In the beer world, the harvest season revolves around hops. Similar to wine harvests, hops are harvested within a few weeks, between late August and September. Hop growers wait until the hop cones are at their peak, with vibrant flavors and aromas.

Most of the hops picked during harvest season go directly into massive rooms where they are kiln-dried, then packaged for use throughout the year.

But not all hops end up dried and preserved. The hop harvest season also brings a special, once-a-year beer, the fresh hop beer (also called wet hop beer). A small amount of hops are picked fresh and shipped directly to brewers, where they are used within 48 hours. Fresh hop beers tend to be hop-forward — delightfully bitter and slightly grassy. The fresh hops are full of green flavors that don’t survive the kilning process, making these yearly beers a true treat.

Though these types of beers are also called wet hop beer, the hops are not literally wet. The term refers to the fact that the hops haven’t been kilned and thus maintain a higher moisture content than dried hops.

WHILE FRESH hop beers were once hard to find outside the main hop-growing region of the Pacific Northwest, overnight shipping has given brewers around the world access to freshly picked hops. In Hawaii, brewers have jumped at the chance to produce these unique and vibrant beers. This year three Oahu breweries brewed wet hop beers.

It’s not easy or cheap for isle brewers to get their hands on the limited, highly perishable hops. To do so, brewers must make arrangements well in advance to have the hops freshly picked, quickly packaged and then flown overnight in refrigerated packs. But the hassle and expense enable Hawaii producers to deliver a highly flavorful hop-forward beer.

Honolulu Beerworks is in its second year of brewing a wet hop beer. After the success of last year’s beer, the company decided to order two kinds of hops to create two wet hop beers. Beerworks received 80 pounds each of Mosaic and Equinox hops from Perrault Farms in Yakima Valley, Wash. The Mosaic Wet Hop IPA is full of juicy berry aromas that jump out of the glass and linger. The light malt base allows the hop flavors to take center stage and hit every part of the palate. The Equinox Wet Hop IPA is slightly different, with a ruby red color and a touch of residual sweetness. The vibrant hops still dominate both the aroma and flavor and leave a pleasing lingering bitterness.

Waikiki Brewing Co. also used Equinox hops to create its first wet hop IPA, with 90 pounds of freshly picked hops from B.T. Loftus Ranches in Yakima. Within 36 hours of being picked, these hops were in the brew kettle. The resulting beer is a hop lover’s dream. Brilliantly crystal-clear with a beautiful gold hue, hops dominate the aroma with notes of lemons, pineapple and minty herbs. This beer is equally pleasing when sipped. A light, crackerlike malt base allows vibrant hops flavors to stand out, followed by a solid though not overpowering bitterness and a clean, crisp finish.

Lanikai Brewing Co. decided to throw a unique spin on its first wet hop pale ale. Along with 45 pounds of Centennial, Amarillo and Sterling hops from Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn, Ore., Lanikai added locally harvested lemongrass and a mix of mandarin and bitter oranges. The result, the Kailua Beach Cruiser Wet Hop Pale Ale, possesses an herbal spiciness, thanks to the lemongrass, and accentuated citrus notes from the oranges. Clean, crisp and bright, this beer is full of flavor and easy to drink.

All of these beers are extremely limited and available at each brewery, so head out soon to try a couple. Just one batch of each beer was brewed, and once they’re gone, you’ll have to wait a whole year for the next hop season.

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.