Fraoch 20th Anniversary Ale
Williams Brothers Brewing Company

Fraoch 20th Anniversary AleFraoch 20th Anniversary Ale
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From:
Williams Brothers Brewing Company
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
ABV:
11%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 10.78%
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
75
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 24, 2022
Added:
Oct 28, 2009
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  9
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DefenCorps:
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Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

3.97/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On cask at Max's. I've enjoyed this beer out of the bottle, and was looking forward to trying it on cask.

Clear amber with a thin ring for a head, this isn't the prettiest gruit out there. The nose is great. Heather, honey,whiskey complex malt character - very nice! Palate opens with a nice blend of heather, juniper and honey with a sweet and whisky note. Honey, brown sugar, caramel are present. Very complex. Boozy heat is present on the finish. Medium full in body and flat, this could possibly use bubbles. Nice and slick, though a touch of herbal astringency on the finish, there's a little herbal character too. Solid stuff, thought I think the bottled version was better.
Jun 25, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4.07/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml "champagne" green bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Limited edition of 7500 bottles, my botttle No. 3470. ABV is 11.0%. Deep golden to brown colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Excellent aroma of sherry, whisky, figs, vanilla and oak, also notes of heather honey. The flavour is fairly sweet with a warming mouthfeel, again notes of sherry, whisky, vanilla, heather honey and raisins. Still relatively light bodied for an 11% beer. Some "dusty" bog myrtle and very moderate hops in the finish.
Jul 24, 2022
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
For the world's premiere gruit makers, year twenty is a big- one worth celebrating by making the classic ale that put Scotland on the beer map. Aged in scotch whisky barrels for extra measure highlights the culture of the bog and the flavors that come from it.

Deep within its tawny gold hues, a faint misty haze rises to crown the glass with a wisping, soapy froth. Rich peat, whisky, oak and campfire fill the nose with its earthy perfume. To taste however, the ale is surprisingly delicate with trickles of caramel, toffee and dark fruit.

Though laying on the tongue with great finesse, the ale isn't without high complexity. Its soft caramels and butter pecan saturates with the soft, honey-like delicacy of mesquite. Smoked sweetness rounds into a gentle winy taste of red grape, light vinous tartness, rich prune, date and fig. Its whisky-soaked oak has a weathered leather character with sweet and fruity tobacco following it up.

Medium-bodied yet trending light, soft and powdery, the dry and weathered oak with a peaten undertow keeps the flavor abundant on the finish, but without the weight or sweeter body that's associated with whisky, caramel or fruit. The aftertaste of smoky port, peppercorn and sherry echo long after the sweetness evaporates.
Feb 19, 2016
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Rated by wethorseblanket from California

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Shared by Richard on 1-14-12.
May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.95 by Bung from Michigan

Apr 26, 2015
Photo of KYGunner
Reviewed by KYGunner from Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The nose is a lot like a Barleywine with dark fruits and decadent chocolate malts, but there's a bit of earthy peat and perfume to set it apart.

This drinks like a port with alcohol laced prunes, dates and other dark fruits. This is a very smooth sipper.
Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by IMFletcher from Kentucky

Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.52 by PassMeAZima from Kentucky

Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by jaydoc from Kansas

Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Hohnbaum from Kansas

Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by spycow from Illinois

Oct 26, 2014
Photo of Chinookie
Reviewed by Chinookie from District of Columbia

3.94/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Had been saving this one in the cellar since 2009. Bottle #0997 of 7500.

Foamed up a bit upon opening but fortunately had a glass handy to avoid wastage. Immediate aroma of floral and crisp apple cider.

Poured into snifters; beautiful dark gold with a loose foamy white head. Aroma gave away the sour notes in the taste, but also smacked of wood and funk.

Bracing sour upon tasting, but progressed along with wood and sour mash notes.

An excellent beer to pull from your cellar in the summer. Refreshing and worth the wait. After five years, the funk and sour keep up. Nice all around.
Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by DarrenBrule from Canada (ON)

Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by ubufan2112 from Connecticut

Feb 23, 2014
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.35/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
750 mL bottle poured into a mini snifter. Plastic cork is strange.

Appearance - Deep orange with a fleeting white head. Nothing after a few moments.

Smell - Whoa, it's weird. Some acidity. Lactic. Malty and sweet. Whiskey. Oak. Crazy.

Taste - Again, it's all sorts of strange. Whiskey comes through. Still a bit of tang to it that I didn't expect. Oaky. Malty. Herbal. Very strange.

Mouthfeel - Sweet, low carbonation. Some tang, but not anything I'd call sour. Some booze.

Overall - Someone likened it to a whiskey sour. Probably an oversimplification, but an apt descriptor.
Jul 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by UTvolFAN16 from North Carolina

Jul 07, 2013
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Looks to be the 2009 vintage, marked down on a seasonal shelf in MN.
Carefully poured in a taster glass, it has some clarity but there are random floating chunks in suspension. Lasting ring of foam with arcs of lace in the glass. Maintains some froth during the whole glass.

Tart with a musty cellar funk to it. Apple notes remind me of sherry, could be from the cask.

Tart with a middling sherry sweetness, almost tangy. Fuller feel, savory with a pervasive tangy fruit taste. Lower carbonation. Unusual, not sure if its worth the price tag at this point. If you love sherry and tart old ale, this might be up your alley.
Jun 23, 2013
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Best by 2019. $20.99 Bottle was a gusher and lots of particles in suspension.

A: light brown/amber color, gusher with lots of particles in suspension, huge creamy/frothy head, great lacing
S: clean, spritzy with a bit of sourness (CO2?), full nose with spicy qualities
T: clean, spritzy with slight sourness, herb qualities, highly drinkable and very refreshing, taste belies ABV of 11%, has almost a gueze quality
M: very smooth, refreshing
Jun 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by AngusOg from North Carolina

May 24, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by GRG1313 from California

May 23, 2013
Fraoch 20th Anniversary Ale from Williams Brothers Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 75 ratings