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Score
9193
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 717   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.44   EST. CALORIES: 195   ABV: 6.5%
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.

3.2
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
maledictum (499) - Granada, SPAIN - JUN 7, 2011
Bottle. Very deep, black body with a decent sized creamy mocha colored head. Lots of porter coffee bean flavor with a light hint of blackberry and other soft fruit notes. Very roasted malt base.

3.3
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
JDBaker11058 (616) - Maryland, USA - JUN 4, 2011
Appearance: charcoal, with dark caramel edges. Aroma: roasted malt, black licorice, dark fruits, caramel. Taste: slightly bitter with notes of chocolate, toffee and black licorice. Finish: lingering sweet black licorice. Notes: Very smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. Didn’t really taste any fruit, mainly the black licorice. Interesting dark ale. Almost stout-like in some characteristics.

4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
desertblues (20) - AUSTRALIA - JUN 2, 2011
Pours a thin tan head, black with a reddish tinge. Aroma of berries and toasted wheat. Bitter chocolate with a berry flavour.

3.3
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
BeerCast_Rich (1056) - Edinburgh, SCOTLAND - MAY 25, 2011
[330ml bottle, Peckhams Stockbridge, Edinburgh] Very attractive deep red pour, with a thin bubbly head that reduces pretty quickly. Toasty nose from the roasted wheat, along with a fruity edge on the aroma. The first thing I got from this was dark chocolate malt, there is some faint tart fruit in there as well, before the warming alcohol finish. Quite nice stuff [09072007]

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
Chipalsa (483) - Florida, USA - MAY 17, 2011
Pours a dark medium body with a thick head. Scents of barley, bitter berries and malts come around. The flavor was surprising light for such a dark beer. The berries gave it a bittersweet character around the roastiness of the malts, and a hint of coffee. This beer caught me by surprise and was both very satisfying and drinkable.

3.4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 12/20
lcwakshul (243) - Chester, Maryland, USA - APR 27, 2011
200th rating. 330mL bottle in a Trappist glass. Dark brown pour with little head. Roasty nutty aroma. Sweet coffee flavor with hints of fruit. Mild bitter finish but no strong hop flavor. Nicely balanced.

3.4
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
Thorpe429 (3562) - Alexandria, Virginia, USA - APR 22, 2011
Bottle at Big T’s in Lawton, Michigan. Served in a pint glass. Currently the #1 Gruit. Pours a dark brown color with a bit of a garnet hue. Light tan head sits atop the brew for a bit before falling back down. The nose brings forward a good amount of the elderberry along with some floral notes and a bit of malty sweetness. The taste hits the fruit notes pretty well with the gruit herbs playing a supporting role. Done quite well. The body is medium with average carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Overall, a nice beer I was glad to try. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-25-2011

3.6
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
mickmac (405) - Ngunnawal, AUSTRALIA - APR 21, 2011
Bottle. Clear ruby-black body, with a large tan head. Aroma-taste of tar, roast malt (coffee/chocolate/wood), blackberries. Balanced with a slight roast bitter, acidic finish. Very nice.


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Rating Notecard:
Beer: Heather Ales Ebulum Rating Avg: 3.44 No. of Ratings: 717
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