not that there's much competition with all the peanut butter horrors.
Jul 03, 2023Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong
4.44/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A 12 fl. oz. can, canned on 24th November 2020. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dried dark fruit, prunes, fig, vanilla, and bourbon.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, prunes, raisin, vanilla, oak, bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable and complex sipper full of great flavours.
Apr 15, 2023Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dried dark fruit, prunes, fig, vanilla, and bourbon.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, prunes, raisin, vanilla, oak, bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable and complex sipper full of great flavours.
Reviewed by robwired from Kansas
4.45/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a snifter, what was canned 01/04/23 gave a healthy 1/4-inch beige head. Wafts of vanilla and bourbon came up from the glass.
First sip: smoky coffee. Inviting. As it settles on the palate, there's an oak, espresso, burnt sugar and bourbon reveal.
It has a creamy mouthfeel and finishes smooth with a sublimated booziness, all from a 12-ounce can.
Apr 06, 2023First sip: smoky coffee. Inviting. As it settles on the palate, there's an oak, espresso, burnt sugar and bourbon reveal.
It has a creamy mouthfeel and finishes smooth with a sublimated booziness, all from a 12-ounce can.
Reviewed by mjwellman from Texas
4.93/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.93/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
L: Pours black like coffee with a nice creamy mocha head
S: malty, sweet molasses aroma with a hint of bourbon
T: sweet molasses, brown sugar with a hint of chocolate, bourbon and coffee
F: Smooth, like velvet. You take a sip and you want more. Not thin
O: This is what an Imperial Stout should taste like. Wonderful beer that drinks smooth and it doesn't feel like a high ABV beer. I would buy this again.
Apr 06, 2023S: malty, sweet molasses aroma with a hint of bourbon
T: sweet molasses, brown sugar with a hint of chocolate, bourbon and coffee
F: Smooth, like velvet. You take a sip and you want more. Not thin
O: This is what an Imperial Stout should taste like. Wonderful beer that drinks smooth and it doesn't feel like a high ABV beer. I would buy this again.
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts
4.49/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.49/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours black with a surprising two fingers of brown head. It actually lasts quite a while, but eventually surrenders and becomes a few islands with a solid ring, pretty strong cling.
The smell is actually quite subdued to me. It's all there, but it doesnt seem to be eciting the glass with much urgency. Bourbon, great coffee and chocolate, roasty malts, a kind of caramel or molasses note, a light kiss of vanilla, wood.
The flavor explodes. Everything that should be in a stout of this ilk, nothing that doesn't belong, and everything in its place. Very good bourbon flavor leads the parade. There's a superbly smooth coffee taste that combines with milk chocolate for a kind of mocha effect. The chocolate lingers a bit on the lips. A little bitterness from the coffee but no acridity or unpleasant cherry taste. Not much char at all, in fact. There's a pleasing woodiness - I guess that is barrel presence. A bit of vanilla, slight touch of sweetness. Well after the swallow there is an aromatic spicy anise taste. All these flavors are extremely well-integrated.
Medium bodied, moderately carbed. It's not as dry as I thought it would be. Ultra-smooth, slightly bitter residual on the tongue while the licorice thing lingers as an aromatic. It occurs to me that it actually has a hard liquor feel to it.
I can sit here and dissect, but this beer just as easily lends itself to good old enjoyment in its totality. While the bourbon is strong, my fellow Jedi, it somehow doesn't dominate with a heavy hand. It's just unabashedly there in the foreground, but everybody else stands up loud and proud. This is some awesome sauce in a can. Well-crafted and it seems the barrel aging is flawless - deserves every bit of hype it gets, if ya ask me.
Mar 27, 2023The smell is actually quite subdued to me. It's all there, but it doesnt seem to be eciting the glass with much urgency. Bourbon, great coffee and chocolate, roasty malts, a kind of caramel or molasses note, a light kiss of vanilla, wood.
The flavor explodes. Everything that should be in a stout of this ilk, nothing that doesn't belong, and everything in its place. Very good bourbon flavor leads the parade. There's a superbly smooth coffee taste that combines with milk chocolate for a kind of mocha effect. The chocolate lingers a bit on the lips. A little bitterness from the coffee but no acridity or unpleasant cherry taste. Not much char at all, in fact. There's a pleasing woodiness - I guess that is barrel presence. A bit of vanilla, slight touch of sweetness. Well after the swallow there is an aromatic spicy anise taste. All these flavors are extremely well-integrated.
Medium bodied, moderately carbed. It's not as dry as I thought it would be. Ultra-smooth, slightly bitter residual on the tongue while the licorice thing lingers as an aromatic. It occurs to me that it actually has a hard liquor feel to it.
I can sit here and dissect, but this beer just as easily lends itself to good old enjoyment in its totality. While the bourbon is strong, my fellow Jedi, it somehow doesn't dominate with a heavy hand. It's just unabashedly there in the foreground, but everybody else stands up loud and proud. This is some awesome sauce in a can. Well-crafted and it seems the barrel aging is flawless - deserves every bit of hype it gets, if ya ask me.
Reviewed by hardy008 from Minnesota
4.77/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.77/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours dark black with a dark tan head with 2 fingers of foam from an aggressive pour. Has nice retention and lacing. Nice aroma with bourbon, chocolate, dark roasted malt and molasses. Tastes like it smells with the addition of coconut from the barrel aging.
Full bodied, smooth and creamy. Moderate carbonation. There is quite a bit of molasses in the aftertaste. A wonderfully made beer.
Mar 23, 2023Full bodied, smooth and creamy. Moderate carbonation. There is quite a bit of molasses in the aftertaste. A wonderfully made beer.
Ten FIDY - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
Beer rating:
99 out of
100 with
2331 ratings
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