When most people say, "I like lagers," they probably mean they like their beers light. "Lager" is often a broad catchall for misunderstood parts, like "Africa" or "rock 'n' roll." Thanks to a unique kind of yeast that ferments beer slowly and at cooler temperatures, all lagers, from ambers to zwickels, have a crisp, clean finish, but as the newly popular black lagers prove, they're not all pale, yellow and fizzy.  Black lager (also known as schwarzbier, if you want to be German about it), is an old style of brew that never quite caught on. It could be the oxymoronic-seeming name, but it's definitely not the taste. Flavors of full-roast coffee and toasted brown bread seem to hover in the air when you pour it into a glass, and despite the beer's darkness and big flavors, it has none of the anchoring heft of a stout or porter. This is a dark beer for people who don't think they like dark beer.  Once the rage in German spa towns—a bedridden Goethe allegedly recovered his sturm und drang with schwarzbier—black lagers these days are only popular in geographical pockets, like, oddly, Texas. But that's about to change. Guinness will release a black lager this month, putting this paradoxical, underappreciated side of the lager family in the spotlight. Or is it black light?  Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. Ugly Pug  The best American black lager is shamefully hard to find. It's only available around Texas but worth seeking out. Ugly Pug is light and bittersweet, with a tiny hint of dark fruit; a currant-studded chocolate bar, vaporized. 4.5% ABV  First made in the 16th century when German brewers embarked on a lager-making kick they're still on today, Köstritzer sets the schwarzbier standard: rich but airy, bitter and comfortingly smooth, like molasses on oatmeal. 4.8% ABV  Brewed with Guinness's characteristically tangy roasted barley, this is an entry-level schwarzbier, less brash than most. A wisp or two of smoke rises from a thin but caramel-y body. Plenty light for lager drinkers and sweet enough for fans of stout. 4.5% ABV  MateVeza Brewing Co. Organic Black Lager  MateVeza's black lager is the hoppiest of the bunch. Grass and citrus notes, plus its not-so-secret ingredient, yerba mate, balance the beer's roasted grains with a unique, earthy, mint-like finish and, of course, a jolt of caffeine. 5.2% ABV  Toasty and angular, this is a black lager with teeth. Burnt and bitter grains (think well-done toast) get helped along by the refreshing spice of traditional German pilsner hops. Bracing, but balanced. 4.9% ABV
Want the robust flavors of a stout or porter without the heaviness? Fill 'er up with an easy-drinking black lager. With an exclusive taste of the new Guinness Black Lager.