Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, CO

A stout in a can. Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a stout in a can. No, Guinness does not count. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever had a rich, fulfilling, imperial stout in a can. Right, I didn’t think so. When I came across a four-pack of cans of some wicked-sounding imperial stout in a can (we’re talking 10.5% ABV here) called Ten Fidy Imperial Stout from the Oskar Blues Brewery in Colorado, I was slightly intrigued, but more a little worried and discouraged by the can. My only really good beer memories with cans hearken back to long Friday nights in college with tasteless and watered-down American domestics. I obviously don’t remember those experiences because of the beer, but the stigma attached can resonates with hangovers, beer pong, and bad decisions. Luckily, my temporary roommate decided to take the plunge and pick up the mini-pack of cans after hearing good things about the beer. Well, for any doubters about beers not named Natty Light in cans, take note–this beer is legit.Pouring a dark beer out of a can is already a rather strange experience. I’m not sure why I was expecting a lightly-colored water to trickle out of the glass, or why this is all too fascinating to me but when I tipped the glass to the side and poured in the Ten Fidy Imperial, I was blown away by the richness and the color. The only comparison I can make is that it felt like I was dumping a can of Hershey’s chocolate syrup into a pint glass. This really was going to be some rich stuff. The frothy and dark-cream head would have hung out on that beer until the next new Millennium, and the smell was a sweet and creamy malt sprinkling. The taste reflected much of the smell and appearance, with a wonderfully sweet and creamy flavor rush blasting onto the taste buds. An expected paint coat of roasted and toasted malt got slathered on near the end of the tasting. Further sips showed an even sweeter and more pronounced beer, with a flavor of a rich chocolate shake commanding the front notes. I would almost give this more of a cream label than an imperial one but whatever they want to call it, this is one delectable beer with more layers than just a standard sweet stout.

It was only after the beer warmed a bit that I started to notice the heavy dose of alcohol in it, but the booze was certainly never overpowering or biting. As far as my prejudice goes for drinking stouts out of a can, I think all reservations are clearly gone. This is just as great as a bottle, and there’s no reason more breweries shouldn’t continue to expand into cans. Waiting to have my first great IPA in can form now.