Life in the Coal Mine

Beer #137 Christooffel Nobel / Brouwerij Sint Christoffel, Roermond, The Netherlands

Today was difficult.  Tomorrow, I'm going in to work on my day off.  Which isn't a big deal, as I'll be at work again on Saturday.  And the Saturday after that.  Good times, good times.

I swear I'm not a whiner.  Hard work is part of the deal, it's what you do to get ahead - and I do a lot of it. But there are days where the light at the end of the tunnel is very clearly just the train.

On to the beer, an unusual triple lager from Brouwerij Sint Christoffel.  This beer pours a dark amber in the glass with very little head.  You pick up aromas of sweet malt and fruit, maybe figs?  The taste has notes of malt, light lemon, and molasses.  I swear I picked up a tea flavor in one sip, but it disappeared and I couldn't quite find it again.  It has a dry, clean finish with some mild bitterness.  Interesting, and not what I'd usually drink on a given day, but certainly not a bad beer.

This brewery is a relative newcomer, opening their doors in 1986.  They named themselves for the patron saint of their home city, who also happens to be the patron saint of travelers.  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
The completely awesome Allen Toussaint singing Working in the Coal Mine?  Yeah, I'm just going to leave this here.  It sums things up these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN9FYh_GmnM

Beer 137: Christoffel Nobel or Mmm, Beer, Good

Based on looks alone, I feel badly about providing a "errrr...beer...good...grrr" kind of post.  But that's unfortunately the way this one is going to play out.  

Christoffel Nobel is a dry-hopped triple lager.  It's from the Netherlands.  8.7% ABV.  It's an interesting cloudy, deep copper color.  Pretty much no head.  It smells of raisins.  Strongly.  

The flavor reminds me of earth, black tea, molasses. There is lots of black pepper and hops.  It drinks like it has a much higher ABV -- lots of warm alcohol in my belly. This beer is definitely intriguing.  At first I was all, "It's too hoppy."  Then as I reached the midway point, it's totally growing on me.  This beer is complicated and I am exhausted.  I surrender, Christoffel Nobel.  I surrender.