Opened in August 2023, Xclusives Taste has the distinction of being one of the very few Black-owned dispensaries in the state of Oregon. Sherman Brown, owner and operator of the retail space, originally grew up in Louisiana with dreams of building his own brand within the Cannabis industry. After moving to Oregon in 2014 and grinding his way through every Cannabis-related job from processor to wholesaler to retailer, Sherman purchased the license and associated business that eventually became known as Xclusives Taste.
Without a doubt, the atmosphere at Xclusives Taste is one of the coolest around. A mix of vibrant text and monochromatic imagery adorns the walls, including hand painted murals of hip-hop and Cannabis icons like Snoop Dogg and B-Real of Cypress Hill. Music constantly reverberates from the back of the retail space, with the sounds of 808s and boom bap rap guiding shoppers through the lobby and into the heart of the store. When entering, most visitors are fortunate enough to be greeted by Cheeba, a french bulldog and the unofficial mascot of Xclusives Taste. Between the intoxicatingly luscious smell of fresh flower and the general comfortability of the environment, it’s hard for patrons not to immediately feel at home here.
Sherman notes, “Cannabis goes hand in hand with street art, hip-hop culture and urban culture. Portland has their own little niche, a culture of being artistic and having freedom of expression, so I’m trying to incorporate that along with parts of myself into this building.”
The culture of authenticity is tangible but isn’t the only thing that’s created a wave at Xclusives Taste. Over the last year, a laser focus on quality, consistency and customer service has manifested in steadfast loyalty for the organization.
“I don’t buy off of THC percentages at all,” Sherman explains. “I buy strains because I like them and because I know the customer will like them. I try everything that comes through the doors. If it doesn’t pass the test for me, I don’t sell it.”
To that end, the overall quality of cultivars available is impressive. Farms like Urban Canna, Northwest Soiltech, THX, Surfr Select and Terpmongers all stood out on the shelf with exceptional representations from each company in the form of iridescent, trichome-encrusted buds. Flower makes up about 80% of the sales at Xclusives Taste, but there’s also a curated selection of edibles, vaporizers and concentrates available for purchase.
“My goal is all the top shelf, all affordable,” Sherman reports. “My customers are now at the point where they come in and ask ‘What have you got for me?’ They trust my opinion, that’s what I like the most. It’s my way of changing the narrative for the customer.”
The reverence held for consumers and for Cannabis culture as a whole is apparent at every level of the enterprise. Xclusives Taste is a place where visitors can feel respected and valued without being taken advantage of.
