Featuring Kunming Tea Factory productions between ’06-’07. Goldilocks storage, neither too wet nor to dry, afforded plenty of transformation. Links to pics on Instagram provided for further inspection. Kunming Tea Factory goes back before the founding of the state tea monopoly, actually before founding of the PRC, as Fuxing Shiyan TF, 1939. During the monopoly they were designated Factory #1. They primarily hang their hat upon one production, 7581. In the course of market reforms beginning in the 90s and continuing to this day, KMTF took near sole possession of the Zhongcha brand in ’07. Up till ’14, they continued adherence to traditional processing methods, marked by storage requirements of around 15yrs before maturing into an enjoyable drinking state.
KMTF’s house style is characteristically 柔 (rou), what can be translated as genteel, a marked contrast from Xinghai TF. Camphor and minerality prevail among the ’06 productions, while fruitiness plays a more prominent role later. An entire sample set can can be found on the Sampler U page, with individual selections also scatter among certain taste-profile samples.
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’06 Red Peacock, 400g
Peat, honey, light bacon aroma. Creamy flavor, balanced astringency and sweetness with zero bitterness. Clarity better than 3.5, nice to gander. Grounding, warming qi that builds with embers in the belly, slowly building outwards. Thirst-slaker activating tongue. Resonantly mellow vanilla aftertaste. Dandy everyday drinker. Classic recipe for 60s. Sample in the Zhongcha Sample set. Stored in LA since Mar ’23.
18¢
’06 Nannuo Old Tree, 380g
Glassy smooth, kerosene, some peat, rich texture, bold sweetness. Oily camphor and kerosine aroma. Classic KMTF gentility, with Bukowski intimations, particularly in the huigan. Sour action reaching underneath cheeks. Fire-tingling lips. Salivation. Warming qi. Stored in LA since Mar ’23. Sample 30g.
27¢
‘06 Big Red Mark Iron Cake, 380g
Thick texture, juicy, little astringency, smooth, vanilla, anise, honey, smidge of graphite. Nice balance, fun drinking. Second batch. Stored in LA since Mar ’23. Sample 30g.
23¢
’07 Bada Peacock, 357g (pictured above)
Moderately pressed spring KMTF Floral Class creation. It consists of tippy florality balanced by larger grade 5 or so leaves that impart a balancing creaminess. The full aroma is the first clue. Noteworthy astringency numbs and drys the mouth. Intoxicating qi goes strait to the head after traversing the arms. Sweetness is nicely balanced. Kunming stored in warm conditions that afforded decent transformation without imparting any hints of humidity. Stored in Los Angeles since May ’20.
24¢
’07 HK701, 357g
Bejeweled amber, crystal clarity. Humid storage, slight HK dank, thread of sour, power perfume note in huigan. Grapefruit nose and flavour emerges. Building astringency, pleasing grapefruit bitter hint. Sustained sweetness and sourness. Sample available under “Humid/Old” in Sampler U page. Second batch. Stored in LA since Mar ’23.
19¢
| Size | 20g, 357g, HK701, NannuoOT, NannuoOTSam, Red Pea, RM Iron, RM Iron Sam |
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