“Yesterday I spent time throughout the day enjoying a 2004 Yiwu. A few months ago, Essence of Tea offered a “sale” on a few very special somewhat aged teas they had introduced on a very limited...” Read full tasting note
2004 Chang Yu Hao Yiwu Raw
This is an early Chang Yu Hao pressing. This cake is composed entirely of old tree Yiwu leaves, from a time when separate villages weren’t named explicitly. The leaves are very strong, thick and very healthy. The cake has been aged for the past 10 years in Malaysia, and this cake highlights some of the reasons why we like the storage here so much. The greenness and astringency of youth have completely mellowed, but the vibrancy and strength of the tea have remained. The brewed tea is clean and pure, with the natural flavours concentrated and well defined.
The tea is rich and thick in the mouth, rolling off the edges of the tongue and coating the mouth and throat as you drink it. The aftertaste lingers… as I write this well over half an hour after my last cup the taste is still rich in my mouth. The qi is present and strong.
There’s not a lot of this tea left & I suspect it won’t last long, but I’m happy to be able to offer this tea as a sign of what good quality old tree tea can become. Much of the present day tea coming out of Yiwu can’t hope to rival this, but there are still a few gardens producing tea of this quality. When the base materials are of good quality, and the storage is good, just 10 years of ageing can produce something really delicious.
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