That bird looks PERFECT! The dark skin just tells me that you had a lot of smoke going on when you put the bird in.
Applewood should have given it a very nice light smoke taste.
So tell me, how did the bird taste with the brine? Was it moist?
Details buddy, details.
I actually used hickory for the first time on mine, and it turned out very well. I didn't use a lot of hickory, just a bit. I think that a little hickory goes along way, so I kept it light.