When I started writing my blog, “Beer in Hawaii,” four years ago, I quipped that I was doing it primarily to help grow the beer community so that we could eventually get Firestone Walker Brewing to distribute to the islands. I wasn’t completely joking. I had just moved back home after living in California for 11 years, and it was there that I had fallen in love with the brewery on the Central Coast, where some of the most awarded U.S. beers are made. It was hard not having constant access to some of my favorite beers.

In those four years the beer world here has grown by leaps and bounds, and my secret goal in starting the blog is finally coming true. This month Fire­stone Walker is launching in Hawaii with draft at a number of bars across the state, while packaged products will be available sometime in March. Although I enjoy all the beers I write about in this column, this time I get to talk about some of the ones that I love most.

I first was introduced to the brewery in Paso Robles by way of their flagship Double Barrel Ale (often referred to as “DBA”). This was one of the first beers that opened my eyes to the potential of what beer could taste like, and it forever changed how and what I drank. DBA is a smooth, drinkable and not overly hopped English-style bitter that is famously fermented partially in oak barrels.

While most modern beers are fermented in stainless-steel vessels, Firestone decided back in 1996 to produce DBA like the British pale ales of the past, which meant fermenting in oak. Oak barrels require far more upkeep, but this process adds noticeable earthy and oaky qualities that layer perfectly on the light caramel and toffee flavors.

DBA was the beer that put Firestone Walker on the map, but its other offerings are just as amazing and widely loved. Its lineup is part of the reason the brewery has won the Great American Beer Festival’s Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewer of the Year awards four times, plus the Champion Mid-Size Brewing Company award at the World Beer Cup four times. The quality of their beers is that good.

While it was the DBA that got me hooked on Firestone, it was Union Jack IPA that became my go-to standard. This classic West Coast IPA is bold, bitter and layered with bright citrusy hops. It’s an offering that doesn’t need any added fruit or fancy gimmicks to be interesting.

The list of excellent beers from Firestone goes on and on. Pivo Pilsner is a clean, bright and refreshing German-style pilsner perfect for our warm climate. Meanwhile, 805, a blond ale named after the Central Coast area code, is the brewery’s top seller; it is approachable and full of flavor yet easy to drink. Their newest IPA release, Luponic Distortion, is a highly drinkable, hoppy beer that is ever evolving, with a new release every quarter that utilizes different hops.

I haven’t even scratched the surface of Firestone’s much sought-after barrel- aged stouts, barley wines, quads and sour beers that come from their Barrelworks facility in Buellton, Calif. There are simply too many to mention in one column. You’ll just have to try them all as they are released here in Hawaii.

Tim Golden, a certified cicerone, shares his obsession with all things craft beer monthly. See his blog, “Beer in Hawaii,” at beerinhawaii.com.