Rochester Again

I am in Rochester, MN tonight.  As I usually do when I am in town I headed over to Whistle Binkies for a couple beers and dinner. I arrived shortly before 8pm and the bar was full except for 2 chairs and there is quite a crowd overall for the time.  Come to find out tonight was an anniversary party for Surly brewing http://www.surlybrewing.com/, their 5th.  They had three special tappings starting at 5pm with Moe's Bender, 6pm Pentagram and 7pm Mole's Smoke.  Each tapping was a 1/6th barrel (5 gallons) and from what I found out each keg took about 6-7 minutes to blow.  Needless to say a lot of people must of been there to drink that much beer.  Another bonus was Omar was there.  It would of been cool to have been there but it just did not time out right for me.

The food is very good, had a ham and cheese sandwich tonight.  Beer wise I had Summit's Oatmeal stout http://www.summitbrewing.com/home.php and was quite pleased with it.  The nose was certainly of dark roast and it was jet black with a nice tan head due to being poured on nitrous.  Taste is a nice complex mixtures of flavors chocolate, oats, licorice, and other dark flavors.   Mouthfeel was a bit lacking I wish it was a fuller bodied beer.  I would certainly though sit and have a couple of these beers.

My other beer I had was August Schell's Bock http://www.schellsbrewery.com/ourbeers_info.php?id=17 a nice malty beer that was a amber color with a white head.  It is a very pleasing beer and is done fairly true to the style.  Plus it was on special for only $2 a pint, so all was good.

Whistle Binkies always has a drink/ beer special each day.  On Monday it is $2 mystery beers and this includes most of their beer selection not just the mass produced beers.  Wednesday is Schell's beer day and $2 bottles and the Schell they have on tap is $2 as well.  Thursday is $2.50 Summit tap.  Needless to say they always have at least one Schell and Summit beers on tap at all times.  Also lately they have had two Surly taps Furious and Abrasive.  Needless to say they are Minnesota beer pushers at Whistle Binkies.  Good thing these are good beers!

QC Beerguy