1. First things first — what is this beer and what does it taste like?
Nirvana Stout – Dark & Smooth is our take on a classic modern stout, brewed to be rich, satisfying and easy-drinking — without the alcohol.
You’ll get smooth chocolate and roasted coffee notes, a touch of caramel sweetness and a soft, rounded mouthfeel. It’s full-flavoured without being heavy, with a clean finish that makes it surprisingly sessionable. Think dark chocolate, toasted malt and gentle roast — comforting but not cloying.
2. How has it changed?
The biggest change is moving to CO₂ over hard-pour nitro, alongside a refined recipe designed to suit this style of carbonation and give a more cohesive profile.
This shift allows the flavours to express themselves more clearly — the roasted malt, chocolate notes and subtle sweetness all come through with greater definition. The beer still drinks smooth and rounded, but now with more clarity and depth from the first sip to the last.
3. Why did you decide to update the recipe?
As brewers, we’re always tasting, learning and looking for ways to improve our beers.
Hard-pour nitro creates a distinctive texture, but it can also dampen flavour expression, particularly in a low-alcohol beer where balance is everything. By moving to CO₂, we’re able to showcase more of the character built into the recipe and ensure the beer tastes exactly as intended in every setting.
This update gives us greater consistency, more flavour impact and a stout that better reflects how we want it to be enjoyed.
4. How is it made? Tell us a bit about the brewing process
The beer starts with a carefully balanced blend of malts, including pale malt for structure, specialty roasted & crystal malts for colour and depth, and a combination of dextrin and oat malts to create body and smoothness.
Because this is a low-alcohol beer, we use a bespoke brewing and fermentation process that limits alcohol production while preserving mouthfeel and flavour. We build richness during the mash and ferment with a yeast selected for clean, controlled fermentation at very low alcohol levels.
The result is a stout that feels full and satisfying, without relying on alcohol to deliver flavour.
5. Anything else we should know?
Yes — this update also makes the beer more accessible and better value.
By moving away from hard-pour nitro, the beer is easier to package, serve and enjoy across different settings. That efficiency helps us keep pricing competitive while maintaining the quality and care that go into every Nirvana beer.
Above all, this change is about making the best stout we can — and we’re really proud of where it’s landed.
