RateBeer
Score
9094
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 804   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.45   EST. CALORIES: 195   ABV: 6.5%
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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.


milewide's rating

3.5
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
milewide (1218) - Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA - NOV 16, 2012
Faint fruit aroma and taste on top of a decent porter or stout. Clear black color, with medium head and body. Didn’t cure my "sciatica"! :-)


most recent ratings

3.1
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
berntholer (220) - Antwerp, BELGIUM - JUN 9, 2013
beige head that disappears fast with some lacing. cola clear colour. aroma of ester, alcohol, liquorice and anise. taste of coffee, bitter, anise, liquorice and a light bitter aftertaste. medium carbonation and quite thin mouthfeel. couldn’t really detect the elderberries though. bottle 33 cl

3.1
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
sulawang (418) - British Columbia, CANADA - JUN 7, 2013
pours almost inkjet black/super dark brown with almost no head and not much retention. Roasted malts and soy sauce on the nose. Attack: 7/10-sweetness mixed with citrus/light acidity, Mid-palate: creamy mouthfeel, yeasty elderberries, sweet roasted malts, red wine, soy sauce Finish: persistent 5/10-sweetness, bitter roast, woodiness, hints of licorice, medium malty bitter finish. A good decent body on this black-fruity-bitter beer. The texture kind of thins out near the finish but otherwise a decent brew.

3.7
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
rarbring (705) - Linköping, SWEDEN - JUN 1, 2013
Aroma: Smelling of dark bread, smoke and stable.
Appearance: A hazy black colored beer. A off-white head with small lacing and good curtains.
Taste: Tasting bread, dates, coffee and smoked meat.
Palate: Low carbonation, a oily texture. A good body with a somewhat dry finish.
Overall: Soft and kind, but stout.
Note: Bottle at a De Klomp tasting. Reviewed 2013-06-01.

3.6
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
LomYst (256) - Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS - MAY 30, 2013
yes there are some berries, but very faint and in the back... lots of oatmeal, some milky chocolat... nice thickness but very low carbonization... taste is great, sweet, bitter/sour very wel balanced... great drinkable beer

2.2
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 2/5   TASTE 3/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 9/20
zenkis (300) - Ogre, LATVIA - MAY 21, 2013
Pours deep cola dark with beige small top. Aroma - light smoked, minimal roasted, sweet-sour berries, something clove like, light burnt sugar - dark caramely. Taste is almost no sweet from malt, above medium bitter from roast and hops, light sour from berries. Spicy on tongue, medium body, dry medium lasting finish, soft texture. Well - this to me is like spice beer, with weird flavor - like herby/spicy unknown something combined with bitter. Not to me.

2.7
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 11/20
sfhodense (4793) - Odense NØ, DENMARK - MAY 14, 2013
Pours brown with a beige head. Aroma is caramel, elderberries and chewing gum. Flavour follows the nose. Dry.

4.1
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20
dreamflower (360) - Steinbach, Manitoba, CANADA - MAY 12, 2013
Bottle shared with northropfrye. Gentle aroma. Clear black body. Tastes unlike any other.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
northropfrye (1376) - Steinbach, Manitoba, CANADA - MAY 12, 2013
UPDATED: MAY 16, 2013 Dark brown body with off white head. Smoky roasted malts aroma. Taste is a bit like a dry stout, with a touch of fruitiness and smoke. Quite nice.

3.4
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
Stuartyboy (172) - SCOTLAND - MAY 4, 2013
Bottle from dobbies garden world deep black in colour taste is sweet malt slightly smokey significant flavour if berries giving a fruity sweetness smooth drinking with limited noticeable bitterness

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Gurthnar (641) - Bratislava, SLOVAK REPUBLIC - MAY 2, 2013
Bottle from Brewdog Slovensko. Aroma is malty, roasty, coffee, light chocolatey. Pours with brownish head, stable. Colour is clear dark brown. Taste is roasty with coffee and indeed berry fruitiness. There is some light malty sweetness, which is quickly taken over by medium bitterness. Stays bitter for the rest of the duration. The somewhat sourish elderberry presents itself mostly in finish, in interesting harmony with bitter roasted and coffee flavours. Nicely drinkable piece from Bros, despite a little bit higher ABV. Full body.


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