Williams Red
Williams Brothers Brewing Company


- From:
- Williams Brothers Brewing Company
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #87 - ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #28,609 - Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 9.07%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 17
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 24, 2022
- Added:
- Sep 15, 2005
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.83/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
500 ml bottle, bought at Vaaland Spesialbutikken, Bryne. ABV is 4.5%. Copper coloured beer, big to moderate off-white head. Very nice aroma, first fruity hops with notes of various berries, then caramel, bakery and malts (some of them lightly roasted). The flavour is first malty, with notes of caramel and brown bread, then some moderate fruity hops. Not too sweet. The finish has a moderate bitterness, mixed with notes of slightly burnt malts.
Jul 24, 2022Reviewed by Hoppsbabo from England
3.31/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
A: Reddish amber with a slightly off-white head.
S: Piney hops.
T: Dry and slightly piney with a biscuity malt backbone. Not good biscuits though. Alka Seltzer-like and insipid. You lose the piney hops after a few chugs.
O: Shit.
Jan 03, 2015S: Piney hops.
T: Dry and slightly piney with a biscuity malt backbone. Not good biscuits though. Alka Seltzer-like and insipid. You lose the piney hops after a few chugs.
O: Shit.
Reviewed by Arborescence from Finland
3.56/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Medium dark copper/ruby. Pours a one finger head that recedes quite quickly.
Aroma: Malty, with a hint of caramel. Not very strong, but a refreshing combination of malt and hop aromas.
Taste: Robust malt, but quite light at first. The hops come forward in the aftertaste with a little bit of bitterness, but it's a light beer all in all.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, light to medium body; the aftertaste is heavier though. Low carbonation.
Overall: Decent beer, even if nothing amazing. Would be a good session ale.
Jun 14, 2013Aroma: Malty, with a hint of caramel. Not very strong, but a refreshing combination of malt and hop aromas.
Taste: Robust malt, but quite light at first. The hops come forward in the aftertaste with a little bit of bitterness, but it's a light beer all in all.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, light to medium body; the aftertaste is heavier though. Low carbonation.
Overall: Decent beer, even if nothing amazing. Would be a good session ale.
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York
3.95/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On cask at L Mulligan Grocer, Dublin.
Creamy parchment head that leaves rings over glowing apple red body. Strawberry, caramel, dark toast and resin on the nose; very crystally, not a million miles from 5 a.m. Saint.
More dark toast, red berry and some toffee and chocolate, a bit of sour malt and roastiness with orange oil and wood hops.
Tangerine and tropical lily end and oily linger. Light to medium, slight cling, crisp.
Tart but chewy, clean and light but with lots of roasted malts and hops - this walks a knife's edge. 7 different malts explains the depth and late Cascade explains the citrus. A Scottish-American Amber?
Unconventional and very drinkable.
Jul 19, 2012Creamy parchment head that leaves rings over glowing apple red body. Strawberry, caramel, dark toast and resin on the nose; very crystally, not a million miles from 5 a.m. Saint.
More dark toast, red berry and some toffee and chocolate, a bit of sour malt and roastiness with orange oil and wood hops.
Tangerine and tropical lily end and oily linger. Light to medium, slight cling, crisp.
Tart but chewy, clean and light but with lots of roasted malts and hops - this walks a knife's edge. 7 different malts explains the depth and late Cascade explains the citrus. A Scottish-American Amber?
Unconventional and very drinkable.
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
3.26/5 rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.26/5 rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reviewed from notes during a visit to Glasgow, Scotland. Served from a cask into a pint glass.
A: Pours a red-amber. Not as dark as some amber stouts (e.g. Guinness - which few people seem to recognize is amber). Thin cask ale head.
Sm: Impossible to detect scent. No barley. No nothing. Never smelled so little. Not a bad thing, per se.
T: Luckily the taste is more remarkable than the smell. Balanced amber malt/barley. Nice finish complements the build of the body. All in all it's a bit one-note. Quite simple.
Mf: Nice. Coarse where it needs to be and dry enough. No complaints, but no praises.
Dr: Pricey but nice. I'd have it again so long as it's cask. These brewers would do well to be a bit more bold.
Mar 08, 2011A: Pours a red-amber. Not as dark as some amber stouts (e.g. Guinness - which few people seem to recognize is amber). Thin cask ale head.
Sm: Impossible to detect scent. No barley. No nothing. Never smelled so little. Not a bad thing, per se.
T: Luckily the taste is more remarkable than the smell. Balanced amber malt/barley. Nice finish complements the build of the body. All in all it's a bit one-note. Quite simple.
Mf: Nice. Coarse where it needs to be and dry enough. No complaints, but no praises.
Dr: Pricey but nice. I'd have it again so long as it's cask. These brewers would do well to be a bit more bold.
Reviewed by rarbring from Sweden
3.41/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.41/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The beer is clouded red and brown, a tan rather big and nice head leaving some lacing.
The smell is in the hops area, grass, nettles but some bread sweetness as well.
The taste is brown bread and sugar, biscuits, citric, bitter oranges, and the grass and nettles.
Medium carbonation, a rather thin body, but a nice dry finish.
Nice and easy to drink, seems to be well hopped.
Nov 30, 2010The smell is in the hops area, grass, nettles but some bread sweetness as well.
The taste is brown bread and sugar, biscuits, citric, bitter oranges, and the grass and nettles.
Medium carbonation, a rather thin body, but a nice dry finish.
Nice and easy to drink, seems to be well hopped.
Reviewed by tatoodkelt from Maryland
3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
My buddy and fellow BA 46and2 scored me a couple of Williams Brothers brews that arent normally available here since he works for the importer. Thanks again Dan!
Consumed 9/12/09- from notes.
Brown 500ml bottle poured into a pint glass.
A- Very deep brown/garnet with a tight bubbled off white head about one finger thick. Nice retention and lacing for the whole glass. mildy carbinated.
S- Light citrusy fruit, caramel malts.
T- Much like the smell with the addition of little wood hints and little floral notes here and there.
M- Medium bodied, slick and creamy.
D- Probably one of the easiest drinking ESB's I've had. Could be sessioned with no problem.
Sep 14, 2009Consumed 9/12/09- from notes.
Brown 500ml bottle poured into a pint glass.
A- Very deep brown/garnet with a tight bubbled off white head about one finger thick. Nice retention and lacing for the whole glass. mildy carbinated.
S- Light citrusy fruit, caramel malts.
T- Much like the smell with the addition of little wood hints and little floral notes here and there.
M- Medium bodied, slick and creamy.
D- Probably one of the easiest drinking ESB's I've had. Could be sessioned with no problem.
Reviewed by DerBayer from Germany
3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.88/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I was unsurprised to find that this is another good brew by the williams bros:
A - Very good ruby with golden brown touch
S - I smell hops with caramel and some floral notes but a bit too faint
T - Tastes just the way it smells but a bit less bitter and stronger notes of fruit would be good
M - Low-Medium carbonation with small bubbles
D - Yep goes down a treat but slightly bitter and dry so you cannot have too many in one go
Jun 27, 2009A - Very good ruby with golden brown touch
S - I smell hops with caramel and some floral notes but a bit too faint
T - Tastes just the way it smells but a bit less bitter and stronger notes of fruit would be good
M - Low-Medium carbonation with small bubbles
D - Yep goes down a treat but slightly bitter and dry so you cannot have too many in one go
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!