This is the second beer in Boulevard's Neapolitan Well Rested Series. The first one was chocolate and neither Ryan nor I enjoyed it. This is a vanilla imperial Stout, barrel aged in Bourbon barrels. I hope we enjoy this one more. I will love Boulevard anyway. Opened the bottle and immediately got strong bourbon alcohol, sweet with the vanilla hiding in the background. Totally dark in color with a chocolate brown head. Strong aroma of bourbon alcohol and a sweet vanilla and something else. Texture is heavy and creamy and turns just a little crisp towards the middle. Flavor is not what I was hoping for. A lot of bourbon alcohol, and I mean a lot, and a hit of bitterness in the middle. There is a lot of vanilla but it also has a strange unsettling sweetness as it moves into a dry finish propelled by baker's cocoa. Not really sure I like this as much as I was hoping, maybe at 3.9. Ryan and I discussed our pallets over and over as we continued sipping this beer. I like beers that are interesting and boy this one is. Has your mouth acclimates and the beer warms, a slow transition occurs. The intense barrel-aged bourbon mellows a bit, the vanilla takes on a raw natural extract characteristic, this strange unidentified sweetness in the background comes to light as a vine ripe black cherry blended with unroasted almond. Even the soft dry finish smooths down in the background to a gentle balance of dark and milk chocolate. As I continue to take small sips the strong bourbon fades but my tongue begins to tingle and my stomach warms. Excellent! Both Ryan and I have now rated over 2,000 beers. We believe there have been fewer than 10 beers that have risen from first impression to last more than 4/10 of a point. This destroyed that record. My 3.9 is now a 4.8. That's crazy and easily one of the most interesting beers I have ever enjoyed. Boulevard, you definitely deserved our road trip.