It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Scorched Earth Doppelbock and Brutalist Old Acquaintance

Beer #14 in the advent calendar was a delightful doppelbock from exurban brewery Scorched Earth.  Appropriately named Doppelbock, this was exactly what a doppelbock should be:  malty, a little sweet, and strong.

Name:  Doppelbock

Brewery:  Scorched Earth Brewing Company

Location:  Algonquin, IL

ABV:  7.7%

IBU:  21

Good for drinking if:  You're watching a football game between two state schools from Alabama that most people probably think are respectively located in ancient Greece and north Florida.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

Chicago nano brewery Brutalist gave us Beer #15, a winter ale called Old Acquaintance.  It's made with cascara, which I had to look up.  It can refer to either a plant known for its laxative properties or an herbal coffee cherry tea.  I sure hope it's the latter.  Either way, it's a good winter ale, and whichever cascara it might be adds a blunt, almost dark chocolate flavor.

Name:  Old Acquaintance

Brewery:  Brutalist Brewing Cooperative

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  5.9%

IBU:  27

Good for drinking if:  You're hoping you don't need to head to the shitter while you figure out how a group of Louisianans with anger management issues will fare against azure gamecocks who just want to fight.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4