The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 5 Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Beer # 505 Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  1997

Location: Longmont, Colorado, USA

Beer Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.5%      IBU: 65

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 355 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

bobcaygeonbeer

    @bobcaygeonbeer

Tonight's beer is one of those beers whose name is whispered in reverence by the Beerluminati. It's right up there with Pliny the Elder and Heady Topper. Ten Fidy, named for its alcohol content, is one of the flagship seasonals by Colorado brewing company Oskar Blues. Super dark and unctuously malty with a good chocolate hit, Ten Fidy is eagerly sought out whenever it hits the shelves.

Oskar Blues started brewing in the basement of a restaurant in 1997 in Lyon Colorado. Since then they moved into Longmont Colorado, expanded into Austin Texas and Brevard North Carolina and a total of 5 locations. 

This is definitely one beer I have been looking forward to trying, so I don't want to wait any longer.

Let us dive in...

Pours a burnt black/brown, the exact colour of used motor oil. Head is pure suede with a rich tan colour to match. Bubbles are very tiny and effervescent. The aroma starts off with deeply roasted malt giving over to liquorice, smoke, chocolate, and coffee. First sip is more of a feeling than a taste. silky then unctuous, moving into sticky and slightly syrupy. Drinks like a sticky toffee pudding with massive amounts of dried fruit, brown sugar, creamy caramel, then bitter chocolate and finally some coffee to wash it down. Swirling the beer leaves a brown viscous stain that slowly creeps down the glass. aeration gives us some dark caramel bitter chocolate hints of espresso and Irish whisky.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This beer lives up to its reputation. This is a massive, thick, viscous, malty, and delightful brew. I just want to sip on this beer for hours. This beer is perfect for that after turkey glow, once Christmas dinner is done. If you like huge, tasty stouts, and you see this beer on the shelf at your local liquor store, buy all that you can carry. Then thank me later...Merry Christmas.

Cheers

CJT

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Cider Week: Cider # 2 Molson Canadian Cider

Molson Canadian Cider

MolsonCoors LTD

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Canadian Branch)
Denver, Colorado, USA (World Headquarters)
Multinational Corporation
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @MolsonCoors

This one stood out in the crowd for me. It seemed very odd when I saw it. But it is beginning to dawn on me that the prevalence of ciders is due to the Gluten Free fad diet craze. This is obviously and attempt by MolsonCoors to retain brand-loyal market share among people who have adopted the GF lifestyle. "If I can't have my Molson Canadian because I'm GF now I can have Molson Canadian Cider." Well I'm not here to advocate or denounce any diet I'm just here for the beer... or the cider as the case may be.

Onto the tasting.

Light gold in colour very similar to apple juice. Thin head that disappears quickly leaving a skim of foam around the edge of the glass. Aroma is fresh apple juice and slightly winey. I also get some hints of wood. First sip is very sweet, and tastes of fresh pressed apple juice. Very carbonated, two sips in I got burpy. Slight tartness, a little chemical. I suspect that Malic acid has been added to fortify the "appley-ness." Finish is bruised apple, a little raisin and a chemical woodiness like fake oak or wood chips. Aeration gives off a citrus, green apple taste of malic acid and possibly citric acid.  They said on the can that this product contains sulfites... And boy they weren't kidding. After I had tasted this and the flavours had settled in my mouth, I began to get sulfur breath and a slight headache. Be warned if you can't handle sulfites.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Sheer morbid curiosity drove me to try this product. And, I will say it is drinkable (certainly not something that can be said about the other alcoholic beverage that bears this name). Is it a cider? Well technically, but there have been tweaks to make it more mass-pleasing (and probably more uniform, apple cider flavours can vary largely from batch to batch). Would I drink it again? Sure, if someone else bought it (even though it is very reasonably priced). Should you try it? That is up to you. If you would like a slightly more chemical version of an Allen's Apple juice, with 5 % alcohol in it... go for it. But, I am sure you can find better places to drop $3.00. This is merely a cider version of it's namesake beer. A cheap, flavourless alcohol delivery device.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 85 Coors Light Iced Tea

Coors Light Iced Tea


Molson Coors Brewing Company
Denver, Colorado, USA
Montral, Quebec, Canada
Multinational
Flavoured Light Lager 4.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
Given as a sample can by Beer Rep. No Cost.


Twitter: @molsoncoors USA 
or @molsoncoorsCDA Canada


The dreaded Coors Light Iced Tea. or C.L.I.T. (#clit) as it has become known colloquially on Twitter. Never did I think the day would come that I would put electronic pen to electronic paper to string more than four words together about this beer. (is this a joke?) Actually I did tweet something similar, because the day I first saw anything for Coors Light Iced Tea was April Fool's Day. What has astounded me is the sheer amount of advertising that has gone into this product. As if to re-inforce the fact that Molson Coors invented a supply with no demand.

Sadly, onto the tasting:

Light gold in colour with a wispy white head that disappears quickly. Aroma is lemon, black tea, and slightly fruity. Lemon on the first taste, that dissolves into sour malt. distinct taste of lemon furniture polish, aftertaste is bitter, astringent, and stale black tea. Tastes like a poorly carbonated gingerale mixed with iced tea. Mouthfeel is sour, and flat.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional


Cost: N/A
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 0/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  0/6 FAIL
Experience:  0/6 FAIL


Final Thoughts:



This is the single most horrid beer I have put in my mouth, and I've had Steelback. I actually had to get a drink of water to wash the taste out of my mouth halfway through the tasting. This beer is a sad attempt at putting lipstick on a pig... Dress Coors Light up anyway you want, it will still be Coors Light. Perhaps if Molson Coors had spent the money they did on marketing this joke of a product into developing a beer that actually tasted good, the rest of us might be pleasantly surprised. Usually I say try a beer yourself even if I have said bad things about it, however, this time I shall warn you to avoid the product at all costs. In fact this beer is so bad I am going to do something I never do... pour the rest down the drain.

Cheers
CJT


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