Beer review: Marshall Wharf Sexy Chaos

By special request, here is my first beer review.

Tonight's brew comes from a small brewery in Belfast, Maine.  In our family, the owner is known for being a little bit of a recluse who has run a small restaurant in Belfast for years, mostly without it being open.  So we were very surprised when, a few years ago, they started producing world class beer, such as Can't Dog and Ace Hole.  Never the less, this is another gem in the MW family and I was thrilled to try it.

A Russian Imperial Stout with typical RIS alcohol content: ABV 10.7%.  Imperial Stouts are generally a strong dark beer or stout and was first brewed by England in the 18th century for export to Catherine II of Russia.

Sexy Chaos is true to the style.  A medium bodied stout that poured a large khaki, almost mocha, head.  The smell wafted dark chocolate with dark fruits; plums, figs.  At first taste, I got loads of vanilla.  Not surprising (it's on the label), but very strong.  It followed with nice roasting flavor from the malts, slight burn of alcohol (it's 10.7% ABV, remember) and a little oak, although if oak weren't on the label, I don't think I would have even noticed.

Overall,  I really enjoyed this one.  It should be a sipper, except it goes down really easily.  Be sure to do this one later in the evening!

Soup du jour

It is flipping cold in Maine in winter.  I knew it would be when we decided to move here 3 years ago, but still.  I'm cold.  What's the best thing for cold weather?  A warm fire and soup.

I love soup and it's a lot of fun to make because you can be so creative.  4 or 5 years ago,  I made soup most winter nights (mostly to serve it with bread), but our soup intake took a hit once we started eating a little better.  But now,  we're seasoned smart eaters and don't need to take down a loaf of bread at every sitting.

Tonight's soup is a nice, simple and rustic White Bean and Kale soup, with a twist.

Recipe:

The Stock- It can be fun to fortify the stock you buy at the store and it makes it much more delicious

4 cups of chicken stock (also could go vegetable stock)
4 cups of water
2 smoked ham hocks (omit for vegans/vegetarians)
6 peppercorns
2 bay leaves

In a large soup pot or dutch oven,  add ingredients above and let simmer for as long as you can.  Mine went 2 hours.  Remove hocks, pick meat from the bone and set aside.  Strain the broth into a large bowl and set aside.

The Soup

2 tbls olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 head of red cabbage (you can use green, but the purple gives great color)
2-14.5 oz cans of garbanzo beans
1 bunch of kale, cleaned, stripped and chopped into medium sized pieces

In the same pot you used for the stock,  heat the oil on a medium heat, then add carrots, celery, onion, garlic and cabbage.  Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies just start to brown.  Don't burn your garlic!  Add the broth/stock and meat and bring to a boil.  Immediately lower temp to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.  Add beans and kale and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve with a nice crusty loaf of bread, unless you're having me over for dinner.  I'll eat the whole dang thing.