If I had to sum up this 12 oz, single bottle offering simply, I would say that is has most of the general attributes of the style, but it lacked any real depth in every department. Summarized thus;
+ A blackish pour, but lacked any significant viscosity or motor oil color
+ Body felt fairly light and especially light for the style
+ Alcohol seemed well below the 8.2% advertised; unusual for a RIS
+ Nose and tastes had some of the roasty character that one would expect, but ultimately the characteristic, style bitterness was not there
All in all the beer was completely non-offensive but actually tasted like a slightly watered down version of the style.
I wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it, I actually thought it was pretty drinkable, approachable, light and sensible in many ways, but American lovers of the RIS style would be very disappointed I suspect. Englishmen will probably tolerate this a little more, but even for me there is no doubt that this is a lightweight version of a style that really needs more presence.