Bravus Brewing is from California and has been around in the NA beer space for a long time, but once a year, they put out an exceptional NA beer that takes the entire game to the next level. For this 100th Beer review, we are drinking this year’s version and going to a dreamy land of flavor that was previously not possible.
The limited beer we’re talking about has been featured here before during their third iteration, but this year, their fourth proves to be better than ever. I am talking about Gravitas by Bravus Brewing, or in this case, Gravitas IV. Gravitas is a 25+ oz black bottle of bourbon barrel-aged stout, and it has been heavy in vanilla, maple, and even chocolate in previous generations. Still, this year, they have finally perfected the recipe, aging, and whatever else they needed to do to cultivate a flavor replica of the classic alcoholic bourbon barrel-aged stouts that have been so popular in the beer world.
How Does It Pour?
From the moment you open this bottle, a rare thing itself in the days of cans and twist-offs, the aromas of a rare, expensive bourbon fill the air. It’s enough to make you grab the bottle, look at the bottom under the Bravus Brewing logo and check the alcohol content. Still less than 0.5%, like all other NA beers. Phew! They recommend letting the beer sit at room temperature for 25 minutes before enjoying it. I wonder if one of the reasons is to assist with this plethora of scents that, until the opening of this bottle, did not exist in the non-alcoholic space.
The black bottle, embossed with gold lettering, pours out a black liquid. It’s thick and accompanied by a tan head of micro-bubbles that pop with anticipation of releasing their magical scents and flavors into the air. Bravus Brewing has truly perfected a beer style and is the only one in this space to create such a thing. The black liquid swirls around your glass, releasing subtle hints of vanilla and chocolate into the air to accompany the heavily boozy scents emitted from the moment you pop the bottle cap.
How Does It Taste?
When you finally inhale and take your first sip of this fourth iteration of Gravitas from Bravus Brewing, you will second-guess its alcohol content once more. This is not for the drinker triggered by these flavors because you cannot tell the difference between this one. As the taste of chocolate begins surrounding the sides of your tongue, the perfect, oaky bourbon slides down the center of your tongue and into your throat. The beer is so perfect you’ll want to devour it in one gulp, but so rare you will know to savor each sip.
Untappd gives this beer something, and I don’t care. 5 out of 5. After years of trying to perfect this recipe, Bravus has finally done it, and I can’t think of a more appropriate NA brew to celebrate 100 NA beer reviews. Bravo!
HAPPY EVERY HOUR: Sober Curator Justin Lamb is dedicated to tasting great (and sometimes not so great) NA beers and showcasing his amazing collection of memorabilia from the ’90s.
RECOVERY PODCASTLAND: Want more Justin in your life? We don’t blame you! Check out his podcast Friend Request Justin has in-depth interviews with people he follows on social media, as well as his own social media followers. Friend Request dives deeper than the likes and comments. With each episode, Justin tries to create a more meaningful conversation about each individual he’s connected with. Justin ties each interview together with the commonalities and struggles that are extremely relatable and fall across the entire spectrum of the human experience.
