i understand the thought of boosted alcohol in the imperials and that is what most marketed probably are but i don't like the terminology.
is an imperial bock a dopplebock or eisbock"
or an imperial scotch heavy just a strong scotch ale?
Good examples! 'Imperial Scotch Heavy' is a particularly funny example of how silly it's all becoming.
The way I see it, "Imperial" as just a descriptive name which seems to have become a code word for "over the top ABV". Beyond that, it has little connection to historical use of the term as it relates to beer.
Nowadays, it's really nothing more than a marketing term (kind of like what the term "craft" has more or less become).
When the first "Imperial Session Beer" rears it's ugly head, maybe I'll just switch to wine.