January 2025: Monthly Beer Club Tasting Notes and Pub Quiz

This month's featured brewer is Black Country Ales.

It all started back in 1999 for Black
Country Ales behind The Old Bull’s
Head pub in Dudley. What the estate
agent had called ‘a two storey outhouse’
was actually 3 magnificent wooden
fermenting vessels and other brewing
equipment. There had never been a
plan to brew beer, but this looked too
good an opportunity to miss!
Fast forward 25 years and led by Head Brewer
Matt the team have recently broken through the
1 million pints brewed a year marker. Skilfully
blending the old and the new (some of the
equipment dates back to 1834) the choice of
beers has increased and now boasts 7 in the
core range.
There is a Black Country Ales beer for every
occasion from the well bodied Fireside Bitter
and Plum Pig in the winter to a Chain Ale or
Jubilee IPA once the nights get longer and the
sun comes out.
The cask beers are exclusive to the company’s
53 public houses, each carefully selected
and lovingly restored to reflect the character
and charm of the Black Country. These pubs
showcase the quality and consistency of our
ales, creating a loyal following of real ale
enthusiasts who appreciate the heritage and
craftsmanship behind every pint.

The beers have only recently become
available in bottles meaning that
customers can enjoy them outside the
heartland of the Black Country and
West Midlands.
We’ve chosen to feature the Jubilee
IPA to kick off 2025 and to celebrate 25
years of Black Country Brewing.