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I recently tried Grand Yunnan Impérial, a black tea from Palais des Thés. Here’s my detailed review of the experience:

Preparation:

- Temperature: 205°F / 96°C
- Time: 0 min, 15 sec
- Tea Amount: 5 g
- Water Volume: 3 oz / 100 ml

After a disappointing initial attempt with a steep time of 45 seconds resulting in strong bitterness, I decided to switch to Gong Fu style brewing to explore the tea’s potential further.

For the first infusion, I steeped the tea for about 10 seconds, aiming to quickly extract the flavor without letting it become bitter.

The second infusion was very relaxing, with the expected bitterness for a black tea. However, it didn’t exhibit any outstanding characteristics beyond being a standard Yunnan black tea.

The third infusion revealed the tea’s potential as the bitterness subsided, leaving a lighter and more enjoyable experience. This infusion was particularly praised.

With the fourth infusion, the bitterness became more pronounced, but no significant difference was noted compared to the third infusion.

In conclusion, Grand Yunnan Impérial proved to be a non-exceptional yet pleasant black tea. It exhibited slightly less bitterness than expected, making it suitable for casual consumption.

- Flavor Complexity: 12/30 – Some enjoyable moments but lacks distinctive or exceptional flavors.
- Brewing Forgiveness: 15/20 – Not particularly forgiving, shorter steeps are more successful.
- Consistency Across Infusions: 15/20 – Variations in experience across infusions, some inconsistency.
- Overall Enjoyment: 13/30 – Pleasant but not memorable or impressive.

- yaro