I'm not going to mosey around the point with this beer with some contextualizing anecdote, I'm just going to bullet point this Thanksgiving weekend drinking experience to get right down to the matter.
That matter is a world class beer.
- Went to bar
- Had some beers
- One of those was Ten Fidy (10.5% abv)
Oskar Blues has a special place in my heart. They make my second favorite scotch ale, after Backwards Bastard. Their tap handles look like giant cans. Their packaging is so distinctive.
But Ten Fidy has always been in my personal Top 10, and I got so lucky at the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange because I purchased the last glass they had before the tap line ran dry.
This is a flawless Russian Imperial Stout. Poured into a goblet, this beer is thick and slick and black as oil with a nice, one finger chocolatey head.
The aroma is stunning, like café cubano, dried cherry and Ghirardelli cocoa powder.
Right away you've got thick, creamy mocha on your tongue. There's an unmistakable touch of smokey wood, which I absolutely go crazy for in an RIS. It's drying towards the end because of this, otherwise your mouth would be coated with a sticky, lactose sweetness because this is a chewy, viscous beer. I almost forgot to let this stout reach room temperature before I put it all away, it's just that good. But slightly warmer you get great notes of stone fruit and vanilla bean. It definitely goes down hot if you let it sit for a minute. The booziness is perfect for a cold November day (it was November when I had this... Happy December by the way!)
