Boulevard Brandy Land Spiced Imperial Stout Aged in Apple Brandy Barrels

Yay! Another barrel-aged brew! And a stout! I love stouts! This cute l'il guy pours a reddish-tinged mahogany with a thin brown head. The alcohol heat from the 12%+ ABV really predominates. I'm not really sure what brandy is supposed to taste like, but the apple damn sure comes through! According to Boulevard's website, the imperial stout aged for 12-24 months in casks that have held both bourbon (yay!) and apple brandy. Wow! Even though it's a stout, there isn't the heaviness associated with most stouts; it's a medium weight, with a smooth sweetness that I associate with milk stouts. The dark fruits are really coming through, dates and black cherries especially.  As the brew warms up, the promised cinnamon finally comes through. I can imagine pairing this with plain cheesecake or vanilla ice cream for some holiday goodness. A 9.5 on the IGB scale.