Christoffel Nobel Dry Hopped Bramling Cross
Bierbrouwerij Sint Christoffel B.V

330 ml swingtop bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 8.7%. Hazy golden colour, moderate white head. Very nice and fresh hoppy aroma, typical Bramling Cross notes of blackcurrants / blackcurrant leaves. The flavour is herbal, spicy and hoppy, again with notes of blackcurrant leaves. The alcohol is clearly present.

 

 

 

A chilly swing top brown bottle is split between a pilsner glass (for me) and a flute (for my wife).

The beer is cloudy and has a dirty straw color. The head is white and very large. It leaves a decent amount of soapy lace behind.

The beer has a strong citrus aroma. There is a lot of grapefruit here! Despite that, there isn't much in the way of hop oils. Even though there is a lot of citrus, it doesn't remind me of a West Coast IPA. There are also hints of lemon and pine, as well as some hearty malt sweetness.

The beer has a hearty flavor that lets you know you are drinking a central European lager. There are big malts that are only slightly sweet. Hops are strong but not overly bitter. It tastes most bitter in the finish, as the hops linger on longer than any other flavors. It is a citrus-like hop flavor, with a good amount of lemon and some spiciness as well.

This is a hearty beer. It has a big body and a good amount of carbonation. There is a hoppy coat left behind. This beer feels like it should.

I like this beer. I don't think I've had a Euro Strong Lager that has been dry-hopped, nor am I aware of ever having Bramling Cross hops before. Both are very good and make this beer quite enjoyable. If you see a bottle, you should grab it!

 

 

 

330 ml brown glass swingtop bottle served into a Norrebro Bryghus stemglass. Reviewed from notes.

A: 3.5 finger head of nice appealing cream, good thickness, and great retention. Cloudy dark yellow colour.

Sm: Cream, Germanized pilsner-esque hops, and moderately full barley. A mild strength aroma.

T: Cream, full barley, and plentiful indistinct hops. Some very creamy notes. Not horribly complex, but well built and balanced. Refreshing and light.

Mf: Smooth and wet; a bit too much on both counts. Too slick for sure. Partially complementary of the flavours of the body. A bit too thick; the result is a weakness of foundation that can't quite support the flavours.

Dr: High ABV, fair drinkability, okay quality, and a decent price. She's nothing special, but she does alright.

Had this beer on tap in my favorite pub de vlaamse reus. The beer pours a hazy medium color with a large fluffy head. Smell is grain, hay, some bitter hops coriander and a very clear citrus sweetness. Also I smelled some laundry soap. Taste is sweet up front and long spicy bitter aftertaste. Sweet fruits again, with some more soap. Mouthfeel is medium as is carbonation. Overall: nice beer, significantly different from the regular Nobel. Just a bit less soap flavors would do this one good though.