Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Got in a BIF from jdell15. 22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 3/9/2016. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas if big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, molasses, brandy, raisin, plum, sherry, red grape, citrus zest, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, smoke, coffee, leather, tobacco, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, cocoa, raisin, and brandy barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, molasses, brandy, raisin, plum, sherry, red grape, citrus zest, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, smoke, coffee, leather, tobacco, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light roast bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, molasses, brandy, dark fruit, sherry, citrus zest, toasted oak, dark/brown bread, light coconut/smoke, leather, tobacco, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, cocoa, raisin, and brandy barrel flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet and brandy/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from roast bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol is very well hidden; a very mild increasing warmth of 11%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged imperial stout! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, cocoa, raisin, and brandy barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. Super rich and complex, with perfect balance of the Brandy barrels. Never overwhelming on fruitiness, even with the added raisins in the base beer. A highly enjoyable offering.