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Heather Ales Ebulum

Heather Ales Ebulum  - Traditional Ale

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 Percentile 
85
overall
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale

Alloa, Central, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
5843.46/5.03.45/5.06.5%85.1Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard
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Commercial Description:
Bottled. A cask version at 5.8% is produced in October and November.
"Elderberry Black Ale"
Introduced to Scotland by Welsh druids in the 9th Century, elderberry black ale was part of the Celtic Autumn festivals when the "elders" would make this strong ale and pass the drink round the people of the village. The recipe was taken from a 16th Century record of domestic drinking in the Scottish Highlands. Elderberries were used for many natural remedies to cure sciatica, other forms of neuralgia, influenza and rhumatism as they contain tannins and fruit oils.
Ebulum is made from roasted oats, barley and wheat boiled with herbs then fermented with ripe elderberries.
A rich black ale with fruit aroma, silky soft texture,soft roasted flavour and gentle finish.
Recommended with stewed and baked foods.
Drink lightly chilled from a straight glass.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Cornfield (4892), Oak Forest, Illinois, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/56/103/514/20
Feb 11, 2005  
This old drink pours a beautiful brownish-purple color with a slender trace of a white head. The aroma is malty sweetness with a perfumey fruity scent. Thin-bodied, this has a dark fruit flavor (that would be the berries, I suppose) and some malt sweetness, that combine in a way to give it a slightly medicinal quality. More interesting a drink than "good," but I certainly wouldn’t turn one away.


 Gromit (460), Port Orchard, Washington, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/102/514/20
Feb 10, 2005  
Pours dark black with a thin head that doesn’t last long at all. Aroma is fruity and malty: Very nice. Flavor is, well, like a fruity Black Ale. Palate is thin with very little carbonation. Overall it’s a nice change, but nothing special.


 tiggmtl (4307), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/102/57/103/512/20
Feb 7, 2005  
Mild peat malt in the sweet, herbal, fruity aroma. Opaque dark brown with shy, large-bubbled, off-white/tan head that recedes to thin ring. Peat malt flavour up front mellows to a subdued fruitiness with some herbal spicing and a fairly salty character. Medium-light body with smooth texture and gentle carbonation. Bottle (LCBO - Nov. 2004).


 krisbierjaeger (844), dolores, Colorado, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/516/20
Jan 30, 2005  
the curtains lifted, and immediately i liked the stage and props: the background was a beautifully stated minimalist expression of darkness and negative space; once my eyes adjusted to the sooty prune-colored expanse, i was able to discern cunning details of mahogany brush strokes along the periphery. contrasting to that was the head, a delicate frappe’, the almond-tan of peeled potatoes. together beer and head were the pleasing cream and dark leather colors of a pair of saddle shoes. the play began with a nice aromatic dialogue, a smell of fresh geraniums, grape jam, vapors of whiskey-- alas, the actors weren’t projecting vocally well enough, these clever lines were hard to hear. i identified with the whiskey character, and would have like to have seen him shine with bolder dialogue, but the role was skillfully supporting--and-- without giving away the ending-- we’d see more of him as the story unfolded... peat notes made the geranium more than a one-dimensional actor, we felt her darkness too, and it rang true and universal. meanwhile, the fruit could easily have been over-acted by a lesser performer, but even with sweet poignant lines, she never became shrill or fake. as the plot developed, it was clear that it wasn’t just a formulaic variation of a porter with a fruity gimmick-- themes were borrowed from certain scotch ales, and one saw the influence of the classic oatmeal stout school as well. the palate is very soft, almost watery, but the company plays well, no one grandstanding, good believable grounding in malty themes, sweet without being maudlin, bitter without being metallic, finishes with a bit of burnt zest, chocolate brownie, and the soft ending notes of that well-orchestrated whiskey score. i’ll definatley rent this when it comes out in dvd.


 ChrisPants (317), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/514/20
Jan 28, 2005  
Pours dark brown, thin quickly-dissipating head. Aroma of diet Pepsi (yet pleasant). I was concerned that the elderberry would be too potent, but happy to find that the fruit is more sour cherry without the redness: both sweet and sour. The hops cover what would be the bitter elderberry finish. Palate is somewhat greasy, but inoffesnsive. Enjoyable overall, but at 4 bucks a bottle, I won’t be picking this one up often.


 KAggie97 (2406), Ugly, Hot, and Humid Spring, Texas, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/105/518/20
Jan 15, 2005  
Pours like a thick root beer. The smell is of thistle in a quaint Scottish garden, and the taste is of the rugged Highland earth. Smoky with a slight hint of peat moss initially, followed by the subdued sweetness of elderberry. Awesome. (Whenever I hear ’elderberry,’ I always think of Monty Python for some strange reason... Hmmm. Wonder why.)


 Eructoblaster (1477), Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Jan 14, 2005  
Bottle - 330ml. Black body with ruby glints and a beautiful thick and lasting beige foamy head. Nice malty/oaty aroma with coffeeish and roasty notes. Very well balanced taste with a good combination of malty, hoppy and roasty flavors. We can also detect some hints of dark berries. Leaves a long bitter and roasty aftertaste and a subtle warming effect. Very interesting and enjoyable. Thank you PrimeMinister!


 Garrat (1132), Suffolk, England
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/514/20
Jan 13, 2005  
From a bottle.Almost black in colour,small head.Roasted dark fruits,strong rich flavours,another strange and historic feel to this beer.



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