The schwarzbier (Cue The Wife yelling lines from Spaceballs) is not what you would call a common style of brewing. It’s like a porter or chocolate stout, but where those are derived from ales, this comes from the lager family. The style dates back to Augustine monasteries of the 14th century Germany, where the cloistered monks would brew this darker lager because, well, what the hell else are you going to do during the 1300s in a monastery?

As far as lagers go, the schwarzbier has never really caught on. Samuel Adams and Guinness each introduced their own “black lagers,” holding true to the tradition of bottom fermentation and roasted barley for color. The only widespread domestic schwarzbier that I’m familiar with is brewed by the Gordon Biersch chain of brewpubs.

Leinenkugel, the Wisconsin-based brewery now owned by MillerCoors, released a variation on the dark lager as part of its Big Eddy series. Big Eddy, drawing its name from brewery’s water source, are the label’s imperial beers, sold in four packs at premium prices, and packing large flavors. The Big Eddy cherry doppelschwarz made its debut in November 2014, marking Leinenkugel’s first foray into the schwarzbier style.

Doppel means double, and there is a lot going on here. Five malts set the toasted, creamy tone that fades into a dry, subtle cherry aftertaste on the backend. It’s a beer built for a hearty meal that has sweetness built in: ribs with a barbecue sauce, pork with a balsamic reduction or something of that ilk. For a dark beer that looks like a porter or stout, it’s surprisingly lightweight like a — wait for it — lager.

Leinenkugel put some serious thought into this beer and the execution is superb, worthy of its $11.99 price tag. Get some meat, and make a bing cherry sauce or something with figs to go with it. Pair it with one of these and let your spouse drink the wine.

Brewer: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Beer: Big Eddy Cherry Doppelschwarz

Style: Schwarzbier

ABV: 8.5% IBU: 27

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Price: n/a (purchased as part of a mixed pack) Point of Purchase: Wegmans, Syracuse, N.Y.

To The Eye: Pours with a reddish tinge but settles into a cola-like blackness

To The Nose: Malty with a hint of sweetness at first. Upon second sniff, it has the porter-like chocolatey smell.

To The Palate: Smooth and creamy with a nice carbonated tingle. Chocolate malts are very present, though they taste more caramel-like when the beer reaches rooms temperature. Looks like a porter but drinks like a lager, so less bitter and weight than you might think.

Aftertaste: Subtle dry cherry

Boozy Factor: You know its there, but it doesn’t get in the way of the beer’s flavor profile.

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as highest: 8