Like this summer's Nuptiale, the Imperiale is a special release that can only be found in Ninkasi's seasonal four-packs. It's in good company though, alongside Sleighr, Total Domination, and Believer -- three pretty solid beers. So how does the Imperiale stack up? Let's start with Ninkasi's description: Pretty accurate. Sweet and somewhat milky, with good strong dark chocolate notes. Roasty. Perhaps not as "full bodied" as the description suggests, but Imperiale is definitely smooth, and hides it's hefty 9.1% ABV really well. I don't love super-boozy stouts, and this isn't one, so that was nice.