One of the more interesting B.C. breweries that have invaded Alberta in recent months is Steel & Oak (S&O) from New Westminister. I mean “interesting” in the sense that the beer they have been shipping out here are not ordinary styles, but instead tend to be odd mixtures of things – dry-hopped ESBs, red pilsners and the like.

This can be a good or bad thing, don’t get me wrong. But they do at least stand out on the shelves, I find.

I decided recently to pick up what may be their most style-bending beer. Their Smoked Hefeweizen is most certainly a novel and quirky combo. Weizens are usually soft, subtle beer that aim for big summer quaffability (in a good way). Smoked beer tend to be more intense and rather esoteric in terms of their reach to the consumer. So, it is an unexpected combo. Seems like a good reason to give it a try.

It is hazy light gold and builds a big, dense, rocky white head. As a hefeweizen should be, it is very effervescent. The aroma offers up clove and bubblegum supported by some soft wheat grain, touches of fruitiness and hints of woody smoke in the background.

I take a sip and first get soft wheat with a delicate fruitiness. I also get a stalky graininess playing in the background. The middle palate brings out clove and bubblegum as I would expect from a weizen. It is the finish where the smoke is noticeable. The finish is dry and I get a light, clean smokiness but do find, overall it is pretty subtle. In a way I was hoping for a bit more smoke character, even if I am not sure what that would have been like for me.

On the whole it is a decent weizen with accents of smoke. I suspect that is what they were going for, but I kind of feel they 0ver-sold the beer. The boldly call it a smoked hefeweizen, which heightened my expectations about what it might offer. I am not convinced smoke should be added to a weizen, but the name somehow made me think I would get a more assertive smoke character.

Likely the beer is better for its smoke subtlety. Too much smoke would have trashed the quietness of the weizen. But somehow I feel unsatisfied. That may be my fault for expecting a smoked beer, when what they have offered is a weizen with a touch of smokiness for accent. Probably the right call, but it doesn’t seem to justify the marketing.