The seal was so tight, I had to use channel-lock pliers to free the cork from this bottle of Green Peppercorn Tripel, the Brewer’s Art initial venture into bottling. It was worth the effort.

When I did manage to loosen the cork and free the wire cage from atop the 750-ml bottle, this naturally carbonated blonde ale gushed out like champagne.

The flavor of this beer was striking. It started off with sweet malty notes, followed by the distinctive and oddly pleasing green peppercorn flavors. I loved it, and my wife, who doesn’t care for many beers, liked this one.

Putting peppercorns in a beer was the bright idea of the Brewer’s Art duo of Steve Frazier and Chris Cashell. It worked. A popular draft beer served for the last three years at the Charles Street establishment, Green Peppercorn is being sold in bottles at the brewpub and various Baltimore area liquor stores. (I paid about $9.50 for a bottle at the Wine Source in Hampden. Part of the proceeds of the sale goes to benefit area literary programs, Volker Stewart of the Brewer’s Art said.)

"Tripel" is the Flemish spelling, Stewart said, and it indicates a brew that is several times stronger than usual.

For such a big beer, 9.2 percent alcohol, it is amazingly smooth.

Anybody else have a chance to try this "gusher"?