There's so much flavour and complexity in this beer that I don't think the bittering hop will add much of its own flavour, I'd happily sub goldings for bramling X. What recipe are you using btw? This is definitely on my to do list.
My next brew, I am doing tomorrow, is going to be something to suit a Halloween party I'm going to so some kind of dark ale with treacle and the pannepot will follow.
I've done a fair bit of research and for my first attempt I am using;
6250g Belgian Pilsner malt
750g Caramunich III
500g Special B
250g Carafa III
250g Chocolate Malt
1000g Candi sugar (dark)
250g Treacle (50g added to fermenter days 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
50g Bramling Cross (60 min)
25g Hallertau Mittelfruh (30 min)
Spices
Yeast nutrient
Protofloc
2 x 11.5g Safbrew BE-256 abbaye yeast rehydrated
13g DWB water treatment
Going to pitch at 18oC and keep it at that temp for 48 hrs then let it rise to 24oC for 2 weeks then drop the temp down low.
Aiming for 25 litres in fermenter. 25 litres in the grainfather and sparge with 12 litres at ph 5.3.
Boil for 90 mins
Aiming for efficiency of 85% with OG 1.100 and FG 1.018 abv about 10% SRM 50ish
Does that sound about right to you? It will be my 3rd brew