Drink This: Ten Fidy

Beer in a can tends to draw the same impressions as wine with a screw cap -- lower class, lower quality, and cheap. When I first tried Ten Fidy, it was on tap at Uber Bier, so I had no idea that the regular packaging was a can....so I'll admit to already knowing what a fantastic beer this was before picking it up in its can form.

I'm partial to really dark beers, and Ten Fidy is nearly as dark and thick looking as really old, sludgy engine oil. It pours with a small tan head, and practically lacks carbonation. I poured mine into a regular pint glass, but in hindsight I wish I had poured it into a brandy snifter; the strong taste of alcohol (you can definitely taste the 10%) pushes this more into the after-dinner/night-cap category that should be slowly slipped and enjoyed.

It smells and tastes heavily of mocha and coffee, and I think there's a minor taste of molasses. It's a perfect winter/fall beer, as your mouth, throat, and stomach are warmed with each sip. Totally delicious in taste and feel.

But I do have to come clean about a pretty massive slip-up regarding Ten Fidy and the Seattle International Beer Fest (SIB). I was really excited to see Oskar Blues on the list of breweries appearing at SIB over the July 4th weekend, especially since Ten Fidy had been the only OB beer I had previously encountered. I was particularly looking forward to trying their Chubourbon which is a barrel-aged version of their Old Chub Scotch Ale. My friend R got the first sample of it, and we both declared that Ten Fidy was the superior beer. Then M went to get a Ten Fidy and exclaimed that it was not Ten Fidy, and that it tasted like bourbon. Turns out the taps (Ten Fidy and Chubourbon) were reversed, and both R and I were left feeling like complete schmucks for not being able to tell the difference between the beers...and for declaring Ten Fidy a superior beer when, in fact, we were drinking Ten Fidy. M notified the staff that was pouring, and they confirmed she was right. I'll just blame my misjudgment on the other beers I had tasted at that point, including a stout that was almost 18% alcohol...surely that affected my tastebuds somehow. Right?

Nevertheless, this is a beer I will be getting again and again. I probably won't be enjoying it with a meal (or before a meal), but it's a perfect way to end a cool night.



Beer: Ten Fidy
Brewery: Oskar Blues
Location: Lyons, CO
Style: Imperial Stout
Alcohol Content: 10%
Serving Type: Can
Cost: $3.49/unit
Where Purchased: QFC in University Village
Also Seen: Uber Bier, Seattle International Beer Fest, Bricco della Regina Anna, Brouwer's
Rating: A+