Meet the Ozzys

Local beer makes good ... again ... and again.

Never been to the The Brewer's Art brewpub and restaurant in Baltimore? It's a Belgian-themed brewpub "set in a grand Mt. Vernon townhouse" with a "seasonally-influenced menu of European-style country fare."

The pub opened in 1996. It remained draft-only until mid-2007 when Volker Stewart and his crew began bottling their beers using the facilities at the Sly Fox in Pennsylvania.


In 750-ml champagne-corked bottles, the initial release was Green Peppercorn Tripel, then Le Canard, and now, Ozzy. From the website:

Our answer to the Belgian «devil» beers (i.e.Lucifer, Duvel, etc.). Both rich and dry, this beer is all too easy to consume in large quantities. Hopped with Styrian Goldings. 7.25% abv

The bottles are distributed only in the DC and Maryland area. If you're that close, why not visit the brewpub itself?

[UPDATE: 2008.08.03 tasting notes]

The beer pours with a gorgeous white spumous head and tastes similar to the draft at the pub: hints of spice, hay, pear fruit, and and with an off-dry finish. The pub's draft also has a slight sulfury edge (a tasty thing) but this is not present in the bottle.

For fun, I often peek at BeerAdvocate.com after I write up my impressions. One reviewer said this: " Drinkability is good, but it seems a little 'rich' to be a true sessioner." Well, Ozzy is 7.3% alcohol by volume, after all!

Appropriate to the name of the beer, and befitting the zeitgeist of the pub, "A portion of the proceeds will benefit bat conservation programs."

Alerted to the beer's release by the Beer Sage.