Rude Elf's Reserve (formerly Rudolph's Reserve) - Bethlehem Brew Works

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed from notes of stuff I've had over the past month or so.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

Appearance: Deep red ale with a nice but short lived head.

Smell: Clove, cinnamon, all spice and icing. "Sugar, spice and everything nice." Back of the package recipe gingerbread cookies. Cheap holiday cookies. Smells good, if a little... cheesy. (And not like actual cheese.)

Taste: This seems like they made all of their baked goods for the season and then brewed up a decent Belgian strong ale and dumped all of the leftover spices into the ale. How they mix with the ale isn't bad, but it's not exquisite either.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodies with appropriate carbonation. Lightly sticky afterward.

This isn't a BAD beer. In fact, I didn't mind my experience with it at all. However, I wouldn't want it again for an entire year and a single 12 oz will do. The fruit cake of beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 23:52:43 | More by ColdWaffles

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

When i poured this beer into a pint glass, it has a dark reddish color body with a little head that layed down to a thin lace. The smell is of cinnamon, nutmeg.
The taste is malty and spicy,of cinnamon, nutmeg and some allspice, then the hops come on the back of the tongue. Very nice mouth feel, and overall a really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 02:34:06 | More by chefhatt

UDbeernut

New York

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Part of the mixed case from my sister. Pours a glorious red amber hue into my snifter capped by a foamy head with very little retention. Nose is strong with banana. Taste is trending sweet with burnt sugar, banana, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alcohol is banging down the front door and emjoyably warming on this cold day. Mouth is think and syrupy, a true sipping beer .

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 22:27:35 | More by UDbeernut

turnstile

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours reddish-brown with orange and ruby highlights. Only a ring of carbonation to stand in as the head; two thin strips of lacing are visible.

Smell: Cinnamon, Belgian yeast spiciness, brown sugar, molasses, and a bit of clove and orange zest. Alcohol aroma noticeable.

Taste: Alcohol-forward; spicing carries through to the palate with cinnamon and nutmeg apparent. Fairly clean with caramel malt flavors and Belgian yeast lingering in the finish. Mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with little carbonations; sort of flat. Way too syrupy for my liking.

Overall: I'm not really impressed. It's fairly one-dimensional and kind of a struggle to finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 04:10:04 | More by turnstile

VaTechHopHead

California

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - medium red with a thin head. Not much lacing and crystal clear

S - Very spicy with hints of cinnamon and clove. Not much hop profile and a nice caramel sweet aroma

T - Follows the aroma with spices, mostly cinnamon. Sweet tang in the middle and an alcohol presence towards the end. Finishes spicy and a warm boost flavor.

M - medium body and good carbonation. Palate finishes semi dry with a hint of alcohol

O - a very nice Christmas beer and the spices are blended very well. Definitely a seeker over the holidays

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 23:24:36 | More by VaTechHopHead

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle was part of a mix-n-match 6pk my friend picked up for a recent tasting. Thanks, Pat!

Poured and enjoyed in a DFH Signature Glass

A - Pours a very dark reddish/amber color. A very small head on the initial pour. A small amount of lacing left after enjoying.

S - A mix of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. The smell of alcohol as well.

T - Wow, this is a sipper for sure. Lots of booziness on the initial sip. The taste is that of a traditional Christmas spice beer - nutmeg, cinnamon and clove mixed with the taste of a yeasty Belgian-style beer. The alcohol is really noticeable. I assume this is a fresh bottle since no dating is on the bottle. Aging this probably would calm down the booze.

M - A rather thick consistency with very little carbonation. A boozy sweetness coats your mouth.

O - A brew that is a one a night beer, IMO. The booze and the overall heaviness of the beer make this a beer to sit back and slowly enjoy by the fire. A decent Christmas beer that I'd enjoying having again.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 16:17:50 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

oline73

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass. I'm pretty sure this is a 2010 bottle.

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear red amber with a finger of off white head. The head fades to a layer on top of the glass.

Smell: Very sweet and malty with some Belgian spice and fruity cherry like notes. I'm picking up some brown sugar and spices as well.

Taste: Sweet and a bit syrupy. Some spices and cherry like fruit notes along with lots of sweet malt. The finish is sweet with some spices. Smooth.

Mouthfeel: The body is a bit syrupy with smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a solid beer. I would have liked the taste to be a bit more refined, but I still enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 03:02:57 | More by oline73

muletrane

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2010 Vintage

Poured from a 12oz bottle (no dates) into a snifter.

A: Pours a deep plum colour with red/orange hues. 1 finger of ivory head dissapates quickly leaving some lace.

S: The highlight of this beer. Lots of spiciness in the nose. Spices don't seem to have faded at all. Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, clove, yeast. Very nice, smells like Xmas.

T: Didn't quite deliver from the great nose. Some spiciness up front and Belgian yeast notes on the backend. Finishes dry with some lingering spicy notes.

M: Not alot of carbonation here. Moderate body. Slick feel overall. Not the most pleasant mouthfeel here. Maybe do to the age.

Overall this beer is all about the nose. It smells fantastic! It just doesn't deliver in the flavor category. I wasn't a fan of it fresh and the aged bottle is only slightly better IMO.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 16:38:33 | More by muletrane

Jef59

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours an clear orangey-red with a off-white/beige head that starts at about 1.5" but fizzles out quickly to nothing.

S - You can smell huge notes of banana as it pours out the bottle. In the glass, a lot of spice is noticeable. Hints of caramel and vanilla are also present. A little booze.

T - following the nose, banana is the most noticeable flavor followed by clove, coriander, and all spice. Flavors of sweet bread - like a pound cake come to mind. Its a little cidery. Caramel and vanilla are also in there with a crisp, but subtle hop finish.

M - A little under carbonated, but still enjoyable. Slightly on the syrupy side, but not as much as some beers with such an abv.

O - good holiday beer. I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 04:07:17 | More by Jef59

patm1986

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

#50

reddish-brown, cherry wood color. half-inch, cream-colored head. retains itself well. really nice lacing and residue around the rims: speckled.

good ol' holiday blend: nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, clove, a little anise, and a slight ginger appearance. some metallic phenol aromas as well.

a lot of nutmeg, cinnamon, orange, anise, and a really subtle toasty malt character underlining the blend. a solid herbal combination rounds out the spice blend nicely.

it's thin and has enough of a dry finish that it doesn't linger and overload the palate with the spice combination. i really like that.

i've always enjoyed mad elf, but on christmas eve last year, my girlfriend gave me a new growler filled with this, and i loved it, enjoying it more than the troegs classic. this year, i think the rude elf has taken another length in the race for misbehaving elves. the 10.5% is not nearly as present as it should be. truly rude when you're least expecting it.
cheers

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 02:47:49 | More by patm1986

boralyl

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a 1/2 inch of light tan head that settles fairly quickly. The beer is a deep red with ruby highlights when held to the light.

S - The spices (nutmeg and cinnamon) stand out the most in the nose. There is also a Belgian yeast character and some dark fruit.

M - Medium in body with moderate carbonation. There is some alcohol burn present.

T - The beer begins sweet with light caramel notes followed by dark fruit. A little booze shows up mid-taste followed by the spices detected in the nose. It finishes with an almost brandy like sweetness.

Not a bad beer by any means, but it doesn't do it for me. The booze and the spices are a bit much in my opinion. I'm glad I got to try it, but I won't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 01:04:15 | More by boralyl

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Bright yet dark orangey amber. Barely super light tan head of moderate size. Okay lacing, but it keeps sliding back down the glass.

S: Fruity and spicy in a Belgian yeast way. Nutmeg and possibly other spices. Toasty and caramel malts. Potent and sweet.

T: Prunes and plums and stone fruits (hinting at cherries) and even raisins all contribute to the sweet, fruity, booze-soaked (dark rum / bourbon) core of the flavors. Some lighter candied tropical fruit notes also poke through. Just a tad too far in the background are some toasty, caramel and lighter toffee malts with sugar cookie sweetness. Any hops are well hidden by everything else that is going on. There is vanilla aspect - possibly oaky (but not tannic or woody) - that comes in mid-way and like the fruits has boozy overtones. Spices are nutmeg and allspice, lighter cloves (more phenolic than spice), and some soft & muted cinnamon that grows as the brew warms. Spice level is nice - a sort of refined complement to the overall fruity, sweet, boozy character. Somewhat heavy handed booze with out the robust malts to back it hurts the palate a bit.

M: Just barely below full with a lively carbonation to match against the heft and make it seem a little less dangerous than it is. Almost creamy. Abv is obvious, but not quite so much as expected at 10.5 percent.

D: This is a sipper. A distinctly rich and interesting fireside desert beer. Obviously, yet dangerously strong. While not overly Belgian, it is a flavorful experience. None the less, it is a bit too intense, boozy, and thickly sweet to truly be highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 12:46:25 | More by SickGnar

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2010 vintage

A - The body was a clear, darker shade of copper...small, creamy, light tan head...showed great retention with lots of carbonation bubbles...some lacing

S - The nose was pretty big...it's loaded with spices (cinammon and nutmeg)...I picked up a bubblegum presence...a lot of sweetness provided by a caramel/toffee aroma...alcohol is evident at the end

T - Heavy spices right off the bat...that spice profile was a little overwhelming to be up front...a blast of sweetness featuring caramel and toffee flavors...the sweetness is able to tame the spices but it lingers for the remainder of the beer to the point of almost cloying...warming alcohol again is in the finish

M - Medium bodied...creamy, sweet, smooth, alcohol burn

D - Rude Elf, for me, was heavily spiced then slightly (not overly) sweetened...I feel the spices and the 10.5% ABV really hinder me from having more than one of these...I didn't want to make the comparision but I prefer Mad Elf

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 18:23:08 | More by thain709

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle. Poured into a tulip glass a clear deep copper reddish color with a very small bubbled 1 finger head of off white. Very pungent aroma of spices; namely allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Almost has a pumpkin pie like aroma. Medium mouthfeel. Dark fruit like flavors mixed with lots of spice. The booze, even while pretty cold, is pretty evident at the end. The booze semi burns at the end and has a mix of the spice in it. An interesting beer. Dial the booze back a bit and it would probably be a nice drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 00:45:28 | More by kbutler1

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

2.33/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a slightly hazy reddish brown color with a nice foamy white head that dissipates quickly.

The scent was dominant of both alcohol and very sweet cherry.

The taste was overwhelmed by alcohol, the only other thing I could taste was the incredibly sweet cherry flavor.

Medium body, very crisp and a little chewy, high carbonation.

This beer was ruined by the overbearing alcohol presence. The flavor was way out of balance, it was difficult to finish one of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 21:24:48 | More by BeerCon5

MrBlueShirt

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Rude Elf's Reserve was brought to my attention to be an "alternative" to the ever so popular Troegs Mad Elf. I was also informed it has a similar ABV and was about $15 less a case. I was intrigured and within a few hours of discovering I had a case in my possesion.

Poured from a bottle into pint glass. I was first impressed with the red color and mild head that did dissipate upon enjoying.

The smell was that of a your typical spicy, holiday insipired brews. Enjoyable and comforting.

The taste was impressive and complex. Cinnamon, cloves, or as my friend put it "Tastes like Christmas"

Mouthfeel was heavier and slighty sugary.

Now to drinkability... The only reason I gave it a low score is because after 1 the taste becomes a bit much and the high ABV gives you decent buzz even for a seasoned drinker.

Overall it's a good beer in low quantites too much and you'll probably be hurting. While initaled presented as an alternative I believe it's a whole different beer in itself.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 20:45:44 | More by MrBlueShirt

magine

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel glass.

Pours a dark caramel color with a fast to fade light tan head. Head is nearly non existent. Lace settles to a rim around the glass. No lace remains to speak of. Very average looks.

Brew smells very fruity; dark fruits, yeasts. Very sweet smelling brew. The brew borders on candy like sweetness in the nose. Potent nose, doesn't smell like beer. Decent nose.

This brew is sweet and smooth. Has a peppery bite and finishes dry and bitter. Big alcohol presence tasted. The brew has dark fruits in there as well; cherries, berries etc., This brew has a decent taste, not among the better half of brews of this style for me though. The cadny like sweetness and booze are too overpowering. This brew would have done better with a more yeasty flavor. OK taste.

This is a decent Strong Belgian, but unfortunately the brew lacks the mouthfeel and is too sweet and boozy for me. There are just two many better examples of the style to go to this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 02:28:11 | More by magine

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber, very clear, cap of small off-white head, decent lacing. Scent is filled with all sorts of seasonal whiffs... cinamon, nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar, vanilla, grahmn cracker... touches of citrus and watery fruit, with a presence of crusty dark bread and belgian yeasts in the background. Taste brings the spice profile to the front with notes of fruit lingering with brown sugar sweetness and bready yeasts, faint booze notes in the back end. Medium bodied, perfectly carbonated. A true suprise and one of the better holiday seasonals in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 15:03:58 | More by rfgetz

confer

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Brown and clear, no head.
S- The smell is sweet and boozy.
T- Taste is the same as the smell. The sweet is like cherry cough drops. There is a boozy burn following.
MD-This beer has a very creamy feel. It is cerainaly a sipping beer. Nice for the colder months.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 01:17:02 | More by confer

cooch69

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This Elf poured a deep amber with mahoganey hues. It has a two finger white head that settles to scattered gobs on top.

The nose is very spicy and bready. Alcohol also shows throught in the nose(even though this beer is really cold). Cherries, figs, cloves, cinnamon and caramel are dominant in the nose.
The spices carry over into the taste as front row players as well. Liquroce(don't spell good) and cloves come first. I get at least one or two gingerbread cookies in the mid sip. This ties in well with the caramel and fruit bread which features predominantly raisins and fig.
And the finish shows a fair amount of biterness but it is short term at that.

Wow I'm getting exausted with all of these flavors. This beer is awesomely complex and pretty tasty at that.

Nice amount of pinpoint carbonation adds a crispness but the body overall is pretty creamy.

The only thing that held back this beer was the bit of harshness. Maybe it's just me but I had lots of Christmas ales before and it seems to me that for what it is, it's a bit too harsh. Not very strong though, even though it is on the full bodied scale.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 05:41:01 | More by cooch69

BigMike

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Orange with a reddish tint. Clear with a small of bubbles. Head is soapy and pretty white.

S: lots of spice on the nose. Cinnamon, nutmeg, Ginger. Not sure if this is brewed with cherries or not but I get a sour cherry smell. Almost smells like it's going to be sour.

T: Ok so nothing sour about this beer. In fact it's almost cloyingly sweet. All the spices from the nose are present and counted for. Also a strong alcohol note. Some banana in the background.

M: Full bodied and thick. Very sweet and almost syrupy. This knocks drinkability down.

Overall: not as enjoyable as Tröegs Mad Elf. This one is too sweet and heavy.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 00:47:41 | More by BigMike

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into wine-style glass.

Pours with a short, tan head the fizzles quickly to a film. Body is clear, like a dark iced tea.

Aromas are heavy on the banana, with some clove, allspice, and sort of cordial-like as it warmed. Lots of caramel sweetness.

Flavors were dominated by ripe banana peel, a fair amount of spice (but not thick), and a lite citrus in the way back. Very one-dimentional.

Pretty creamy mouthfeel at first, but lack of carbonation causes it to become pretty cloying. Becomes a bit harsh as it warms to around 60 degrees.

Little too thick and cloying for the style which brings down the drinkability score.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 19:49:02 | More by BeerImmediately

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A fingers worth of audibly fizzy egg nog colored head fades in rapid fashion leaving a very faint veil on uneven lacing... A warm completely translucent medium brown color... Minimal touches of lacing clings to the glass after each sip before receding... A moderate bit of mixed paced carbonation, some sluggish, most moderate to quick paced...

S - Spiced wafers... Ginger... Cinnamon... Nutmeg... Hints of caramel... Hints of vanilla... Hints of brown sugar... Hints of dark fruit... Undertones of Belgian yeast... A bit of nuttiness... Warming and intoxicating boozy undertones... Rich, deep, and complex...

T - Much of the complexity from the nose disappears on the palette, but there is still a lot good stuff going on... At the forefront are the spices and the booze... Buried beneath is a wide array of malts... Some dark fruits... Some caramel... Some bready malts...

M - On the lighter side of full bodied... A perfect amount of carbonation that packs a powerful bite... A nice warming effect from the booze... Sleek and slightly sticky...

D - An enjoyable sipper... A bit more sweetness would go a long way to making this a world class seasonal offering... Not withstanding this is still a very solid offering and one that I'll continue to sip on and enjoy through out the season...

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 03:59:11 | More by philbe311

bundy462

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Leathery brown with no head.

S: Nutmeg, cinnamon, and spices, yeast, boozy. Much like a pumpkin ale with some cinnamon added.

T: Very malty and very boozy. Clove and cinnamon on a boozy body. Finishes with a faint spice that is beaten down by the booze. Lacking complexity and craftiness, not very well done. Really just a whole lot of flavors thrown together without much effort in blending them together well.

M: Medium bodied and flat, no carbonation.

O: Not very, you'd certainly get blasted quickly, but it just not that well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 23:40:59 | More by bundy462

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.55/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark deep amber color with very little head. The smell is Christmas eve, lots of spices and a strong nutmeg. The taste is sweet and strong. Lots of nutmeg flavors and cinnamon as well. Easy to drink with such a strong flavor. Overall a really good Christmas beer. Good balance of flavors and warms you up.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 04:19:59 | More by vette2006c5r