Your inner cynic says: "Wait, wait ... isn't this just an Imperial Stout?" Well, let's answer your inner cynic's question with another question: "Isn't a Dunkelweizen just a darker, maltier Hefeweizen?" The answer is both yes and no. There you go, inner cynic. Incubated in West Coast craft breweries and brewpubs (the same folks who brought you American Pale Ale, American Amber Ale, and Imperial IPA – they weren't always established styles, either!), these hefty concoctions throw all pretense at subtlety right out the window. An ebony pint with a beige head is surrounded by an aromatic citrus-and-pine force field, backed by a smooth roastiness redolent of cocoa and French roast coffee. Full-bodied, hop-bitter, and boozy, this beer is compelling enough to both fuel and quash the argument of its stylistic integrity, and it goes great with a blue-cheese stuffed sirloin burger or steak. Recommended: 2-stage fermentation and yeast starter.