Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale - Williams Brothers Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What's not to like? A fruity smooth stout with the aroma of its roasted barley, good stout like thickness, no coffee. Good complexity, mild acidicty in the finish. And elderberries are as healthy as wine because they are blue, seriously.Oh, and chocolate too.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2008 00:36:57 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opaque mahogany with lighter brown highlights at the edges, capped by a wheat toast brown head with a finely pitting surface. Within minutes, the head deflates to a dense one finger disk beneath a thin, unbroken sheet of lace that extends partway up the glass.

The nose is of dark roasted malt with a generous shot of blackberry brandy. It's an intriguing aroma and is one that I find appealing. Ebulum Elderberry is some kind of flavorful; definite points for boldness. It's equal parts heavily roasted malt with a vinous black currant-blackberrry-anise flavor that is both different from anything that I've had before and tasty as hell.

The concentrated dark berry essence is strong enough to easily be the dominant flavor, yet not so overpowering as to be annoying or to limit drinkability. The biting, sweet licorice-anise flavor is a bonus and gives a depth and a badass character to this bewitching brew. The medium-full, slightly viscous body matches the flavor profile perfectly and the mouthfeel can only be described as silky.

I like Ebulum Elderberry Black much more than I thought I would. This is no pansy fruit beer, but is a bold, sweet-spicy, darkly fruity concoction that pushes my buttons and makes me say 'hell yeah'. If I ever decide to become a Druid, this will be my official daily quaff.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2004 23:38:26 | More by BuckeyeNation

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

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

02-25-2011 14:33:29 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a black body with brown edges and a bubbly, beige head.

Smell: Aroma of roasted barley and elderberries (which come across as a smokey wild grape). Notes of chocolate as well as molasses.

Taste: Chocolatey, roasted barley flavor with a hint of smoke and, of course, a firm elderberry fruit taste and sweetness - like a blackberry-grape mix. Dash of spice. Light sourness to the roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Interesting and certainly fine enough for a single bottle, but not something I'd want to make a habit of.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2008 23:03:35 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a coffee brown color with a modest tan head that leaves ringlets and spots

Smell: Earthy dark fruit and dark chocolate tones

Taste: Initial pruny flavor is quickly joined by black coffee; slightly smoky; after the swallow, the chocolate flavor bursts forth and provides a slightly sweet finish with a bitter coffee elements

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Mellow tones with an interesting panoply of flavors make this one of my favorites from this brewery

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2007 02:50:29 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a dark foamy head with average retention. I can only describe the aroma as a strange mix between roasted malt and semi-sweet fruit (kind of remind me of Weyerbacher raspberry impy stout). Taste is also a mix between the elderberry sweetness/sourness and the bitterness coming form the roasted malt. Overall, I would say that I enjoy this because it is out of the ordinary and that seems refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2005 15:54:07 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyable and nicely drinkable. I have a great appreciation for experimental and challenging brews, though this one falls a little unsettled. A medium viscous black hue with light head retention and fair lacing. Smells quite 'Schwarzbier'-like with a soft, powdered sugar sweetness. Stong with the berries (raspberries and blueberries) in the flavor and lightly in the aroma. Turns to vineous or wine-like midway through the drink with a grapelike flavor and sweetness in the finish. A moderate alcohol feel and flavor shows in the finish as well. Good, but off on the toasted quality and underlying sweetness. Lacks boldness for such character.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2006 16:16:46 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black in color, and quite opaque. The head is tannish with what seems to be a pink tint. Unfortunately, the head is fairly limited and drops quickly, leaving an average collar and very limited lace. The aroma expresses a soft fruitiness which is quickly overshadowed by roasty notes. Very intriguing. The body is medium and the carbonation is light; giving it a soft creaminess in the mouth. The flavor starts a bit chocolatey, becoming a bit wine-like toward the finish, and leaves a lingering, lightly sweet and creamy berry flavor. Very nice, and quite unique. Well worth trying. Makes a great after dinner beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2002 17:05:49 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

The gloomy sky over the highlands on a rainy evening now sits in my shaped pint glass. Normally, I'd agree with you that that sounds at least a bit negative, but this time is different. The gloom is indeed heavy, but there is a glimmer of clarity, some vague smoky garnet highlights that shine through with the sun's dying rays. Beneath this furtively optimistic sky lies a meadow engulfing me with scents of tart berries, rain-soaked heather, fresh raisins, and sugared figs. It's just the right combination of serene invitation and a wild admonition, like the rugged highlands themselves...or so I hear. Bobby Burns can be pretty persuasive. Diving in, those berries, not as tart as they initially appeared, have found themselves enveloped by heather, dark wheat, and tea leaves. It's as new and strange to my tongue as attempting to mimic the accent of the locals. Again, if you've read some Burns, you'll know what I'm talking about. Similarly in this vein, strange though it may be, it's not altogether bad. Just new and unusual. Luckily, the immense weight of the clouds overhead is not mirrored in this brew, which maintains a lightly medium weight that slides nicely along like that babbling brook running through the nearby lea. Like the craggy highlands, this is an acquired taste; if you can get into it, you'll love it, and if not, well, let's just say you won't be attending any local Gaelic Games any time soon. I'd recommend the experience, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 00:55:10 | More by TMoney2591

WesWes

New York

4.35/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a deep dark black color with a thick frothy tan/brown color head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a rich and malty scent that boasts of roasted barley, black and caramel malts along with a faint elderberry aroma. The taste is great. It has a smooth and rich black malt flavor that goes down easy and finishes with a slight tart elderberry taste. It's got a pretty unique taste. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine beer. It has a complex palate that is quite tastey and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2005 23:46:15 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Beer is dark, little to no visible carbonation but this may be due to the color, there is no head. The aroma is of roasted malt, chocolate, some musk. Interesting.

Complex mixture of flavors, wood, chocolate, roast, lots of roast in the back of the mouth, nice sweetness in the front. This has been my favorite of this vertical and I did not expect that. It is almost porterish in its way. A complicated and interesting beer. Drinkability high, mouthfeel average.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 05:56:53 | More by drabmuh

metter98

New York

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color--resembling that of a stout--and has a thin ring of bubbles floating on the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of elderberries in the nose along with some notes of licorice.
T: Unlike the smell, there aren't really any fruity flavors; the taste has notes of roasted malts and hints of sourness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
D: It would definitely drink this again because it goes down smoothly and is rather unique.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 22:09:59 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.15/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Best by Date December 2007, Sampled June 2007
Pours with a deeply, purple stained, almost black color and is topped by a frothy, lightly browned, tan colored head that starts out at two-fingers in height. The aroma is fairly light, but does have a soft, berry-like fruitiness that reminds me of grape soda. There is also a touch of toasted malt, but that is all I can really pull out of the aroma right now.

Sweet up front, yet not in anyway sticky. It does have a sort of diluted, grape soda like flavor to it. It has a light carbonation and despite this, a slightly creamy texture to a beer that is fairly light bodied. The finish has a lightly astringent, almost bitter, roast malt edge to it. Soft berry like notes are the most prominent flavors here, but they are certainly not strong, or in any way overwhelming. The finish has a thin, vaguely red wine like character to it that is perhaps a mix of soft tannic notes and the berry flavors.

The flavors in this beer are fairly one dimensional some how. The berry note is nice, but is too dominant; the beer is also a bit too thin and the roast character only adds some acidity and astringency in the finish. If the base beer was more flavorful I think this would actually work. As it is, this beer is a touch boring, though certainly not undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2007 02:14:00 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, with a very thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of roasted malts, coffee, dark fruits and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts is very porter-like and starts out malty with flavors of black coffee, dark chocolate and berries. The berry flavor is a little sharp at times and some sweetness tends to show itself sporadically. There's a very mild hops presence but not much balance. The after-taste is bitter-sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, decent kick, decent representation of style, this one doesn't have as much spice or odd flavoring that other beers in the style have, but I still didn't find this beer to be very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 02:37:04 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of a variety 4 pack,

Poured Mahogony with a bubbly 1" deep tan head. Minimal head retention, but good lacing

Smell: Sweetness, malt, floral notes and a whiff of berries

Taste: Chocolate malt, slight sweetness, & an almost like sweet (think home made) wine/jam taste. Choclate, dryness, and a hint of sourness in the finish.

MF: A little under gassed for me, slick & well balanced otherwise.

Idiosyncratic beer that I'm guessing gives us a glimpse into the past & future of home brew. Seek it out!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2006 05:29:12 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a nice looking black color. The head had some good body to it but didn't last very long. The lacing was scattered and thin. The smell of the beer has a faint fruity aroma mixed with some roasted malts. The taste of the beer had some Elderberry sweetness to it upfront that faded into a dark toasted dry flavor. The mouthfeel of the been is very smooth and had just enough carbonation to it. Overall I find it to be a pretty enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 17:40:05 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

11.2 oz. bottle,

A: Pours black with a creamy light tan head, soapy lace.

S: Mix of roasted malt and some red wine/port character.

T: Dark fruit/elderberry with a light sweetness at first, dark chocolate as well. Nice balanced flavour, hint of mild coffee on the finish.

M: Soft carbonation, creamy, smooth, light-bodied.

D: Delicious and very drinkable, just wish it was less expensive. An authentic archaic ale, a must try for the Celtic beer lover like myself.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 01:57:35 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 fl. oz. bottle, BBD: 04/09

Pours black with a brownish ring at the edge, and ruby near the meniscus of the glass, under direct light. Thin initial tan head, that fades to a bubbly ring.

Some roast malt and hickory aroma, fairly subdued.

Dry roast, initial bitterness that fades, some light woody tones. Possible bakers chocolate. Lingering aftertaste of wood. Earthy, but with a slight hint of oxidation. No distinct flavor of fruit.

It drinks like a Schwarzbier, or a light American Porter. Sticky on the lips, with a modest carbonation level. Easy enough to drink, but i'd prefer a porter to this.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2008 19:46:49 | More by emerge077

jwc215

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Label indicates best before end of February 2007.

Pours jet black with a lasting thin tan head. Some broken lacing sticks to the glass.

The smell is of licorice, rooty, with hints of red wine. Different, but pleasant.

The taste is winey with licorice-like characteristics. (Not unusual, as elderry is related to licorice. No hops are used, so the bitterness comes from herbs. A very slight medicinal touch comes along with the bitter herbs. This one is more sweet than bitter, though. Sweet roasted grains - oatmeal and barley give it a sweet character. Toffee is noticeable as well.

Silky, even slickly, smooth. It slides right down. The flavors linger.

This is an unusual drink and good for what it is. This is the fourth of a four-pack series I bought and it is my favorite. Not something I would want with any regularilty, but a nice "something different" rare treat.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2006 23:26:03 | More by jwc215

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours like a porter thick body dark caramel ruby almost black with a light tan mocha head, fine speckled lacing. Aroma has dark roasted malts with a light fruitiness, really roasty like a porter with dark chocolate and a touch of coffee roasts. Flavor is great a big rustic porter labeled as a berry infused black ale, that works to. It still tastes like a creamy dark chocolate/roasted coffee beer. This is probably the best base beer with the ancient ingredients having less effect than any of the other ancient ales. Mouthfeel is medium bodied creamy texture very enjoyable with mellow carbonation goes down easy the glass literally drains itself. Overall a solid black ale that regardless of the label they're putting on it, is damn good.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 19:35:03 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque black with a dark tan head that leaves a lot of lacing. Nose is licorice, berry, and earthy. Flavor is smooth and with much depth. Hearty like a stout with roasted qualities, but just a bit of hearty berry edge. Feel is thick with character, but with a lower carbonation. Drinkable? This is one brewery that I want to try everything they put out. Unique, well balanced, and worth the time, money, and pleasure.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 21:10:15 | More by RblWthACoz

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a four finger tan head that fades slowly and leaves a good lace. Totally black color. Slight malty nose. Light carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Flavor is roasted malt, I don't get any elderberry taste. Best by Aug 2009. $3.00 for a 330ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2009 23:57:39 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(Served in an American pint glass)
A- Dark, dark brown opaque body with only a few small bubbles visible and a few random bubbles make a thin head around the edges.

S- nice roasted malt, cold coffee aroma

T- nice roasted dark malt taste with a light bitterness from roasted grain. Finishes with a faint berry flavor. Roasted malt and berry flavor linger a bit on the tongue.

M- slippery mouthfeel with a full body. A slight stringency but very subtle

D- This is an interesting beer. It has a nice balance of maltyness and bitterness even though there are no real hop presents in this beer. The fruit is a secondary character that compliments the grains very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2005 03:35:04 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 11.2 oz slender Euro style bottle with a “Best before end” date on the label.

Appearance: Black as night with a thin, almost wispy, tan lace that has a decent retention.

Smell: Earthy with a sweet-tart fruitiness and a soft sweetness from the oats and barley, charred wood comes to mind also.

Taste: Silky smooth with a moderate carbonation, medium to full bodied and a slick mouth feel make this brew slide down the throat easier. Sweet-tart fruitiness of lemon and wild berries come through though are mild. Maltiness throws both sweetness and roasted flavours with a charred wood and earthy flavour that are more in contrast to the sweetness. A softness from the oats is noticeable with a mild sweetness also. Hops are light yet balancing, alcohol is deceiving with faint esters towards the end. That same woodiness flows into the finish and helps with the drying effect.

Notes: Eclectic and complex with a juicy sweet-tart fruitiness within, I’d put this in my dessert beer category and pair this one with chocolaty and / or fruity desserts. Certainly a specialty brew and nothing less.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2002 18:55:15 | More by Jason

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 1/2 finger fluffy and small bubbly head forms and fades at a medium pace over a darker than expected almost pitch black colored beer.

The nose is interesting, some light fruity aromas with a slight berry aroma that I can only assume is Elderberry, (yeah I have an idea what Elderberry is from other beers and tea). Some light dark malts, little roast and toasty, plenty of interesting dark malts. Also a nice crisp ale like aroma, almost lager aroma but not quite there. Some sweetness, light sweet malts and some honey.

The taste is similar to the nose. It comes on first with lots of dark malts, a little black patent I think, some roast, caramel malts, even a light smoked. Some light syrupy flavors, touch of molasses and caramel. A very light smoke and toffee. More nice ale crispness that rivals a lager again, with a definite black lager like flavor. There is some light fruits, and light elderberry, but nothing like the nose brought. Slightly creamy as well. It finishes slightly dry with more of the lingering syrupy feel and flavor, light black lager flavors too despite being an ale, and a slight bitterness thanks to the Elderberry I can assume.

The mouth is medium to lighter bodied with a typical lager crispness despite being an ale, and decent carbonation.

It has a decent drinkability with light crispness, light sweetness, and drinks well. However, the stickiness and dry finish don't bide well together and get a little weird feeling late, and almost gritty.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 04:21:05 | More by jlindros