I went to high school in a small town named Poulsbo. Over the past 9 years since I’ve left the state, there seems to have been a dozen small breweries that have opened up. I was able to visit a few of them and taste some of their unique beers.

Sound Brewery
I stopped by Sound Brewery in the early afternoon to interview one of the founders. There will be a more in depth article on the brewery posted soon. This brewery has grown like crazy over the past 2 years, thanks in part to the awesome beers that they make. One that stood out to me was Monk’s Indiscretion. It’s essentially a Belgian tripel that’s been dry hopped with American hops. The beer has a big citrusy nose and as you drink it, the grapefruit flavors fade into fruity Belgian esters.

Slippery Pig Brewery
If you are wondering about the name, it’s because there’s pigs at the brewery. If you’re wondering why there’s pigs at the brewery, it’s because the brewery is on a farm.

The “tasting room” is outdoors with picnic tables. As you can see from the menu, they make some interesting beers.

I tried both the Rhubarb IPA and White Chocolate Stout. Neither was too sweet, or too flavored. Both beers balanced the style with the special ingredient in a way that made the beer still very drinkable. The Rhubarb IPA was surprisingly smooth, considering how high the IBU’s were. The rhubarb was a great addition.

Valhöll Brewery
Poulsbo is very Scandinavian themed, so it’s only fitting that there would be a Scandinavian brewery. Giant wooden doors, large wrought iron hinges and door handles greet you into the tasting room. When we got there, they were brewing a batch of beer, and the tasting room was filled with the hop aroma. I had the British Black. The dark beer was poured with nitrogen gas and had a very soft, and smooth body. The flavor leaned towards a robust porter, dark and roasty, but none of the burnt character present in most stouts. They also make a great root beer, with a strong spearmint aroma. Mixing this with the British Black was a delicious experiment!