Walking Tree – Brewery Review

by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine

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My next tasting experience takes me up to the Vero Beach Airport and to Walking Tree Brewery.  Craft beer is still somewhat new to me, but I’m definitely learning fast the more experience I have with it.  This is only my second craft beer tasting, so I brought along my craft beer experts Joe and April to help me out with the tasting notes again.  Established in June of 2016, Walking Tree is still less than a year old but they have been a part of many events in and around Indian River County so chances are you have heard of, if not seen them.  The night we visited the brewery they were quite busy and the parking lot was full, so there are definitely a lot of craft beer aficionados in Vero.

The brewery is located on Dodger Road, just a few hundred feet off of Aviation Blvd, in a building with some interesting history behind it.  It was constructed in 1945 by the US Navy and used as an aviation supply warehouse during WWII.  The roof trusses, rafters, and the beams are all made from Dade County Pine which is no longer available due to overuse.  Dade County Pine is known for its almost concrete like strength and the older it gets, the stronger it becomes due to the resin buildup within the wood.

Walking Tree is also very active in the community, hosting a variety of events at the brewery.  From yoga, to painting parties, and charitable events, there’s always something going on at Walking Tree so make sure you follow them on Facebook. With dart boards, corn hole and a giant Jenga game, there’s plenty to keep you busy as you enjoy your beer as well as keeping your kids entertained.  As for food options, you can bring take out from any local restaurant, order from Chow Cab and have it delivered, or you can order from Saussie Pig, conveniently located a few hundred feet away, and they will bring it over to you.

 

Now let’s dive right in and see what this place has to offer and what I had to drink!

Starting at the Front Right, working my way around clockwise

Limey Sailor

Tasting Notes:  The aroma of the lime was very evident.  It was light, crisp and refreshing.  It was like a Bud Light Lime on steroids.

Single Girlfriend, Radler

Tasting Notes:  The aroma of the malt was subtle.  The beer was light, crisp, and definitely full flavored.  It’s the closest they offer to a mainstream beer.

Straw Hat Blonde Ale

Tasting Notes:  The aroma of the wheat was evident.  It was definitely full bodied with a crisp bitter finish.

LeFrog

Tasting Notes:  The aroma of this beer was slightly hoppier than the flavor, yet it was very well balanced, medium bodied beer, and a smooth finish without being bitter.

Sandy Feet American Wheat

Tasting Notes:  The aroma of the wheat was subtle, definitely full bodied, an easy drinking beer.  This is one of their most popular beers that they offer.

BabyCakes Stout

Tasting Notes:  The aroma of coffee and cocoa was very evident.  It was full bodied, yet not as heavy as I expected for a darker beer.

Starting at the Front Right, working my way around clockwise

White Walking Tree IPA

Tasting Notes:  The aroma was quite bold and very piney.  The flavor was very hop forward, definitely has that bitter taste that is popular with IPA’s.  This is definitely an IPA for someone who is a “Hop Head”.

Prop Root English Pale Ale

Tasting Notes:  The aroma was hoppy and somewhat earthy.  It was medium bodied, well balanced, with slight caramel notes on the finish.

St. Mulway’s Offering, Scotch Ale

Tasting Notes:  The aroma was very sweet and intoxicating.  It was quite strong, yet smooth, creamy, and very drinkable since it was served on nitrogen.

Duke Snider’s Imperial Stout

Tasting Notes:  The aroma had subtle coffee notes, was a full bodied easy drinking beer.

Brackish Brown Ale

Tasting Notes:  The aroma was dark and heavy, yet tasted light, and was smooth like a nitro.

Nitro BabyCakes

Tasting Notes:  The aroma this time due to the nitrogen was more subtle, almost undetectable.  The flavor was much lighter, yet was smooth and creamy.

In order from left to right:  Chopped Riblets, Pulled Pork, and Chicken Wings

In order from front going around clockwise:  Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Collard Greens, Baked Beans

A special thank you goes out to Saussie Pig for providing some tasty eats while we sampled Walking Tree’s brews.  They are just around the corner at the Chevron Gas Station and deliver to the brewery, so if you are hungry while you are there, you can call them and place an order, menus are located throughout the brewery.

Price List:

1/2 Pint: $3.00

Pint: $5.00 – $7.00

5 Flight:  $10.00 / 5 oz pours

32 oz Growler: $7.00 one-time purchase of the glass growler, fills range from $8.00-10.00

32 oz Crowler (can growler) $9.00-11.00

64 oz Growler: $9.00 one time purchase for glass, fills range $14.00-18.00

In Conclusion:

While I thought that figuring out complex flavors while tasting food was difficult, the craft beer market takes it to a whole new level!  With the different types of ingredients and techniques used to make these beers, the flavors can range widely as you can see above from my tasting notes.  The more I taste and learn about craft beers, the more I like figuring them out.  Walking Tree has definitely developed quite the following in the short time they have been around.  They have a great location, lots of space to grow as demand increases, and some pretty tasty offerings too!  With the crowds that we experienced while there, they are definitely going to be around for quite some time.

A special thank you to Joe and April for once again helping me out with the tastings and providing me your expertise with craft beers.

Have you tried Walking Tree Brewery?  What has your experience been with them?  Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.

Atmosphere – 5 Forks

Service – 5 Forks

Beer – 4 Forks

Rating Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Walking Tree Website | Facebook Page

Address: 3209 Dodger Rd, Vero Beach, FL 32960

Hours:

Wednesday 3–10PM
Thursday 3–10PM
Friday 3PM–12AM
Saturday 12PM–12AM
Sunday 12–8PM
Monday 3–10PM
Tuesday 3–10PM
Phone: (772) 217-3502
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