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Black is Beautiful is back with Volume 2 of their Hazy IPA recipe, this time brewed with association with the National Black Brewers Association.
Below is one of the Crowns & Hops labels and it looks really classy. Hope to see lots of breweries taking this recipe on this year.
PRSC, the People’s Republic of South Central has their own BiB beer. And the label is striking and glamorous and beautiful. Almost makes one want to drink straight from the can despite IPAs needing to be in a glass.
Black Is Beautiful is back with Volume 2. It will be a hazy IPA and Samuel Adams has teamed with their own Angel City to lend support to Weathered Souls the lead of this project to bring awareness and some donations to the National Black Brewers Association.
Weathered Souls Brewing Company have a Black Is Beautiful sequel coming out this summer and it is a Hazy IPA which will benefit the NB2A (National Black Brewers Association) The label mock- up is below. Hopefully we will see lots of breweries jumping on board for this initiative.
The NAGBW hosted another illuminating beer discussion this time with Marcus Baskerville from Weathered Souls Brewing the brewer and brewery behind the Black is Beautiful cause.
As with past recaps, here are notes that I found of interest….
Gonna have a little whiplash as we go from shandy to stout from Santa Monica Brew Works.
And surprisingly, I found the shandy to be the better beer by far. I have never eaten at a Hot Dog on a Stick so no fond recollections of days at the mall cloud my memory. It was a nice sugary lemonade balanced out by the 310 Blonde Ale. I would have up the beer percentage a skosh but it was refreshing.
The stout was OK but it had no life to it. It was neither rich and viscous nor light and bubbly. No chocolate or coffee notes jumped out at me either. Had a bit of a metallic note to it as well. An addition of something else to add a secondary flavor might have helped here.
Before we close up the books on August, I have another Black is Beautiful beer to review, this one from Indie Brewing Co.
Dark and toasty. Getting that bitter New Orleans chicory / coffee taste. Pretty one note overall. On the plus side, has a decent smoothness to it. Also has a bit of a perfume aroma that I like. Like a cafe mocha that was light on the chocolate.
Thanks to the Glendale Tap who have been killing it as a to-go spot, I picked up the Crowns & Hops version of Black is Beautiful, Pecan Pie Stout.
Right in between silky and robust. Good strong taste here. Pecans are a light touch, have to dig a little to taste. Lactose seems light as well. But overall it comes together as a real nice robust Porter edging into stout territory. Would have liked to ge5 a little sweetness for a version labeled as pecan pie. Don’t need pastry stout levels of sugar but a touch would be nice.
I rounded up three of the local versions of the Weathered Souls Black is Beautiful beers to review in one big post. Smog City, Los Angeles Ale Works and Ogopogo.
Smog City
Pours s dark brown/ black mix. Big espresso head of foam. Burnt notes big here. Lowest abv of the trio. Chicory. Coffee. A bit watery but only just barely so. Direct and simple.
Los Angeles Ale Works
Pours a dark black. Coconut strong to start. Lovely aroma. Sorta like a salted caramel. Sweet and salt. Tilted a bit much to the salt side though in the end. Does not taste 10%.
Ogopogo
Cinnamon is the dominant flavor here. Alcohol more prevalent here too. Very smooth mouthfeel. Sorta like a fall coffee drink. Minor roast notes. Minor sweetness.
First and hopefully not last of the multitude of beers in Los Angeles under the Black is Beautiful banner of stouts that I hope to enjoy. . The Smog City version has a slightly burnt / roasted caramel aroma. Really nice chicory and chocolate mix of flavors. Nice balance of the two competing flavors. Has a campfire smokey essence to it as well as being ver smooth. Would pair really well with a sweet, milk chocolate.