Judge's Review: 91 Rating - Bravus Oatmeal Stout (Non-Alcoholic) by Bravus Brewing Co.

Bravus Oatmeal Stout (Non-Alcoholic) by Bravus Brewing Co. was judged as a non-alcoholic rendition of BJCP category 16B, Oatmeal Stout. The beer is served in a half-pint stout glass after a full pour from 6 inches.

The beverage shows a very pretty burgundy-brown color with nice clarity and lovely creamy, tan-colored foam floats on top. The nose is rich, sweet, and milky with strong fruit-nut above a dark caramel/creme foundation, quite Malta-esque, but with a light coffee note. The flavor starts sweet/caramel but nicely transitions to a faint but nice roasty and coffee-like middle with very low bitterness. The late palate comes back strong with a lactose note, with more lighter malt tones and fig flavors. The finish is long, sweet and creamy, but still relatively light in body, cut by the acid of the roasted material.   

Overall the beer is an interesting and creamy take, with a malty rich backbone, and some light nut-caramel-coffee complements. It's pretty light, but flavorful If looking for a food match, a fall picnic of sliced crusty bread, salumi, cheese and roasted peppers would be smashing. As a non-alcoholic beer, it's moderately sweet-stout-ish, but not filling, and tastes darned good. Color me pleasantly surprised.