Rocking Rudolph
Greene King / Morland Brewery
- From:
- Greene King / Morland Brewery
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
Ranked #175 - ABV:
- 4.2%
- Score:
- 82
Ranked #35,240 - Avg:
- 3.49 | pDev: 13.47%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 11
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 16, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 08, 2010
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 5
SCORE
82
Good
82
Good
Dark and full bodied, packed full of hops giving interest and complexity. Challenger and Target providing underlying herbal hop and the rare Bramling cross adding redcurrant and blackcurrant into the mix. Horlicks malty character from the pale malt and toffee from the crystal malt give warmth and the blend of hops provides a crisp bitterness.
MALT: Pale, Crystal.
HOPS: Challenger, Target, First Gold, Goldings, Bramling Cross.
MALT: Pale, Crystal.
HOPS: Challenger, Target, First Gold, Goldings, Bramling Cross.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by DraftMonger from Denmark
3.01/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.01/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Copenhagen 22/1 2017. 50 cl bottle from Skjold Burne, Brønshøj Torv, Brønshøj.
Transparent glass bottle with Rudolph playing the guitar on the label with a glowing red snout. Looks kind of delirious.
Pours clear dark reddish brown with a small white head. A bit bubbly. Head diminishes rapidly leaving only small remnants of foam behind.
Aroma is caramel, butter and a skunky odeur that leads you to believe that the beer has been exposed to the sun for too long.
Soft carbonation and slightly thick palate. Almost flat texture.
Flavor is pretty well balanced. Medium sweet followed by a typical English bitterness.
Not bad - but a bit too much of a skunky aroma.
Mar 16, 2026Transparent glass bottle with Rudolph playing the guitar on the label with a glowing red snout. Looks kind of delirious.
Pours clear dark reddish brown with a small white head. A bit bubbly. Head diminishes rapidly leaving only small remnants of foam behind.
Aroma is caramel, butter and a skunky odeur that leads you to believe that the beer has been exposed to the sun for too long.
Soft carbonation and slightly thick palate. Almost flat texture.
Flavor is pretty well balanced. Medium sweet followed by a typical English bitterness.
Not bad - but a bit too much of a skunky aroma.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.39/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.39/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Draft at the Three Magpies. Nice creamy amber pour with silky head. Malts dominate the aroma and taste, falls a bit flat after that, dry and semi-metallic.
Mar 01, 2023
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
4.03/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cask at three crowns pub in Piccadilly
Frothy semi dense 1/2 finger head good retention especially for a cask, clear auburn to ruby color
Nose nice UK herbal earthy hop, sweet biscuity caramel toffee malts, bread crust, rich toasted malt, touch fruity
Taste fair sweet malt, nutty with biscuity toffee and caramel, sweet bread crust, rich toasty malt, quite toasty, fair reddish fruits, cherry plum kinda thing both malt and yeast derived esters, light herbal earthy hop with med light bitterness
Mouth is med bod, carb on the lighter side but big bubbles, typical of Cask
Overall not bad, decent special bitter like with even more fruity characters
Dec 29, 2022Frothy semi dense 1/2 finger head good retention especially for a cask, clear auburn to ruby color
Nose nice UK herbal earthy hop, sweet biscuity caramel toffee malts, bread crust, rich toasted malt, touch fruity
Taste fair sweet malt, nutty with biscuity toffee and caramel, sweet bread crust, rich toasty malt, quite toasty, fair reddish fruits, cherry plum kinda thing both malt and yeast derived esters, light herbal earthy hop with med light bitterness
Mouth is med bod, carb on the lighter side but big bubbles, typical of Cask
Overall not bad, decent special bitter like with even more fruity characters
Reviewed by Snowcrash000 from Germany
3.52/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly cloudy, reddish mahogany coloration with a medium, frothy head. Smells of caramel malt and floral hops, with notes of red fruit and berries. Taste is a good balance of caramel malt and floral, slightly herbal and spicy hops, as well as some red fruit and berries, with notes of plum, fig and red cranberry, with just a hint of toffee as well. Finishes with a light bitterness and some caramel malt, and red fruit/berries lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.
This makes for a decent, if unremarkable Christmas Ale with a good balance of malt and hops, being rather dry for the style, with noticeable hoppy notes, despite a light underlying sweetness and notes of caramel and toffee, as well as distinct red fruit and berries. While this feels a bit weak and watery overall, it's really not too bad for such a low-ABV brew and does make for a nice, lighter version of a Christmas Ale.
Dec 22, 2021This makes for a decent, if unremarkable Christmas Ale with a good balance of malt and hops, being rather dry for the style, with noticeable hoppy notes, despite a light underlying sweetness and notes of caramel and toffee, as well as distinct red fruit and berries. While this feels a bit weak and watery overall, it's really not too bad for such a low-ABV brew and does make for a nice, lighter version of a Christmas Ale.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.75/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
500 ml clear bottle, as Hardy's and Hanson's Rocking Rudolph, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 4.2%. Beautiful copper colour, big off-white head. Very nice aroma of toffee and caramel. Fairly refeshing flavour, strong notes of caramel with a hint of fruit, but not too sweet. Moderate but sufficient hops in the finish. Okay.
Cask pint at the Audley (a Taylor Walker pub) in Mayfair, London, as Hardy's and Hanson's Rocking Rudolph. Dark copper color, low creamy head. Malts and toffee in the aroma, hints of caramel. Malty flavour but not too sweet, also toffee and fruity notes (blackcurrants) and earthy hops, a hint of cinnamon. Very nice.
Apr 22, 2021Cask pint at the Audley (a Taylor Walker pub) in Mayfair, London, as Hardy's and Hanson's Rocking Rudolph. Dark copper color, low creamy head. Malts and toffee in the aroma, hints of caramel. Malty flavour but not too sweet, also toffee and fruity notes (blackcurrants) and earthy hops, a hint of cinnamon. Very nice.
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England
3.25/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
A 500ml clear glass bottle with a BB of Oct 2014. Acquired recently from a supermarket. The label describes it as a full-bodied Christmas ale (quite possibly an exaggeration).
Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear coppery-red colour with medium carbonation. Forms a large head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a minute or two before dissipating. Aroma of fruity caramel malt with hints of ale yeast, toasted grain and stewed leaves. Faintly sweet and possessed of that ubiquitous 'Greene King' character.
Tastes of mild roasted malt with a dry finish. Notes of caramel, fruity ale yeast, subtle dried fruit, grain and stewed leaves. A touch of cardboard in the background. Faintly sweet, followed by a restrained, leafy bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with effervescent carbonation and decent body. Somewhat astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of harsh stewed leaves, fruity yeast esters and mild caramel.
Meh - another bog standard Greene King offering. Looks OKish, while the aroma and flavour have a bland combination of fruity yeast and caramel malt. A tad harsh as well. So-so body. Not particularly Christmas-like, and generally forgettable. I can't say that this is worth your while - give it a miss.
Jan 17, 2014Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear coppery-red colour with medium carbonation. Forms a large head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a minute or two before dissipating. Aroma of fruity caramel malt with hints of ale yeast, toasted grain and stewed leaves. Faintly sweet and possessed of that ubiquitous 'Greene King' character.
Tastes of mild roasted malt with a dry finish. Notes of caramel, fruity ale yeast, subtle dried fruit, grain and stewed leaves. A touch of cardboard in the background. Faintly sweet, followed by a restrained, leafy bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with effervescent carbonation and decent body. Somewhat astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of harsh stewed leaves, fruity yeast esters and mild caramel.
Meh - another bog standard Greene King offering. Looks OKish, while the aroma and flavour have a bland combination of fruity yeast and caramel malt. A tad harsh as well. So-so body. Not particularly Christmas-like, and generally forgettable. I can't say that this is worth your while - give it a miss.
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
3.37/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.37/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
This is probably the Christmas beer I've been looking forward to least
clear bottle and credited to a defunct brewery
It looks good rich dark brown body and thick tan head, though this quickly disappears
Not that bad on the aroma wheatey, malty and yeasty.
Brown sugar and bitterness slightly soapy not overly sweet
actually quite well balanced
I expected to hate this and it is not that bad
slightly thin and over fizzy on the MF front
It's okay
Dec 27, 2013clear bottle and credited to a defunct brewery
It looks good rich dark brown body and thick tan head, though this quickly disappears
Not that bad on the aroma wheatey, malty and yeasty.
Brown sugar and bitterness slightly soapy not overly sweet
actually quite well balanced
I expected to hate this and it is not that bad
slightly thin and over fizzy on the MF front
It's okay
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