2004 Yiwu

Wet Leaf Aroma

Fruity, woody, tangy, barnyard, dark sweetness, molasses.

Tasting Notes

The first steep opens with good mouthfeel and viscosity, soft and round overall. There is a fruitiness and tanginess - a savory, slightly mouth-watering quality with a touch of honey and freshness, even a faint fizziness. A light lemon-like bite registers on the sides and back of the tongue, though the overall impression remains mellow and quite integrated. A dark, tucked-away sweetness sits underneath, not prominent but present, alongside a mild fermented character. As the session progresses, the brighter and higher notes fade, giving way to a rounder, softer, more openly sweet character - easy drinking, with a good sense of depth throughout.

In a Sentence

Fruity clean, with a good sense of depth.

What it feels like

Settles you into a quiet, centered space. As the session moves forward, the energy deepens while the tea itself softens and rounds out.

Quick

Sheng ★★★★ Bi Yun Hao

Details

Entry Date

08.05.2026

Country

China

Region

Yiwu

Tea Master

Bi Yun Hao

Rating (1-5)

3.8

Properties

Kōu Gǎn i Mouthfeel: texture, density, softness, or dryness.

Good viscosity from the first steep. Soft, round, and mellow, notably integrated rather than sharp or disjointed.

Hóu Yùn i Throat resonance — the depth and length of the finish.

Present and decent. Nothing particularly standing out, but solid and unobtrusive.

Huí Gān i Returning sweetness after bitterness, perceived after swallowing.

Some sense of returning sweetness after swallowing, with a slightly mouth-watering quality lingering.

Qi (1-5) i The tea’s felt effect on body and mind.

3.5 - 4. Kicks in noticeably after two to three steeps. Centering effect, encouraging deep breaths. Good depth and leaf quality, perhaps a touch more rustic than the 2005.

Journal

2026-05-08

This tea shares a distinct family character with other Bi Yun Hao productions of similar age - the 2005 Yiwu and 2004 Manzhuan in particular come to mind, all carrying a similar tangy, slightly fizzy quality on the back of the tongue. Whether this points to dry storage conditions, or to the fact that these cakes were reportedly wrapped in plastic for an extended period, is an open question - but the resemblance across the range is hard to ignore.

The material itself is beautiful: the compression is soft and loose, the leaves look well-selected, and the overall production standard feels high. The energy alone would make this a great tea by most measures. That said, the taste profile - a bit tangy and fermented-fruity - sits slightly outside my personal sweet spot; I tend to reach for teas that lean sweeter and rounder.

Only have a small sample, and I don't find myself particularly eager for more — but that's a matter of preference, not quality.