Oskar Blues Ten FIDY (Whiskey Barrel)

On tap at Jonesys (Denver, CO). Pours a pitch black menacing color with tan head. Aroma is sweet and roasted with notes of bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, toasted malt, light cherry notes. Flavor is also sweet and roasted with notes of chocolate, warming bourbon, wood, light smoke, molasses, hints of toffee and ripe dark fruits. Full body with a pleasing roasted malt finish. Great beer.

On tap at Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore. Sure looks like Ten Fidy in my goblet... oily, opaque black with a frothy, creamy, tan head. Aroma is big, chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, caramel, toast, tobacco. You expect the flavor to hit you over the head... and it doesn’t. The barrel flavors compliment the beer flavors very well. Vanilla and caramel are at the front, chocolate, nuts, woods, booze, toast, cookie dough, dark bread. Finish is sweet and slick and so smooth, like drinking a glass of chocolate milk. I put this down with an ease that scared me a little. I was really excited to try this and it did not disappoint.

I have this twice now. First from a handbottle at Alesmith tasting bar with WeeHeavySD. Second it was on tap at PP Carlsbad after stone 13th anniversary party. I think it was only 1/2 of a 5 gallon keg. Rating 1: Amber malty, some whisky. Nice and easy to drink.8,4,8,4,17:4.1

on tap at Oskar Blues, Longmont. pours black with creamy tan head. nose is loaded with espresso, dark chocolate, and vanilla. flavor is smooth, balanced barrel notes hinting at bourbon but it is rather tan, some vanilla and oak with the ten fidy big chocolate and roasty espresso notes. I didn’t find this to be that much different than regular Ten fidy but kissed by the barrel it was still very good.

8/8/09 notes: on tap, Blue Palms. Being that Ten FIDY is already an amazing imperial stout, I was clearly excited to try this offering. Poured into a 8oz snifter, this was jet black with virtually no head. Aroma is very sweet, whiskey, raisins, vanilla, plum, and chocolate. Gosh, the BA changed this beer a TON. Flavor immediately bursts with plum, sugar, dark chocolate, oak and sweet booze. Palate is syrupy and dessert-like, this would not work all that bad as a glaze for a vanilla-bean ice cream. Finish is msooth, lots of dark fruit emphasizing red raisins. A tasty drink, fascinating in some ways, but I miss that luxurious roastiness-bittersweet chocolate of the original.

On tap at Blue Palms. Pours with a tan ring, and a completely black body. Aroma of bourbon, wet wood, caramel, and dark chocolate. Taste is intense bourbon and wet oak, coffee grounds, chocolate and vanilla...a bourbon bomb, just the way I like it! A bit of sugar cookie. Full bodied, thick and viscous.

On tap at the Tasty Weasel in Longmont on 7/16/09. Amazing bourbon aroma with hints of coffee and rich dark chocolate. Incredibly smooth thick mouthfeel with just a touch of bitter chocolate to contrast the deep sweet bourbon molasses flavor. Then, an incredible bitter coffer finish that lingers on the tongue. At 4.8, this is currently my highest rated beer.

Pours an opaque black color with a dark brown head. Aroma is chocolate, plum, roast, caramel, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and alcohol. Flavor is plum, caramel, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, some bitter roast, and some bitter bourbon finish.