Dogs of War: Samurai Shiba 2023
Torrside Brewing

This is a Brett yeast beer, so a bit of 'death or glory' purchase for me...
L- Deep chestnut brown, the first half of the 750 pours clear into a 350ml glass. 3mm ultra-fine bubble pale cream cap, impressive for 9%.
S- Yep, that Brett sharpish-wild note. Nothing beyond that for me. [Drum roll....]
T+F- Interesting, funky-Brett for 1.5 seconds them BOOM into deep (much more trad) Barley wine. On sip-2 the two aspects hit the palate at the same time which is a better balance. The latter barley-wine aspect is so powerful, dominant now, it has no problem reining in the wilder potential [geddit? ;;] of the Brett character. That 'drum roll' fearing the Brett would over-dominate is unfounded. The beer is deep - [hold it there....>]. This is one of those beers where the Taste is so inter-twined with the Feel that it's more realistic to combine the description of both into one. Splitting them under two headings will tell you less. -- By sip 7-8 you get a now minor Brett note up front into a mega deep and pungent ale. The ABV% is quite clearly there with a zing on the palate, yet it's not shouty. It's deep and 'heavy' yet maintains a balancing bright note. That might be the minor wine-note of the barley-wine style.
O- Different, intriguing, a slow-sipping beer made for sharing - 750ml is quite a lot of a beer this big, thoughb I'll 'battle on' ;;. It's 9% but to me it actually comes over as higher ABV% than that, maybe 12% or so. I'd happily drink this again, as something different, as a bit of a treat.
p.s. I've had much lighter Brett beers and in those the Brett character is free to be shouty, wild, 'funky', ie quite random 'scrumpyish rustic home-brew'. Here, the rest of the beer, aged 9% Barley Wine has the former thoroughly in-check.

Bought from Trembling Madness York for home delivery. 750ml bottle # 56/100. Back lable reads: 'Samurai Shiba 2023 - Brett Barrel-aged English Barley Wine (2018 vintage). BB: 21/04/2030 and I believe this dawg will have zero problem keeping at it's peak that long.

Bottled, bottle conditioned and big bomber bottle
Pours a clear mid brown body with good off white head
Aroma is maple and brett and sharp sour
Flavour rioja and sweet sherry with bitter finish