Beer # 95 Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale

Ebulum

Heather Ale Company Williams Bros. Brewing Co.

Kellibank, Alloa, Scotland, UK
Independent
Fruit Flavoured Ale 5.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$2.71 (Canadian) At LCBO $10.85 for a four pack

Twitter: @williamsbrewery

Third beer from the Historic Ales of Scotland pack. another Gruit Ale flavoured this time with Elderberries and Bog Myrtle. Elderberries are the fruit of the Sambucus plant, they grow in large flower-like clusters. The berries range in colour from red to purple to almost black, and grow in most temperate zones around the world. Elderberries have a long tradition with magic, especially earth magic. Druids and Witches (Wiccan) use the leaves, fruit, and bark in spells and ceremonies. And of course, if you have read the Harry Potter series, you will know that the most powerful wand ever made was made from an elder branch. The flower makes an excellent wine as does the fruit. The bark has vast untapped medicinal uses. A saying handed down to me from my maternal grandfather goes... "if you have an elderberry tree in you back yard; you do not need a doctor" (He lived to 86). Watchmakers used the pith of elderberry trees to clean their tools. and branches of the elderberry have been used as flutes, and spiles for collecting sap for maple syrup. Most commonly the berries are used to make syrup (elderberry cordial), or jam or are baked into pies. (sweet, delicious, yummy elderberry pies!) And of course the essential oil of the Sambucus... flavours the Italian liqueur Sambuca  The wood of the tree however has always played into folklore and superstition. If a crib was made of elder wood, the baby would die or amount to nothing. Wood from the tree could never be used with out asking the Elder Mother's permission, often in the form of this chant:

"Old girl, give me some of thy wood and I will give thee some of mine when I grow into a tree."

The recipe for this beer has it's origins in Wales, apparently introduced to Scotland by Welsh druids in the 9th century.

Onto the beer:

Very dark garnet and chestnut brown.Thin tan head made up of medium sized bubbles. The nose is like a porter, with dark roasty malts, and molasses, charred wood, and nutty notes. First sip gives us a rich syrupy sweet porter, notes of dark blue fruits, zippy and tangy. Finish is short with a sticky sugar feeling on the lips. Has a subtle port-like mouthfeel.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Very nice to taste elderberries in a beer. I loved elderberries as a kid, we used to eat them by the handful off the trees. The are loaded with anti-oxidents and vitamin C. But dear reader even I learn something every day. I learned today that raw elderberries can contain enough CYANIDE to seriously sicken you. Elderberries should only be consumed cooked. This was quite a shock to me considering I must have eaten enough raw elderberries to poison a small herd of elephants. No wonder I have a cast iron stomach...

Cheers

CJT


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