The disclosure relates to tire tread compositions and methods for making. The compositions include a rubber, a rosin ester resin and at least one filler. The rosin ester resin is characterized as having a PAN number of less than 25, an acid number less than 20, a hydroxyl number of less than 30, a combined acid number and hydroxyl value of less than 50. The tire tread composition has a wet grip resistance to rolling resistance indicator ratio ((tan δ at 0° C.)/tan δ at 60° C.) higher than a tire tread composition containing a comparable amount of a rosin ester having a combined acid number and hydroxyl value of more than 50.