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.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 5
Hazy amber, fast fading off white head.Faint dry nose. Tastes like a macro lager.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Pours a clear, light yellow, with some hazy yellow tinges. Small rapidly dissipating white head. Mildly tart, mildly spicy aroma. Begins with a bitter juiciness followed by a drier light hops flavor. I can find little malt flavor here, though maybe some on finish as it warms, it is lightly sweet with a tiny nip of alcohol. Flavors of heather, I would imagine, as well as a flowery herbal essence. Begins very spritzy but softens up as it breathes. I’d be much more impressed if thisnt wasnt filtered.
JK (8140) reviewed Grozet from Williams Brothers (Heather Ales) 22 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5
Only a little aroma. some wheat, a little fruit. Aroma is very similar to sam adams cherry wheat. Appearance is light, cloudy copper color. There is no head. This beer is more complex than one notices at first. The first taste was of a standard lager. Some fruit comes through, but not much. Next is the wheat, which is a little sweet. There is considerable bitterness, finished with sweet malt and sour fruit. Despite all of the things going on in this beer, none of them are well done or stand out in a positive way, and everything there seems filtered and restrained. Sweeter as it warmed. This bottle was past the expiration date.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bitter english style beer, but this one is quite well balanced compared to some of the extremely bitter beers like Fullers 1846.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Chestnut brown, slightly hazy. Yellowish head, fast dissipating. Roasted malts first & foremost. Then a bit of diacetyl, not much. Also something 'foresty' - not nessecarily spruce or pine. Taste are roasted malts again, even some coffee; no diacetyl traceable. Retronasal taste both bitterish and indeed pine-ish, or bog-myrtle. A wine-ish quality too, perfumed. Quite well bodied. Rather dry and outspoken dry-out effect. Very long aftertaste which finally becomes the real pinekernels oily-resiny feeling. This is my second try of the "Alba", but the first brewed in Strathaven instead of at Maclays. It seems the overly pine-taste has made way for a much better balanced beer. The perfumy character and aftertaste saves it from blandness. Quite good.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
Hazy amber,beige head.Aroma of pine and malt.Medium body.Fruity, strong pine flavor that lingers
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5
Black,fast fading tan head. Good roasted,chocolate nose. Bland vaguely fruity,lightly roasted taste
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
Hazy gold, fast fading white head.Light earthy, floral nose.Light malt palate with a faintly flowery spiced finish. Different
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Hazy gold with short white head.Faintly fruity nose. Taste is light malt with light faintly acidic berry flavor. Interesting , but not really enough there.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Looks like a stout. Smells like a stout. Even kind of tastes like a stout. But brother, it ain''t a stout. Roasted malts in the aroma and the flavor are quite pleasant. Since this is so much like a stout, it''s moderately thin body throws me off, but the slight chocolate finish makes up for it a bit. This is pretty darn good for a gimmick beer.
Brewery Stats
| Score | 6.53 |
| Beers | 170 |
| Ticks | 3660 |
Top Reviewers (Not including batches)
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allmyvinyl | 95 |
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cagarvie | 92 |
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Scopey | 92 |
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Stuu | 82 |
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jamestulloch | 64 |
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McCash | 61 |
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fonefan | 55 |
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Downender | 52 |
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BlackHaddock | 50 |
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berkshirejohn | 50 |