Nearly every home brewer flirts with the dream of opening a professional brewery. It’s a romantic notion to sell their own creations to thirsty customers. But the reality is that it is incredibly hard work, and a hefty financial investment with little initial return, to operate a brewery.

Many of the more than 4,000 craft breweries in the United States were started by dedicated home brewers who risked it all to follow their dreams. Earlier this month Kevin Teruya, Nicolas Wong and Kevin Taguchi did just that by opening Oahu’s seventh craft brewery, Beer Lab HI, on University Avenue.

The three engineers started home brewing together a few years ago and fell in love with the hobby. Thoughts of turning their weekend fun into an actual business became a serious consideration following a trip to Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware. It was Wong who convinced his buddies to take the plunge.

After a year of planning, test brewing and renovating a cozy former bank space, Beer Lab HI opened with seven beers that add some new variety to the local craft beer scene. Most notable is The Truth, the first commercially produced brettanomyces, orbrett, beer made in Hawaii. Beer Lab HI plans on making this a cornerstone of its lineup.

Brettanomyces belongs to the same family of fungi as regular brewing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), but it creates distinctly different flavors and aromas during the fermentation process. Brett, often referred to as “wild yeast,” is feared by most brewers because it can produce unwanted flavors and is difficult to control. But when handled properly and used in the right recipe, the results can be magical.

The Truth is a Belgian farmhouse-style ale that is 100 percent fermented with brett. As the brett ferments the beer, it creates a broad array of flavors and aromas ranging from cheeselike funk (think goat-cheese rind) to vibrant grapefruit juice. These tastes and smells are referred to as esters, compounds created by yeast while fermenting. It is these esters that give brett-based beers a unique complexity absent in normal saccharomyces-fermented beers.

The Truth brims with strong aromas of grassy earthiness and uber-ripe peaches. Upon tasting there is an initial burst of citrus fruit flavor, followed by a distinctly over-ripened cheese quality. The combination might seem odd, but it delivers a wonderful, enjoyable experience.

The brewers employ a strict sanitizing protocol to ensure that none of the brett flavors make it into the six other styles of beer they produce.

One of the standouts is Ollie IPA, a bone-dry, hoppy ale that is highly drinkable despite it’s 7.1 percent alcohol by volume. Hops take the starring role here with tropical fruit aromas bursting from the glass. A strong, dank bitterness maintains the body of the flavor but dissipates quickly after each sip, leaving the palate clean and dry. The absence of malt sweetness is intentional, allowing the vibrant hop flavors to shine through.

The initial beer lineup is rounded out by a number of easy-drinking beers, such as the Session Brown Ale, Rye Pale Ale and White Flag Saison. All are clean, dry and less than 6 percent alcohol by volume. For those who prefer something darker, the Coffee Porter is made with 100 percent Maui-grown coffee and pops with acidic coffee roastiness and bittersweet chocolate.

Beer Lab HI, at 1010 University Ave., is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays. No food is served, but customers are welcome to bring in whatever they like or order from nearby restaurants for delivery. For now, beers are available only at the tasting room; they do not fill growlers. Tasting flights are available, allowing customers to sample all the offerings and decide which ones they like best. Call 888-0913.

Tim Golden shares his obsession with all things craft beer monthly in the Star-Advertiser food section. See his blog, “Beer in Hawaii,” at beerinhawaii.com.