Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Microbrewery
in Alloa,
Clackmannanshire,
Scotland 🏴
Associated with 2 Venues
Established in 1988
The Williams Bros. Brewing Co. started life in the humble ‘Glenbrew’ homebrew shop in Glasgow. The first beer brewed was the ‘Fraoch’ Heather Ale at a small 5-barrel brewery in Taynuilt, After the 2nd year of brewing in the Taynuilt brewery and with demand far out stripping supply the brothers decided to expand and also to diversify the range with five Historic Ales. These ales were produced at the new purpose built brewery and premises in Craigmill, Strathaven from 1998-2004.
In 2004 the brothers took over the ‘Forth Brewery’ at Kellibank, Alloa where Maclay’s had been contract brewing and packaging their beers since the sale of their old Alloa brewery. It was at this stage in proceedings that Heather Ale Ltd became Williams Bros. Brewing Co.
TBone (30035) reviewed Grozet from Williams Brothers (Heather Ales) 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottled (BB 08/2004)
Hazy light yellow. Very small white head. Sour, berry, yeasty, black currant aroma. Quite light, a bit sahti-like notes and witbier-like palate (some wheat flavor).
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Dark brown brew with a light tan head. Some roasty aromas, some chocolate too. The flavor is slightly bitter, not quite a Porter, but not a Brown Ale either. Not bad, but I failed to detect anything that would indicate any flavor or aroma coming from the seaweed.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8
Aromas of carmel, chalk, malt, and pine., with all of the same in the flavor. Sweet malt and heavy palate, with a chalky dryness. A very fine looking beer; dark brown with a head that lasts and leaves a lace on the glass. Aftertaste is dry with pine. Unusual and good, and for me that deserves a very high score.---------Ages well.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Interesting if nothing else, the beer tasted and smelled like the blueberry beers I’ve tried, and the fruit character seems to derive largely from its "skin," making this beer tannin-heavy, bitter, earthy, and only slightly sweet. Dry overall and backed by roasted malt. More of a fruit/spice beer, and there are very few of these I really enjoy.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Pours golden with a nice white head. Aroma is very herbal. Flavor is fruity and earthy. Just a little thick in the swallow. Its something different but nothing to go out of your way to find.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Deep black color, lasting brown head. Aroma is heavy roasted malts, coffee, bacon, smoked, a hint of fruit. Taste is also smoked and heavy roasted malts. Smoked palate.
Clarkvv (16327) reviewed Kelpie from Williams Brothers (Heather Ales) 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
2003 bottle. Pours a very thick dark brown/black with some light porter-like reddish tinges. Huge caramel colored head that lasts, lots of lacing. Aroma of light coffee, some dry toffee, salt water. Flavor begins muted, but then slowly builds up some caramel malt and even more chocolate malt. Palate is smooth and even, no real poignant notes or ups and downs, just a nice fairly creamy roasted malt ride with some light bitterness. Medium body and one of the best aftertastes I’ve experienced; dry but rich coffee beans. Tremendous stuff. Maybe could stand a bit more of a body.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Bottled. I’ve got a chance here to rate an unaged bottle. A little less sugary and thick than noted below, which is to be expected. Malts are lighter, like a Vienna. Heather character doesn’t quite assert itself, but then do I even know what heather should taste like, aside from as a bittering agent? Bottle, with "Best by 2/01" date notch. Tasted 12/31/2003. Ah, a traditional Scots drink for the only holiday in the US with a Scots aspect. And an interesting brew it is. Mossy odor when I crack the bottle. Pours a hazy brown, about pale ale color, with a thin head. Taste has some sweetness without being cloying. They don’t mention if there are hops at all (don’t they need some to be allowed to call it "beer," so sweetness seems balanced by heather, giving it grassy notes and the dry finish, as advertised, plus a very faint citrusy aspect. Well-made relic of those days of auld lang syne.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottled. Jan ’05. A chance to revisit the rating below with a fresher bottle. Same odd cloudy color as before. Piney resin, and perhaps some juniper is noted. Very volatile, but not too alcoholic, is such a thing is possible. Some cola and cedar taste at the. A complex brew, yes. Bottled. Rated Dec. 2003. This was 2-1/2 years past its "Best by:" date, but still very nice. Opens with a nice sarsaparilla and citrus smell that resolves to a winy nose. Pours a cloudy brown with close to no head. Sweetness is resiny, with a ring of maple syrup. Clearly a historical style that won’t become anyone’s regular beer, but a nice distraction once in a while.
jgb9348 (11734) reviewed Grozet from Williams Brothers (Heather Ales) 22 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 3.5
Hazy golden/orange colour with no head. Aroma of bananas, cloves and bubble gum. Medium-bodied; Bland wheatie taste with hints of the bananas and cloves showing through-but not much. Aftertaste very clean-almost nothing at all. Overall, a dissapointing choice! I had this on Cask at R.F.D. in Washington on 28-November-2003.
Brewery Stats
| Score | 6.53 |
| Beers | 170 |
| Ticks | 3660 |
Top Reviewers (Not including batches)
|
allmyvinyl | 95 |
|
cagarvie | 92 |
|
Scopey | 92 |
|
Stuu | 82 |
|
|
jamestulloch | 64 |
|
|
McCash | 61 |
|
fonefan | 55 |
|
|
Downender | 52 |
|
BlackHaddock | 50 |
|
berkshirejohn | 50 |