Puerh Cake Take: Peacock 9611
This Puerh Cake Take concerns the ’07 Peacock 9611, ZC. It’s the best cake among the KMTF ’07s primarily due to its durability. I might be able to offer this in a year, if the stars align. Presently, it might be interesting to augment the record on ZC’s ’07 productions. First the specs. . .
’07 Peacock 9611, Zhongcha/KMTF
Regular readers know that for me Zhongcha is the Kunming Tea Factory. Dayi is what they are, as is Xiaguan. The ‘07 Peacock 9611 is among at least two other Peacock productions from that year, mentioned previously. The Thick Zen is a peacock made of large leaf Yiwu material. The Bada Peacock is minerally and increasingly floral with each infusion. The 9611 is decidedly floral, comprised of very small leaves and buds.
Somehow, the 9611 in my possession was stored with heavy humidity. The cake stored here in Los Angeles for at least a year before it could be considered drinkable to my person. It does not possess the perfect storage traits of the Yiwu Princess, but it may given a few more years. Presently, it is still laced with a certain dankness that I wish weren’t there. A handful of drinkers covet that taste.
The numbers 9611 are clearly displayed on the wrapper. Following the traditional logic would suggest that this formula was devised in ’96, comprised mostly of grade 1 leaf, and devised by factory #1. Along with the neifei is a piece of gold ribbon. The characters above the numbers descriptively read “Peacock Cake.” The wrapper and neifei are identical.
Tiny Leaves Tinier Gold Ribbon
Reflections
There are some attributes of KMTF productions that I generally look for, primary are Zen and broth clarity. I do not find that in most of their productions that they’re trying to imitate the Dayi taste, as is the case with many other factories’ productions. When I say Dayi, I think I mean 7542 and/or 7543. It doesn’t matter. It’s thematically much heavier.
Breaking Dawn Puerh Glimmers
KMTF tries to express something much more subtle than Dayi. Given its storage conditions the broth is incredibly dark.
That’s a shot from Jan 2019. Here’s another shot brewed from clay, about infusion 13.
This puerh just never bottoms out. The floral, hint of cinnamon from wet storage, and sweetness just continue from one infusion to the next. This shot would have been day four. The taste of the flowers is never jagged. The quality of experience has that glassy smoothness of the Early Spring, but everything here is kicked up a notch without any wheat or malt notes.
Contrasting Floral Puerhs
There are two kinds of floral, a macho and a genteel. Among the macho floral, again we have the Lunar Series from 6FTM. This is the type of floral for people who like to get knocked over the head with very loud and aggressive tea. Lincang productions from Fengqing and Daxueshan are extremely popular, with Mengku TF probably producing some of the best grade affordable puerh out there.
By contrast, genteel florals must express all the intensity of flowers found among machos but never at the expense of smoothness and subtlety. This is where the 9611 falls, along with the other Yang puerh folks, YPH.
Final Views
The floral profile is not my favourite of puerh taste classes. The 9611 is nevertheless an excellent puerh by virtue of its durability. Its enduring sweetness, clarity, and smoothness are all noteworthy. The wetter storage conditions offer deeper insights into the intention behind the classic factory style craftsmanship. It actually seems that now is the time to begin making calls about the ’07s, not when they were made ten years ago.
Amidst Puerh Junky’s stash, the 9611 is unique. A floral wet-stored puerh that is sophisticated and smooth isn’t that common. Aggressive storage can often rob the tea of life, but in this case I’m wondering whether the opposite applies. Further perplexing matters is that small leaves and buds don’t usually brew that long.
