2009 Bi Yun Hao (BYH) Xiaomannai

Brandon Kendall

10 Feb 2026 — 4 min read

2009 Bi Yun Hao (BYH) Xiaomannai

Context:

Tea #5 (unofficially-officially calling it #5) from Sample Mountain (link below).

Parameters:

Grams: ~3g
Vessel: 1960's 67ml Hongni teapot
Water: Tea Curious Original Droppers from RO/DI base

Visuals:

Sample so...idk really, but BYH and you can find picks online. Good quality.

Dry Heat:

The most immediate direction this takes me is the Sweet > Ripe Fruits > Dried Tangerine note. There's honestly a juiciness present that makes me just wanna say fresh tangerine and mandarin oranges. It's really nice.

Wet Heat:

Wet heat brings in the other side of the wheel and makes it into a sour citrus.

Steeps:

Steep one is actually worth writing about, it gets a nice entry to a slightly puckering-turning-hui gan orange/lemon citrus taste activating the salivary glands in the back of the palate.

Two starts to kick in a very alert and heightening qi, probably at a 5/10 intensity for me. The flavor doesn't noticeably change and actually fades for me into an emphasis on the qi, which is...new for me. Starting to notice the thickening texture and softness.

There's a very delicate wrapper of herbaceousness that comes in on three with an even softer background of wood. The sour citrus rear palate hui gan is heating up in the bloom. The texture is just phenomenal.

*Steep 3 showing it's full color and viscosity.*

There is also a really, really nice enveloping soft silken glove hugging the tongue now, especially at the front. Of course, the herbaceous teas are some of the most likely in my experience to pair with some astringency, which this does bring some of - but the silk screen around the tongue protects it from feeling like you're eating raw spinach. Really interesting sensation. Feels great. Lingering aroma returns from this tea a lot too.

Qi:

There is qi here. It is energizing and uplifting, I feel it (I think) washing over me from each small gulp and sort of lifting back up into forward energy. I am alert but not jittery, rather quite steady.

Punchline:

This tea has a really interesting and engaging kumquat like aroma and taste that seems to evolve from a hidden satsuma citrus that wants to express itself at times. The hui gan is insane, highly active. The texture is impeccable.

The aroma is great, it makes it to the cup, the flavor matches and comes through well, the texture of the liqour itself is on point, and the qi does have an effect on me in a positive, upward, alertness. I'm a fan - BYH continues to impress.