This stout style, high in alcohol and bitterness in order to favour preservation, was historically brewed to support the long and arduous voyage necessary to export the beer from England to Russia. The word Imperial comes from the fact that the beer was specially brewed for the Russian tsar’s court. This beer received a special award during the 2005 Popular Beer Contest held during the Mondial de la Bière in Montréal (www.micro.dieuduciel.com, 2012).