Tag Archives: kunming tea factory

Puerh Rating: Da Hu Zhai

Posted on by Yang-chu
24 Sep

The Puerh Junky Rating System (PJRS) takes on the ’14 Da Hu Zhai.  This eastern Lincang production expresses intensely optimistic fruit notes characteristic of the region.  This production comes from a boutique vendor who deals exclusively with the eastern Lincang region.

After three rounds the total was as follows:

  • Aroma           10
  • Clarity            14
  • Sweetness    12
  • Viscosity         8
  • Astringency   13
  • Huigan          10
  • Qi                    7

Reflections

Initially, the Puerh Junky suffered great pensiveness regarding whether the Da Hu Zhai had been process in a fashion that aging would weaken it.  However this is NOT the case, as it continues to get sweeter.  The suspicion is well founded given how delicious it has been out the gate.  Nonetheless, it’s getting better under moderately intense conditions and the prospects are quite exciting.

The PJRS finds the Da Hu Zhai to possess stellar clarity.  Furthermore, that is backed up with just the slightest bit of astringency along with lots of stone fruit sweetness.  At this stage, this puerh might already be slightly beyond what many newer drinkers are familiar with, but nothing that wouldn’t be welcomed.  At the same time, it is something that experienced drinkers might be likely to dismiss due to youth.

As far as parallels are concerned, KMTF’s Jade Mark and “73” both from ’14 strike a similar bright, sweet, and optimistic note.  As I understand, the “73” precedes the Menghai version of the 7542, the hallmark raw puerh recipe.  Sweetness binds them.  Single village offerings tend to be exquisitely crafted.  Classic recipes appear thrown together.  Classics also tend to NOT be terribly drinkable when young, and I’m wonder whether processing methods of even the classics aren’t changing due to the demand from younger, hipper drinkers.

Conclusions

Da Hu Zhai ingratiates the frilly drinker.  Sometimes climatic concerns necessitate frilly drinking, so it’s not entirely your fault if you like this.  Also, if you felt like sitting on something for 10-20 yrs, this puerh treasure seems to be a very good candidate given its development so far.  Puerh Rating: Da Hu Zhai

74/105, B

Puerh Rating: Top-Notch Tuo

Posted on by Yang-chu
10 Sep

The Puerh Junky Rating System (PJRS) takes on the ’07 Top-Notch Tuo, ZC.  This 100g raw puerh “bird’s nest” (tuo) is the first of any identically named productions.  “Top-notch” is translated from “jia–ji.”  Late 90 and early naught jia-ji are appears to be a fairly famous formulation.  Dunno whether this KMTF tuo is true to that original formulation.

Up until Jan of 2020, this tuo cha was stored in Kunming.  The outer wrapper is crisp as if it were last year’s production but the noticeable dry aroma is not in the least youthful.

After three rounds the total was as follows:

  • Aroma          11
  • Clarity          14
  • Sweetness     9
  • Viscosity       11
  • Astringency  12
  • Huigan           6
  • Qi                   5

Reflections

The Top-Notch Tuo was only posted last month, Aug 2020.  According to the PJRS this tuo possesses exceptional clarity.  This tends to be a trademark of KMTF productions, something they take pride in.  It is also excels at being thick, smooth, and aromatic.

The tuo shape is synonymous with Xia Guan.  Those tend to be macho puerhs, smoky, minerally.  The tiny Puerh Junky stash of tuo offerings is from reputable factories, sometimes which also captured something thematically captivating.  Among them, the Top-Notch Tuo is definitely the fruitiest, next to its sister HK Returns.

68/105, B

Puerh Rating: 14 Jade Mark

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Sep

Here’s the first of many Puerh Junky Rating System (PJRS) entries, this time on the ’14 Jade Mark, ZC.    After the three rounds its total was as follows:

  • Aroma        10
  • Clarity         14
  • Sweetness  14
  • Viscosity     10
  • Astringency   9
  • Huigan         11
  • Qi                   8

The ’14 Jade Mark is a downright convivial young raw puerh.  Between its aging and proper brewing it produces a well above average drinking experience.  I recently heard Mozart’s piano described as sunshine.  That’s very much the Jade Mark.  Ditzy and playful, but good!

Key to ideal brewing of this production is quick infusions with water temps around 195.  Using this approach I was able to get nine flavour-packed infusions without pushing the leaves in the least.  Cooler water allows for a bit more time in the bath.  The longest bath was possibly 10 s.

Agitating the leaves with the lid in no way affected the clarity of the broth.

As far as young raws from big factories I’ve tasted, the Jade Mark is one of the best.  Compared to the Horse from the same year, it is light years sweeter.  It is perfectly good for drinking now and will only get sweeter over the next 6-10 yrs before transforming.  Find other reflections on this treasure.

Total 74/105,  B

 

Puerh Cake Take: Peacock 9611

Posted on by Yang-chu
07 Peacock 9611, CNNP
07 Sep

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.

Gold Ribbon

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.

 

Puerh Battle Sept 3, 2020

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Sep

Los Angeles, Sept 3, 2020, the site of a Puerh Battle featuring two up-and-comers from ’07.  It’s the Hideout, LME vs the Bada Peacock, ZC.  Both puerh cakes have been likened to being mirrors of one another in terms of minerality.  Each one, however, untested in terms of aroma, viscosity, and qi.  LME claims that the Hideout has won some awards, while the Bada Peacock has shown itself to be a sweeter representative from the ’07 Kunming Tea Factory class.  How will the pugilistic puerhs fair?

Tale of Neifei

Hideout disrobes showing a neifei that is in the spirit of Fuhai and Dayi.  It has the look and feel of money.  The Bada comes out in the traditional Zhongcha red and white, utterly confident and exuding a sweet faintly fruity aroma.

This Puerh Battle was commissioned by and under the rules of the PRS and presided by the self-appointed official, the Puerh Junky.

Infusion #1

This battle went two rounds.  The looks here are not deceiving.  The Zhongcha Bada Peacock is noticeably darker.  Whereas hideout scored a “4” in terms of clarity its huigan and qi scores had it losing in the first round.  The decisive factor was the heavy “4” in viscosity the Peacock delivered.  The Peacock is rich, sweet, and round out the gate.

Infusion #2

Again it is evident that the Bada Peacock is darker, more mature.  In the second round the Hideout thought it could dazzle with sparkling clarity, “5”.  It overall scored better in the second round than it had in the first.  Bada’s viscosity also took a step back making matters interesting.  However, the leaves had opened up significantly, enough  that by the second round the huigan had improved considerably, “4”, while the qi also ticked up to “3”.

The final tally:  Hideout 39/70; Bada Peacock 46/70

The battle was not close.  The ’07 Zhongcha’s are really starting to come into their own.  It’s becoming increasingly clear that time and storage are hyper critical for these productions and that the difference between their youth and age is considerable. . . to state the obvious but have it really sink in.

Contrary to these findings, the market price for the Hideout has climbed to about three times that of the Bada.  Up about six fold from when originally purchased, it has climbed more than at least one offering I consider better but in an entirely different taste class. The Bada, on the other hand, is an uncommon ZC offering in terms of availability and mineral vibe.  This is mineral note is characterized by rocks and toothpaste.  Both have it and it’s a relatively rare expression in raws, where the Dayi wood and petrol vibe is so religiously imitated.  LME and ZC both tend toward Zen, so they are easy casual drinkers, while cryptic enough to hold your attention if you so choose to give it.

In the subsequent day of testing the two findings were similar, but I felt that there was a bottoming out on the Hideout demonstrated by metallic astringency and bitterness.  Interestingly, a week or so prior I had brewed the Bada with a friend using the tetsubin and he remarked upon what he felt was a displeasing metallic quality.  Don’t brew with a tetsubin unless you’ve practiced with its effects on your production before hand.

Stay thirsty my friends.

 

Puerh Cake Take: Mangosteen

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Jun

This Puerh Cake Take is on Mangosteen, a ’12 production from the Kunming TF.  This raw cake is interesting because it was made from ’07 raw material before being steamed and pressed in ’12.  The cast of the liquor is inordinately light, resembling something from the ’14-16 range.

Mangosteen has undergone marked transformation since ’15 and the most possibly in the last six months.  It used to be high pitched.  Evocative of black tea.  There was a sparkling camphor finish.  The viscosity was light and by the fourth infusion it was on its way out.  It maybe lasts a couple infusions more but the mouthfeel is much rounder.

Mangosteen is the new name for this raw Zhongcha organic puerh because that’s what it tastes like.  Mangosteens are an intensely creamy-vanillay-juicy-sweet experience with quick citrusy kick.  There was nothing that struck me as fruity about Mangosteen in the past, but the aroma is quite clearly very much of berries.  In the first few infusions the fruit taste only comes on the back end.  At the front is a thick cloud of creaminess and siltiness.  The sensation is luxurious.  Actually, a note from a year ago mentioned the creaminess.

One consistency with this treasure is its throatiness.  I noticed this this morning with the first pot and saw that I mentioned it in the product description.  There’s a term for it called “houyun,” which is considered a particularly noteworthy trait since better productions have it.

House Mark Puerhs

Posted on by Yang-chu
21 May

Today I drank the ’07 HK Returns 100g tuo and got to thinking about House Mark Puerhs.  It’s a hard thing to get one’s finger on it, but it exists, so why don’t I explain through the HK tuo.

The year 2007 marked the production of many Zhongcha series.  I just recently learned the English is simply “China Tea,” as so clearly present on many wrappers, I suppose.  I’ve not noticed to be honest, though maybe so on products from the past year or two.

Many of the ’07s I’ve tasted are offered.  I continue to gather them.  Some of them are exceptional, but over all what stands out is the consistency from one production to the next.  The HK Returns tuo embodies the Zhong Cha raw taste, which surprisingly enough is soft and fuzzy.  Presumably that taste is the presence of Lincang material.

This taste can range from pencil shavings and wax to peach fuzz.  It is not harsh or abrasive.  There’s fruitiness.  They can be drunk young but by all accounts even at 13 years, most of them still strike me as being quite young.  I’ve personally been storing this tuo since ’16 and were it served to me blind I’d guess this production in the ’12-14 range.

2018 Shot

7th Infusion May 2020

I felt by the seventh infusion that the production was starting to bottom out, flatness astringency.  The two prior were sweet and playful, more so than is typical of the Kunming Tea Factory (aka KMTF, zhongcha).  At the same time there is some citrus reminiscent of the ’14 Jade Mark.  There’s no tobacco, fire, roast, smoke, leather, chicken as with Xiaguan.

Overall, the Zhongcha profile is quite Zen, raw or ripe.  There’s wood vanilla Zen, wax Zen, playful Zen, like the HK Returns tuo, or the why-the-fk-you-serve-me-water Zen.  There’s an ’07 HK Returns iron cake that is bursting with the taste and aroma of black grapes, very much an outlier even within a series comprised of a tuo, 100g square, 250g brick, a raw and ripe 357g cake.  I’ve sampled a few and it’s hard to believe that each shape consists of the same material and the factory and those who know aren’t saying or don’t think it bears mentioning.

It makes sense that some houses would vary style based on production shape.  I’ve seen this to be a clearer objective with Liming than any other factory.

Puerh Tea Report 2020

Posted on by Yang-chu
12 Mar

As the new puerh tea begins to hit the market, it might be interesting to reflect upon recent developments, so here it is your Puerh Tea Report 2020.  Naturally, items and factories in the Puerh Junky’s stash will be the focus.  Ripe puerh will be given a bit of attention, with the bulk on raws.

Ripe Puers

The year 2019 had the Puerh Junky bidding a fond farewell to the ’06 Boss Tuo, an item that scored highly on every count.  I’m furiously searching for its replacement, something with the same explosive camphor notes and sweetness, along with a the deep tones of humid storage.  It’s larger brother with the same name doesn’t hold a candle to it; storage plays such a critical role in the expression of a production that it is usually impossible to tell that the same material under different conditions are actually the same.

Anyway, Xinghai (XH) and Zhongcha (ZC) have formed the backbone of the ripe stash.  Surprisingly, the Silver Peacock, XH has held relatively stable, with older productions, say before ’14, rising in price rather incrementally compared to ZC’s 7581 brick, which is now about three times the ’16 price.  Interestingly, the Lunar series has averted the frenzy, so constitute a relatively good value.  After years of being virtually overlooked, the ’06 “55” has started an advance.  This is ZC’s (aka CNNP/KMTF’s) best ripe production.  I expect that this will be the last year that it will be available from any vendors on the Chinese side.

Aside from these two factories, another general observation concerns ripe bamboo productions.  To wit: bamboo ripe productions have appreciated considerably more than ripes as a whole.  Puerh Junky has one ripe bamboo offering that is exceptionally clean and bright, with hints of humidity and cinnamon.

Raw Puerhs

The world of raw puerhs has been more dynamic.  Generally, it seems the smaller productions like tuo, bricks, and small cakes have averted the frenzy of cakes.  Since ’16 ZC’s new offerings have been handsomely priced.  One exception has been the Lunar Series but that looks to have come to an end this year, with about an 70% increase in price over last year.  The weird thing is that the older productions, those that can be found, are still priced along earlier lines.

Factories like LME (Lao Man E) and GPE (Gu Puerh) have held steady, so they constitute relative steals.  The only exception is ’07 Hideout, which in just one year appreciated more than 200%.  A more than reasonable alternative to it is the 2008 Gift Puerh, which has the same sweetness and camphory goodness.  Up until this year, there were still quite a number of very good Tulin productions that were plain ole cheap, but not so much anymore.  Oh well.

Though there may be exceptions, the scene with LM (Liming), YPH (Yangpin Hao), and 6FTM (Six Famous Tea Mountains) has been hawt to say the least.  YPH prides itself as a top-tier purveyor of Yiwu productions.  Prices for their older  productions (before ’12) have essentially trebled in the past year and a half.  For those keen on the Yiwu Zen vibe do not seem to have been deterred.  I must confess that much about brand is going into the pricing, as I find productions like the ’07 LME Spring Puerh every bit as tasty if not more so.   Some LM productions have consistently been favoured by collectors, but there are still plenty that are quite tasty priced quite reasonably, in the $55-$75 range.  Newer productions, however, are now in the ZC range.

As for 6FTM, well it isn’t a factory that I pay much heed to, with the exception of their Lunar Series.  This is because I’m not the craziest about Fengqing puerhs.  That said, I did take a liking to the their Lunar Series for their v. fancy wrappers.  Others have been very keen on the big taste and a big qi that’s made believers of even the greatest of qi skeptics.  Anyway, this series has turned out to be of great interest to collectors and as a result even the late productions like the Ram and Snake are now sold at near 10 times their original sale price– if you can find them.  The ‘05 Jingmai “003” is actually on par in terms of ferocity and qi at a fraction of the 6FTM Lunar Series prices.  The factory that makes the “003” specializes in very aggressive productions not altogether dissimilar from LM’s cakes.  However, the raw material seems even better.  The ’10 Tiger, for example, which sold out this year showed remarkable transformation from when it was first acquired.  It ripened from a bright pineapple-like monster into a husky root beer in the first two infusions before gradually fading into its original greenness.

Enough with the nostalgia for now.   Hope you find this missive somewhat helpful as you continue your own puerh tea pursuits.

Cheers,

PJ.

 

Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge: Day V

Posted on by Yang-chu
25 Dec

For the final day of the Ripe Puerh Gaiwan Challenge, I reached for Kunming TF’s “55“.  What can I say but that Day V was definitely the best.  First of all, the camphor notes sounded more resolutely.  The tannic attributes quite common to the 55 were not detected.  The brew comes out very round and sweet.  It compared quite favourably to the Boss Tuo in regards to the sweetness, fullness, candy like qualities along with a sparkling clarity and redness of hue.

By day three, I had begun to do the test using a porcelain and a clay cup.  There is a qualitative difference between the two.  The porcelain has a rounder quality which is more muting, whereas the clay is the opposite more amplifying.  The clay enhances minerality and can be the difference maker for a brew that might otherwise taste flat from gaiwan brewing.

I can see the virtues of brewing ripe puerh in a gaiwan depending upon one’s preferences.  I prefer clay because it produces a fizzier brew with more depth, something necessary for optimal appreciation of Xinghai productions like the Silver Peacock.  The notable exception was how the 55 performed, which was nothing short of stellar.

Update II: 07 Peacock Puerh Cake

Posted on by Yang-chu
05 Oct

Alas, it seems only a month ago I reviewed the ’07 Peacock, ZC.  I wanted to see how it was doing after the span of the the summer.  You can gander the review here.  The root beer notes that I mentioned have intensified.  This taste isn’t for the initial infusions anymore either.  Root beer has permeated the taste.

Zen Puerhs

The ’07 Peacock puerh used to be a Zen production.  The taste used to be gentle, soft, and evocative of misty clouds with a bit of Wheaties.  It is hard to conceive of how such a taste can transform into what it is now.  There isn’t much astringency.  Even beyond the root beer tastes of roots and vanilla is some bitterness.  There are are even pronounced floral notes which could easily be mistaken for being in the original profile– which couldn’t be further from the truth.  The zing of “puerions” on the tongue indicates top quality material.

Such night-and-day transformation of the raw material usually points to productions hailing from the Yiwu region.  That would be my best guess for the Peacock.  Yiwu puerhs are known to get better with age, a truism that I took to be more folklore than fact.  It is still quite difficult to get my head around how something ever so subtle in taste could change so remarkably only through aging.

Not all Zen puerhs, it should be noted, make this type of transformation.  Not all Yiwu offerings will transform into a zingy, rooty, vanilla melange of sweet with a splash of bitter nectar.  Some rather old YPH productions, for example, only begin to taste old or clean-old.  They never exhibit that particular zing.  One exception is the Glee.    I do not know if this is attributable to processing or terroir.  Others that do not transform is due to less than ideal quality.  This points to both soil quality and tree age.  Older trees have a more extensive root system drawing more minerals from the soil.

Peacock Puerh Photos

Autumn ’19 Infusion 6 and 7

Different Angle of Peacock Puerh

A couple times people have asked a question that suggests that they believe that “Peacock” is a particular puerh type.  It isn’t.  Peacocks are just an icon popular among the puerh producing tribes of Yunnan.