Address : 5100 NW 72nd Ave, Bay A-1, Miami, FL 33166
I have heard of the Tank Brewery time and time again, but never actually had the chance to go visit; that is until I participated in their inaugural Craft Beer 5k. Who knew that I would meet the owner that night, someone so outgoing and sociable, and we quickly became friends.
(The boss & head honcho Carlos Padron & I after the Craft Beer 5k)Carlos Padron, lawyer and large scale cigar importer and exporter, had his first taste of craft beer right here in Miami, FL! He was actually at The Local in Coral Gables & while eating his meal, he wanted to try something new. His first craft beer was Cigar City’s Maduro (a brown ale) based off the recommendation of a server who worked there. He listened to her as she gave him the low down on the Maduro. He saw how enthusiastic and knowledgeable she was on the subject and how excited she was to tell him about the beer. This was something he wanted to get into fast!
So he talked to a couple of his lawyer buddy’s and they went all in! Knowing nothing about the brewing process, Carlos reached out to FIUs craft beer club (B.R.E.W. FIU) and struck up a partnership with them. The brew masters at Tank are from BREW FIU and what is cool about this whole thing is that Carlos gives them free reign to do as they please; he doesn’t micromanage. While he learns the process, he knows and trusts his brew masters to do what they do.
We got to take a tour of the brewery which honestly left us impressed. They opened the brewery next to the warehouses where they store and ship cigars out, so they have a huge amount of space to mess with.
What’s even cooler, is they’re starting a bottling process and we got to see the machine! So pretty soon you’ll be able to pick up some Tank beers at your local supermarket.
(The bottling machine)And what’s even cooler is that they have their own lab for quality control! They want to make sure each newly brewed beer has the same great tasting consistency as the last. They know that craft beer drinkers have no loyalty, so it just takes one bad batch to lose a customer, so with this lab (the only one in Miami so far) they make sure that each beer is up to their high standards.
(The lab)
(The tasting room)The same vibes I felt from Carlos radiate off of Tank Brewery. Opening their doors this year it’s a family friendly place where you know you’re going to have a good time. Speaking of good time, on to the important part, THE BEER!!!
(flights are filled in cigar boxes from Carlos Padrons Cigar company!)
Here are the explanations from the brewery:
Core:
El Farito IPA [American IPA (6.5% Alc/ 60 IBU)]: Boasting an intense hoppy nose of citrus and tropical fruit, this drinkable IPA will satisfy your hop fix anytime of the day. Named after Key Biscayne’s Cape Florida lighthouse, better known to locals as “El Farito”.
Freedom Tower [American Amber (5.3% Alc/ 30 IBU)]: We named our Amber Ale after Miami’s most recognizable landmark, so called for its deep ties to our local Cuban-American population. This ale features malt-y caramel flavors with subtle hints of stone fruit.
La Finca Miami [Belgian Style Wheat Saison (6.2% Alc/ 26 IBU)]: An age-old beer style that originated in the farmhouses of Belgium. Crisp, citrus-y and refreshing, La Finca Miami is the perfect companion on a hot day.
Half Year Releases:
Byronic Brown [English Style Brown Ale (4.6% Alc/ 24 IBU )]: Byronic Brown is a complex and delicately balanced beer that exhibits nutty and bready flavors, with mild caramel and dry cacao in support.
Rye-lingual [Rye Stout (6.3% Alc/ 45 IBU)]: Suggestions of luscious bittersweet baker’s chocolate and a touch of smooth cold-brewed coffee coat the tongue.
Rye-lingual (Rye Stout Nitro): No description available.
Seasonal Hop Series: The series consists of four hoppy beers that are meant to be perfectly evocative of the four seasons. A Double IPA bursting with fruity hops in Spring, a refreshing Pale Ale in summer, a wet-hopped Rye IPA for autumn, and a dark and resiny India Black Ale in winter.
Spring: Double IPA [Double IPA (8% Alc/ 80 IBU)]: Like a tropical fruit salad, an explosion of juicy passionfruit, gooseberry, sweet mango, and ruby red spring forth. All this balanced by dank, grassy, and floral hop undertones.
Summer: Pale Ale [Southeast Pale Ale (5.6% Alc/ 35 IBU)]: Our Pale Ale is hoppy and refreshing, designed with the hot Miami Summer in mind.
Fall: Wet Hopped Rye IPA [Rye IPA (7.1% Alc/ 60 IBU)]: Our Wet-hopped Rye IPA is a celebration of both the hop harvest, and the beginning of Autumn. Hopped with Amarillo and Centennial, and finished with Simcoe “wet” hops; this IPA is loaded with fresh unadulterated hop aroma. Juicy mango, apricot, pomelo, and sticky pine resin explode on the palate, followed by biscuit and spice on the finish. Enjoy fresh, preferably with family and friends.
Winter: India Black Ale [Black IPA/ Cascadian Dark Ale (6.6% Alc/ 68 IBU)]: Chinook, hops give this beer the refreshing and unmistakable aroma of resiny pine with hints of bitter grapefruit. If the smell of hiking through a pine forest with a cup o’ Joe in hand is your thing, then this is your beer.
Abbey: The beers in the Abbey series are crafted using different techniques and carefully chosen ingredients to create their unique attributes. However, at the heart of all these beers lies a common motif: a classic Belgian yeast strain and its complex and expressive character.
Abbey 6 [Belgian Style Dubbel (7.2% Alc/ 22 IBU)]: This dark mahogany ale is loosely based on the classic Dubbel style brewed by the Trappist monasteries of Belgium.
Abbey 8 [Belgian Style Trippel (9.3% Alc/ 36 IBU)]: The classic Tripels of Belgium were the inspiration for our Abbey 8.
Abbey 10 [Belgian Style Quadrupel (11.5% Alc/ 25 IBU)]: This gorgeous dark-maroon ale is the boldest in the Abbey Series, and our twist on the Belgian Quadrupel style.
Small Batch Specialty Series:
Amalgamation Blends: The Amalgamation series is an ongoing experiment in which we explore the endless possibilities attainable through blending.
-Zymurgy Project (Wild Ale): No description available.
Ventanita Series: Our “Ventanita: Coffee Infused Series” is a continuous collaborative effort with specialty coffee roasters. Specialty coffee can display a diverse array of flavors that can come as a surprise to the uninitiated. We work closely with our coffee roasting friends at each step of the process to create a perfectly balanced interplay between both coffee and beer.
Hop Experiment: Our Hop Experiments are an ever changing array of small batch hoppy beers focused on exploring the world of hops!
-Hop Experiment #4 [Motueka Saison (6.2% Alc)]: Character hop: Motueka. Tasting notes: key lime, lemon, herbal mint, earthy “saison funk.”
-Hop Experiment #6 [India Pale Ale (5.5% Alc)]: Character hops: callista, nelson, mistral, experimental French hop P10/9. Tasting notes: bitter grapefruit, citrus zest, pine needles, pineapple, dank, resiny.
Limited Release: Various seasonal releases that we love to brew. Enjoy them while they last!
Frank The Tank [Imperial Stout (10% Alc/ 45 IBU)]: Dark chocolate and french press coffee dominate the palate, accompanied by a fruity bouquet of blackberry, dark cherry, and raisin, with hints of brown sugar.
German Style Pils [German Style Pils (4.8% Alc/ 34 IBU)]: Citrusy and herbal hop character over cracker-like Pils malt leads to a crisp profile with a snappy finish.
London Style Porter [British Porter (5.0% Alc/ 35 IBU)]: A throwback porter, inspired by those produced in London at the turn of the 20th century. Brown malt paired with judicious amounts of black malt creates the impression of roasted nuts, unsweetened cacao, and coffee in this chocolate-brown brew. UK Fuggle hops deliver their unmistakable cedar-like wood character, and a classic British yeast provides dark fruit complexity. For 150 years, the drink of choice for London’s working class: this unapologetically robust beer was never intended for “polite society.”
Oktoberfest Marzen [Marzen (6.0% Alc/ 22 IBU)]: Märzen is the malty amber-colored predecessor to the modern day pale Oktoberfest lager. The name stems from historical times, when this beer would have been brewed in March and stored until Oktoberfest. Times have changed, but we still make it a point to lager our Oktoberfest-Märzen for at least 12 weeks, resulting in an exceptionally smooth beer.
Oaked [American Oaked Rye Stout (6.5% Alc)]: The oak contributes vanilla with hints of caramel and wood-tannin elements, which beautifully compliment this stouts dark chocolate and spice character. Tasting notes: vanilla, caramel, bourbon oak, coffee, unsweetened dark chocolate, pumpernickel, dried currant.
Oaked [French Oaked English Brown (4.6% Alc)]: French oak elevates this refined and delicate beer to new level of elegance. Tasting notes: soft toasted oak, coconut and macadamia, complex “French oak spice structure” hints of vanilla, caramel and chocolate, velvety mouthfeel.
(The Zymurgy Project Wild Ale)
Here’s what I thought:
Core:
El Farito IPA: Citrusy, fruity & hoppy, but neither flavors are overbearing. A great mix of all three where each one balances the other out, neither one over powers the other. Scents of citrus and hops.
Freedom Tower: Malty with a bit of a fruity/sweet aftertaste. Not overbearing on the sweetness. Scents of an ale/malty.
La Finca Miami: Light. Crisp. More citrus flavor than your usual Belgian. Puckered my lips. Sweet, but not over bearing. Had a citrusy scent as well.
Half Year Releases:
Rye-lingual: Scents of straight coffee and chocolate. Full bodied. Hits you in the back of your mouth. Nice chocolatey/coffee aftertaste.
Rye-lingual (Nitro): Same scents. A lot smoother. Velvety feel as it travels down your mouth. Creamy. Tastes similar to a Guinness Nitro IPA
Seasonal Hop Series:
Abbey:
Small Batch Specialty Series:
Amalgamation Blends: Zymurgy Project- Now this was a really cool one. It is a wild ale. Malty, crisp, refreshing with a sort of woody/earthy aftertaste (although it is not overbearing). This is actually “La Finca” fermented for 30 weeks. It is kind of sweet as well and a little sour too in the second and third taste, but again, not overbearing. Makes you pucker your lips a bit. Scents of ale, but tastes completely different. It had a bit of a different taste every sip you took.
Hop Experiment #4: Lemony/subtle key lime scents. Leaves a slight minty cleansing aftertaste. Crisp. All flavors are balanced and subtle, nothing really stands out.
Experiment #6: Citrusy, fruity scents; kind of like fruity pebbles. Sweet. Citrusy, Also hits the back of your mouth. Crisp, would recommend as a beach beer; slight hints of grapefruit.
Limited Release:
Oaked [American Oaked Rye Stout (6.5% Alc)]: Oaky, chocolatey scents. Chocolate rye aftertaste. Envelopes the pallet. Scents of an imperial stout.
Oaked [French Oaked English Brown (4.6% Alc)]: Earthy, smells exactly like the cask it was in. Oaky, subtle chocolate aftertaste. Typical brown ale.
So all in all the ambiance of the brewery, the service from the staff, the food we ate and the beers we were served I would give Tank Brewing Company 4 out of 5 piggys!
Quick note, one little thing that I found out so you don’t freak out while you’re there; the brewers believe that all people will enjoy the aroma and scents of a craft beer, when most will just want to be at the brewery to drink beer and have a good time. Don’t let the way they pour fool you, the servers are not doing bad pours, they are pouring as the brewers instructed them. They pour 8oz pours in 16oz glasses so you can get the volatile scents (scents that will disappear quickly) from the foam of the beer. So don’t get upset at your servers for serving the beers the way the brewers are telling them to pour! There’s a reason behind the madness.
(The aptly named “Big Ass Pretzel” & “Duck Wings” from @twistedforkkitchen. Check them out while you’re there!)
With a dope atmosphere and definitely with room to grow, I definitely see Tank Brewery being a powerhouse in the near future. So stop on by, grab a beer, get your growler filled and have a great time!
They also have a cigar room where you can light up a stogie and down a couple beers!
Website: Tank Brewing Company
Facebook: Tank Brewing Company
Instagram: @thetankbrewing
Twitter: @thetankbrewing
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