Few brewers are as closely associated with stouts as Kyle Harrop. As the founder of Horus Aged Ales, Harrop has made a name for himself for his commitment to barrel-aged beers and his near-constant collaborations with breweries, meaderies, and even distilleries around the country. The resulting beers are often big decadent pastry stouts and barleywines loaded with exotic adjuncts. For those who are into the hypier side of the craft beer scene, Horus’ beers are some of the most sought-after and many of them are only available to club members. 

For February Stout Month we asked Harrop what his favorite stouts ever are. One might think that Harrop would lean on classic styles to show the contrast of his personal tastes to the beer he makes, but his picks include stouts that are equally as worthy of hype as his own alongside a Horus favorite. 

Anchorage Brewing Company Blessed

Every blend and vintage of this has been phenomenal. It always has this crazy stroopwafel character along with a briney, savory coconut profile. The vanilla amplifies the amount of Baker’s chocolate in the base stout. The booze is hidden so well with just the right amount of roast and sweetness, which makes it scary how easy it is to drink. Alaskan magic and sorcery extends far beyond barleywine perfection.

Forager Brewery Maple Nillerzzzzz 

Rye, vanilla beans from five different countries, and Wisconsin maple syrup is a recipe for success. This stout could be served over French toast or pancakes. It is packed with adjuncts but not cloying. It has a deep maple flavor that lingers with every sip. The barrel character from the rye whiskey really shines as it warms up with a bunch of different spices and persistent vanilla flavor.

Other Half Brewing Co. All 5th Everything Imperial Stout with Banana

I am a sucker for bananas and I have probably eaten over ten thousand of them in my lifetime. This was a groundbreaking beer with that adjunct and continues to be the best in my opinion. It is reminiscent of biting into a frozen banana on Balboa Island, but in liquid form. I welcome the sweetness and tiki vibes with this one. It somehow remains balanced and I could easily crush a bottle myself if I wanted to.

Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. Double Barrel Assassin

This beauty is aged in bourbon barrels for over a year and then Apple Brandy barrels for another year. The few different times I tried it, it reminded of a rich caramel apple dipped in chocolate. It starts with fudge and milk chocolate, then transitions into your favorite fruit on a stick, and finishes with bourbon, oak, and vanilla. It is like diving into a boozy Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This is one of my favorite breweries and it is my favorite beer from them.

Horus Aged Ales Tier Zero

Early on, I always made the joke that triple barrel aging a beer would be as hard as purchasing an exclusive pair of sneakers from one of the few coveted tier zero stores, hence the name. I was skeptical of the idea of going from one barrel to another to another, but now I am considering quadruple aging a beer. This was my original attempt at triple oaking a beer. I threw a big party with my bottle club members when it was ready and I have fond memories of that day. Fast forward three years, and now the second version of Tier Zero is soon to be ready. It, along with a few adjuncted versions, will be bottled for the sixth year of my club, The Convocation. The depth of flavor you can get, along with the ABV pickup, and complexity, cannot be done any other way. This had big caramel, cocoa, coconut, and vanilla flavors just from wood without needing to use any adjuncts. I will always be proud of this initial iteration, but I honestly think Part Deux is even better. I look forward to continuing to push the envelope and see how much extraction I can achieve with solely using barrels and extended aging times. Tier Zero was my first of hopefully many!