Imperial Pleasure Exclusive Gift Set

What's Inside

Imperial Pleasure is a two-tea set, drawn from DABOV's highest tea grades rather than the daily-drinking tiers. The exact leaves rotate with availability at this rarity level, so the box is built around a consistent standard — rare, high-grade tea — rather than one fixed recipe.

If you want a preview of the kind of tea this tier draws from, DABOV's Yellow Tea Ming Dynasty is a good single-tea example: a genuinely rare Chinese tea style once reserved for the Ming and Qing dynasty imperial court, sold on its own rather than only in a gift box.

Gifting Guide

Imperial Pleasure is built for recognition gifts more than casual ones — the tea equivalent of a bottle of something genuinely good rather than something merely nice. It reads well for a colleague being celebrated for a promotion or a big career milestone, a boss or client gift where you want the quality to speak for itself without over-explaining, or a retirement gift for someone who has spent years drinking whatever was in the office kitchen and deserves better.

It's a strong match for the tea lover who already has a full cabinet of everyday blends and would rather receive something they wouldn't buy for themselves. It's a less natural fit for someone brand-new to tea — a simpler, more approachable set makes a better first introduction, with Imperial Pleasure saved for once they've developed a clearer sense of what they like.

Did You Know

• "Imperial grade" is a real historical tea classification, not just marketing language. Under China's tribute tea system, specific gardens were designated to supply tea exclusively to the emperor's court, and the very best of each year's harvest from those gardens never reached ordinary markets at all.

• Yellow tea is considered one of the rarest of the six classic tea types. It uses a slow, humid "sealed yellowing" step found in no other tea style, and it was historically prized enough that it was reserved for the Ming and Qing dynasty imperial court rather than sold openly.

• Whole-leaf tea is graded above broken leaf and fannings for a physical reason, not just prestige. Intact leaves release their flavor compounds more slowly and evenly during steeping, which is part of why the highest tea grades are almost always whole-leaf rather than cut or crushed.

• Only the unopened bud is used for the very top grade of white tea. These buds are hand-plucked in a short window each spring, which is one of the practical reasons top-grade white teas are produced in much smaller quantities than everyday green or black tea.

How many teas are in the Imperial Pleasure Exclusive Gift Set?

It's a two-tea presentation, in line with the format DABOV uses across its Exclusive Gift Set line.

What makes a tea "imperial grade"?

Historically, it referred to leaves grown in gardens designated to supply the Chinese imperial court, with the best of each harvest reserved rather than sold. Today the term is used more loosely to describe the rarest, most carefully selected tea grades.

Is this a good gift for someone new to tea?

Not the ideal starting point — it's built for an established tea drinker who already knows what they enjoy. A simpler daily-ritual set makes a better first gift, with something like Imperial Pleasure saved for later.

Who is this gift best suited for?

A tea lover or connoisseur being marked for a real occasion — a promotion, a retirement, a milestone birthday — rather than a casual, everyday gift.

How should I store the tea to keep it fresh?

Keep it in its sealed packaging or an airtight container, away from direct light, heat, and strong odors, which are the main things that dull a tea's flavor over time.

Can I buy DABOV's exclusive-tier teas individually rather than as a gift set?

Yes — DABOV's exclusive reserve tea collection includes single-tea options at this same rarity tier.