Black Country beer claims second award in six months
A beer brewed in the Black Country has claimed its second award in six months - this time being judged the champion ale of the West Midlands.
Blackheath Stout, produced by Halesowen-based Fixed Wheel Brewery, was crowned the champion at the West Midlands Campaign for Real Ale regional awards in Birmingham on December 29.
The five per cent beer also won the competition for best stout in the region at the Wolverhampton Beer Festival in June.
The finals of the champion beer competition, for winners in a range of categories, had been judged at the Dudley Winter Ales Fair in November.
Fixed Wheel is based at Long Lane Trading Estate, Blackheath. It was opened by head brewer Scott Povey in the autumn of 2014.
Scott was a home brewer for 10 years before leaving his job as an engineer to start Fixed Wheel.
He is a keen time trial cyclist and many of his ales, and the brewery itself, have a cycling theme.
The runner-up in the champion beer was 4.5 per cent strength Dark Raven created at Beowulf Brewery in Brownhills.
The Wolverhampton branch of Camra won the award for best regional magazine for its Beerwolf publication.
Visit fixedwheelbrewery.co.uk
