Oskar Blues Ten FIDY (Whiskey Barrel)

Draught, Boulder Strong Ale Fest 2008. Head is initially large, frothy, brown, fully lasting. Body is black (presumed opaque based on the regular 10-50, but not flashlight tested). Aroma is moderately to heavily malty (chocolate, roasted grain, coffee, husks), lightly yeasty (dough), with notes of vanilla, wood, chalk, whiskey, alcohol. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety/creamy texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Nice stuff, as is the regular Ten Fidy. I don’t get that much whiskey character in the nose, but that’s not a bad thing. A little rough in the malt department, as was my most recently sampled can of the regular 10-50, but overall quite enjoyable.

Sampled ’08 BSAF. Beer is very dark brown, very nearly opaque. Head is huge, light brown, creamy, diminishing but mostly lasting.<P>The aroma is malty with moderate/heavy notes of cookie, chocolate, roasted grain, coffee, light note of sweet molasses; Hoppy with light notes of resin/pine, grassy herb; Yeasty with a light note of basement; Light/moderate notes of bourbon, light notes of vanilla, coconut and under-ripe banana. Smells of molten chocolate cake.<P>The flavor is heavily sweet, moderate acidic with a long, lightly acidic, moderately sweet, lightly bitter finish.<P>The body is full, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is average.<P>Big, rich dessert of a beer.

Draft: Jet black. Frothy burnt mocha head. Ink, overripe plums, espresso, scorched sawdust, plastic, soy sauce and molasses comprise the unrefined nose. Velvety-soft on the palate. Slick and oily. Fudgelike viscosity collides with gritty char, cocoa and rich espresso. Immense depth as smoky roast and prickly tannins nestle snugly into the palate. Barrel yields a touch of toasted coconut. Loses definition toward the center as it becomes syrupy, limp and alcoholic. Slick twang of molasses, soy sauce and overripe plums compounds this and keep the malts from adhering to the palate. Whispers of smoke fail to overcome the overly slippery, excessive fruitiness. Hint of plastic further tarnishes all luster that might otherwise exude. Finishes with dusty oak and oodles of char and smoky roast with a lingering ashen dryness. Because the cans of Ten FIDY highly vary in quality, I’ll assume this was a lackluster batch. While drinkable, I find it to be disappointingly sloppy and alcoholic. Gotta love the appearance, though!

Draught at the 6th Boulder Strong Ale Festival. Pours opaque with an average, fizzy, dark brown head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (molasses, chocolate, coffee), average hops (perfume), average yeast (leather) with notes of alcohol, prune, and date. Full bodied, creamy texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness and bitterness, light acidity.

On tap. Poured the same thick, viscous black as ever with a thick, deep brown head that remained quite well. Aroma was similar to regular Ten Fidy, strong roasted malts, chocolate, some coffee, with a hint of spicy bourbon. Flavor was also similar, strong roasted malts with chocolate and coffee, and bit of oat smoothness, finishing with some vanilla and lightly spicy bourbon. It seemed a bit thinner than regular Ten Fidy, which seemed awkward. Good, but not much different than regular Ten Fidy (at least the batch I had). Still, try it if you can.