Imperial Tea

A Historic Name, an Everyday Blend

"Imperial" has carried real weight in the tea trade for over a century — 19th- and 20th-century Western tea merchants used it both as a specific grade term (for large-pellet gunpowder green tea) and, more loosely, as a general marketing descriptor implying top quality across many different blends. DelmarTe's use here follows that second, broader tradition — a name signaling quality rather than a specific certified grade.

Because this is a blended product without a single named growing region, exact botanical composition can shift somewhat from batch to batch — what stays consistent is the loose-leaf format and the Daily Ritual line's everyday positioning.

How to Brew Imperial Tea

Parameter	Guidance
Water temperature	208–212°F (98–100°C), just off a full boil
Leaf dose	1–2 tsp per 8 oz cup
Steep time	5–7 minutes
Adjust	To taste, cup to cup

Start on the shorter end of that range and extend the next cup if you'd like more strength — that's an easier way to dial in a loose blend than guessing a single fixed steep time up front.

Did You Know

• "Imperial" is a genuine historic tea-grade term, not a marketing invention. 19th- and 20th-century tea merchants used it most specifically for large, tightly-rolled gunpowder green tea pellets, and more loosely as a general quality descriptor across other blends.

• Western tea-grade names often described leaf size and shape, not flavor. Terms like "Imperial," "Pinhead," and "Orange Pekoe" historically referred to how the leaf was cut, rolled, or graded for export — a naming system that predates modern flavor-descriptor marketing by well over a hundred years.

• Tea was once valuable enough to keep under lock and key. In 18th-century Britain, households stored tea in lockable wooden caddies — the leaf was expensive enough that access to the caddy was controlled by the head of the household, a detail that survives in the antique tea caddies collectors prize today.

What is Imperial Tea?

It's a loose blend from DelmarTe's Daily Ritual collection, sold in a 3.5 oz size for everyday brewing.

Where does the name "Imperial" come from?

"Imperial" is a historic tea-trade term, once used as a specific export grade for large-pellet gunpowder green tea and more broadly as a general quality descriptor across other blends — DelmarTe uses it here as a product name in that broader tradition.

Is this the same as gunpowder tea?

Not necessarily — "Imperial" has historically named a gunpowder tea grade specifically, but the term has also been used more loosely across other blends, so the name alone doesn't confirm one particular tea style.

How should I brew this tea for the best flavor?

Use water just off a full boil (208–212°F / 98–100°C), 1–2 teaspoons per 8 oz cup, and steep 5–7 minutes, starting on the shorter end and adjusting from there.

Is this the same as other Daily Ritual blends?

No — each Daily Ritual product, including this one, is its own distinct blend, even where the packaging format and brewing guidance are similar.