I adore how much you are in one another's corners, I feel the same way about my brother, he's an incredible musician and I can't stop gushing about him when he's brought up in conversation :) Sibling bonds are so important, I made it one of my most important tasks as a mom, to nurture a closeness between my children. Though they aren't grown yet, I already feel I can see mission accomplished on that.
He's definitely exactly as you describe. In fact he is a lot like my husband, to the point I joking refer to him as Howie's Scottish doppelganger. His intimidating honesty is one of his best qualities of many actually, and I miss it when he's not around for a bit- @son-of-satire But yes, he can make you laugh with ease as well :)