Entre vieillissement en fût, et vieillissement avec copeaux de chênes trempés dans du 4 roses, ce qui est le cas ici, il n'y a pas match. Soit la deuxième est plus rapide et monopolise moins de stock, mais en termes de finesse et raffinement on y perd largement. Et si globalement ce Black Pudding, collaboration entre les brasseries Vleemeester et Ghost est appréciable, elle n'est pas comparable aux mêmes bières du genre vieillies en fût (quand celui-ci est réussi, je le reconnais...). Le visuel est sur un noir sans mousse. Le nez est chaleureux avec le bourbon en avant et des arômes de café, chocolat et candy plus en retrait. En bouche, on aurait apprécié un peu plus de raffinement sur un cocktail cependant qui fonctionne. La vanille qui est ajoutée à la recette se ressent bien, en complément des arômes présents au nez. L'ensemble est doux, avec une texture moyennement dense et un l'alcool à 13 % qui ne se ressent pas et qui, même s'il est sur les devants avec le bourbon, manque de tension. Si la corpulence est bonne, petit bémol pour le final. Moyen.

Vleesmeester collaborating with Ghost in this imperial stout, flavoured with calvados-soaked raisins and apparently intended to evoke an effect of black pudding (black 'blood sausage'); the 2018 version is listed separately from the 2017 version here but I have no idea why. Creamy, quite dense, regularly shaped, brownish-tinged mocha beige, slowly breaking head over a black beer with clear burgundy edges (only under bright light), totally opaque black with sediment. Aroma of dusty old 'fondant' chocolate bars, Irish coffee, liquorish candy, espresso, indeed raisins but necessarily more so than usual in this type of beer, treacle, blended whisky or indeed calvados, chocolate-coated peanuts, burnt toast, charred walnut shells or even a vague touch of actual charcoal, fried black olives, elderberry syrup, candied dates, dried thyme, clove, caramel, dried sage, leather, pipe tobacco ashes. Quite dense, concentrated onset, sweet with raisin- but also fig- and dried plum-like notes, deep ongoing sourishness underneath and a fairly thick, beef broth-ish layer of umami, soft carbonation, very thick, dense, 'heavy' but silky-edged mouthfeel. Massive layers of toasted-nutty, black-chocolatey and coffee-like 'dark' maltiness ensue, ending quite firmly roasted with even an ashy touch to it, all the way heated by a quite intense, boozy effect of alcohol, probably a reinforced effect of the beer's own, whisky-like alcohol with the added calvados element. Ends very hot and boozy, accentuating the roasted and tangy-peppery hop bitterness, long and warming the chest, with traces of treacle, toffee and black bitter chocolate lingering behind. Unusually intense, concentrated stout for a Belgian brew, approaching Struise's latest Black Damnation series in that respect, but the alcohol heat is very pronounced and peppery, being apparent way too early on the palate and burning way too strong in the finish. If a blonde beer of this strength would have the same alcohol burn, it would have been physically undrinkable - but this is a stout, very thick and heavy in its basic nature, so it retains a degree of drinkability in spite of the alcohol still burning through the malts. Still, the fact that this is a very massive, big and bold stout to Belgian standards deserves appreciation - we need more efforts like this, with the help of foreign craft brewers or without it. Kudos to that alone.