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Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale
Williams Brothers Brewing Company
- From:
- Williams Brothers Brewing Company
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
Ranked #10 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #19,996 - Avg:
- 3.8 | pDev: 11.32%
- Reviews:
- 367
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 29, 2024
- Added:
- Sep 18, 2001
- Wants:
- 40
- Gots:
- 26
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.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by pmcadamis:
Reviewed by pmcadamis from Illinois
4.44/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - This one is WAY more dark than I expected. It's almost like a blackberry juice stain on a white T-shirt: reddish-black-purple with no trace of light coming through. The head is minimal, but it's a frothy white-chocolate thing, although it reduces to a wispy haze within the span of a few minutes. Lacing is sporadic at best, and only a few spots are left on the snifter after a swirl.
S - This smells like a porter to me. I know that its supposed to be an ancient replica of an old tyme brew, but it really smells like a lightly chocolaty porter. There are gentle creamed coffee notes with what I would describe as blueberry, since I have no idea what the hell an elderberry smells like. It smells really friggin' good though! Tootsie rolls, mild coffee with milk, and a vinous wine-like note that I quite like.
T - Honestly, I'm still getting more milk chocolate than anything here. Not that its a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, its just that I don't know if I would peg this as a beer that has ANY fruit in it. To me, it's a well done mild porter with nice chocolate and coffee notes well rounded with a creamy flavor that reminds me of hazelnut coffee creamer. I like it, but elderberry? For real?
M - Medium bodied with a mild silken carbonation and a slighlty dry cocoa powder finish.
D - Honestly, I like this better than any of the other Ye Olde Scottish brews for the simple fact that it is much more like a "real" beer. In my mind, this is a tasty and well made porter with a good deal of milk chocolate smoothness. I can' fault it for its lack of elderberry notes because I have no idea what an elderberry is, but it doesn't really taste like any kind of berry to me. There is a gentle fruitiness that is not uncommon to any yeasty ale, but it doesn't immediately strike me as "fruit" per se. This is a really nice beer that I would buy a six pack of if it came in that format. Sadly, this is found as part of an "historical" exercise in beer brewing and he other members of the four pack are enlightening, but nowhere near as drinkable.
May 01, 2009S - This smells like a porter to me. I know that its supposed to be an ancient replica of an old tyme brew, but it really smells like a lightly chocolaty porter. There are gentle creamed coffee notes with what I would describe as blueberry, since I have no idea what the hell an elderberry smells like. It smells really friggin' good though! Tootsie rolls, mild coffee with milk, and a vinous wine-like note that I quite like.
T - Honestly, I'm still getting more milk chocolate than anything here. Not that its a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, its just that I don't know if I would peg this as a beer that has ANY fruit in it. To me, it's a well done mild porter with nice chocolate and coffee notes well rounded with a creamy flavor that reminds me of hazelnut coffee creamer. I like it, but elderberry? For real?
M - Medium bodied with a mild silken carbonation and a slighlty dry cocoa powder finish.
D - Honestly, I like this better than any of the other Ye Olde Scottish brews for the simple fact that it is much more like a "real" beer. In my mind, this is a tasty and well made porter with a good deal of milk chocolate smoothness. I can' fault it for its lack of elderberry notes because I have no idea what an elderberry is, but it doesn't really taste like any kind of berry to me. There is a gentle fruitiness that is not uncommon to any yeasty ale, but it doesn't immediately strike me as "fruit" per se. This is a really nice beer that I would buy a six pack of if it came in that format. Sadly, this is found as part of an "historical" exercise in beer brewing and he other members of the four pack are enlightening, but nowhere near as drinkable.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Lexluthor33 from New York
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark as night in color.
Small head and tight lace.
Aroma of berries, cream, mocha and roasted malts.
Taste was roasted malts, dark fruits, sweetness with a creamy feel.
Light to medium body.
Low carbonation and a great balance with an amazing finish.
Feb 29, 2024Small head and tight lace.
Aroma of berries, cream, mocha and roasted malts.
Taste was roasted malts, dark fruits, sweetness with a creamy feel.
Light to medium body.
Low carbonation and a great balance with an amazing finish.
Reviewed by octortus from Canada (ON)
3.81/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
330 mL Bottle. ABV 6.5%.
Appearance: Dark brown, Half a finger of bubbly tan head, Ok retention, Spotty lacing.
Aroma: Dark dried fruit, Roasted bready malt, Chocolate, Hops.
Mouthfeel: Light-Medium body, Smooth, Thin, Light carbonation.
Flavour: Soft dried dark fruits, Roasted malt, Slight dark berries, Bitter.
Overall: I would assume that these beers are very difficult to do well. I think this is a good attempt but something seems off or unbalanced.
Review: 123
Jan 28, 2020Appearance: Dark brown, Half a finger of bubbly tan head, Ok retention, Spotty lacing.
Aroma: Dark dried fruit, Roasted bready malt, Chocolate, Hops.
Mouthfeel: Light-Medium body, Smooth, Thin, Light carbonation.
Flavour: Soft dried dark fruits, Roasted malt, Slight dark berries, Bitter.
Overall: I would assume that these beers are very difficult to do well. I think this is a good attempt but something seems off or unbalanced.
Review: 123
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York
4.06/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Decanted from the bottle into a conical pint glass; printed with Best before Feb 2016.
A: Pours a dark brown, almost black with a red caste around the edges; khaki colored head that dissipated quickly, leaving only a rim with little lacing or legs.
S: Dark roast malts interlaced with berry and plum notes, maybe a little rum.
T: Dark roast malts, dark chocolate, black coffee, and anise; leaves a pleasant tingling on the tongue. Really didn't detect the elderberry in the taste, although it is evident in the bouquet.
M: Full bodied with nicely persistent, albeit light effervescence.
O: Enjoyable.
May 22, 2017A: Pours a dark brown, almost black with a red caste around the edges; khaki colored head that dissipated quickly, leaving only a rim with little lacing or legs.
S: Dark roast malts interlaced with berry and plum notes, maybe a little rum.
T: Dark roast malts, dark chocolate, black coffee, and anise; leaves a pleasant tingling on the tongue. Really didn't detect the elderberry in the taste, although it is evident in the bouquet.
M: Full bodied with nicely persistent, albeit light effervescence.
O: Enjoyable.
Reviewed by BeernOnThe4thOfJuly from Missouri
4.04/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.04/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Deep brown with purple twinge. Very strong chocolate and blueberry nose. Really sweet. Taste follows suite. Some porter creaminess in the middle. Could use more hops on the finish. Good, but a bit unbalanced.
Apr 21, 2016
Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale from Williams Brothers Brewing Company
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
547 ratings
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