 wyzzywyz22 (243), Wirral, Merseyside, England
May 9, 2008
Bottle, pours black with a ruby tinge. Fabulous aroma of berry which gives way to a peaty smokiness. Velvety mouthfeel. Flavour is roasted malt , berry, dark chocolate. Nicely balanced, dryish bitter, hoppy finish. A complex and massively enjoyable brew. A real treat.
TheGrandMaster (1406), Auckland, New Zealand
Jul 25, 2008 Bottle (in NZ), pours black with a tringe of purple, with a thin bubbly beige head. The elderberry is there, but the aroma is mroe grape, with some toffee malt. Chocolate malt on the palate, licorice and grapes. The swallow is oily, before a pleasantly dry and ashy finish.
IrishBoy (2057), Bakersfield, California, USA
Jul 16, 2008 330ml bottle from Bottleworks BB Aug 09; Nose of coffee, locorice, berries, and a very slight background menthol note; extremely dark but transparent brown with a medium, glass-lacing tan head; flavor has locorice, slight berries, and coffee in the background; finish is very light menthol and bitterness. Unusual brew!
borisz (116), Netherlands
Jul 15, 2008 33CL Bottle, Dark color, medium head wich is fast gone. Berry taste.
Good beer.
nearbeer (1101), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Jul 10, 2008 330 ml, bbe Oct-08. Opaque black with a two-finger creamy head that stays. Metallic molasses, dark fruit, slight coffee, and maybe some light char in the nose. Flavor is chocolate, raisin, oats, charred wood, metallic-acidic berry, and a touch of sour cream and piquant spice/herb. Medium-heavy body is smooth, pretty neutral between sticky and dry, and has some tongue tingle. Tastes like a very good oatmeal porter/stout with a dash of dark berry and earthy herbs.
benbakelaar (5), North Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
does not count  Jul 7, 2008 I have a bad sense of smell, so not much in the way of aroma. Right out of the bottle I smelled a bit of fruit. Black in appearance, light does not penetrate far at all. Poured from a bottle, there was a respectable head but less than 1" I would say. Dominant tastes are bitter and burnt, but both are nicely balanced by a body somewhere between crisp and creamy. The palate is lively, with a quick finish, not much lingering. Did not know what to expect, never had elderberry’s before. Not tasting much of the fruit, but the bitterness is clearly balanced. Would not buy a 6 pack even if they had it, but as a single bottle it is very nice and I can see it going well with a hearty meal.
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