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.
BiB Volume 2 – L.A. Connection #2
BIB Volume 2 – L.A. Connection #1
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.
BiB 2
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.
NAGBW – Marcus Baskerville from Weathered Souls Brewing
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….
- Very hard to get donation data back from breweries. Baskerville has received a skosh over 400 survey replies out of 1,200 participants
- Wal-Mart has entered into selling the beer and that has worked out well so far
- Black is Beautiful has gone into hoodies, chocolate and bourbon
- some days Baskerville has been interviewed from 8am to 8pm
- Baskerville has tasted 45-50 of the BiB beers with Fremont and the Alchemist being noteworthy
- was happy to second heritage breweries like Stone and Russian River join in
- Weathered Souls has the #1 IPA in San Antonio
- the brewery was heavily impacted by the snow storms in Texas and followed other brewery lead said in providing drinking water
- Baskerville was wearing a Laker shirt in SAN ANTONIO!
Review – Two from Santa Monica Brew Works
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.
Featured Review – Black is Beautiful from Indie Brewing
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.
Featured Review – Black is Beautiful from Crowns & Hops
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.
Featured Review – Black is Beautiful x3
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.
Review – Smog City’s version of Black is Beautiful
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.
Beautiful
We just had the All Together nationwide collab and now, we get another one, this time due to the work of Weathered Souls Brewing’s “Black Is Beautiful Initiative.”
The goal of the San Antonio brewery “is to create a collaborative effort among the brewing community and its customers, in an attempt to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily.
The mission is to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color.”
Be on the lookout in July for local Los Angeles versions.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this beer will be going to the Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the Innocence Project, and the National Bail Out.
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