Not sure I like the crumble cake cut. I do like flakes on occasion but this one seeemed to take a good bit of work to prep for smoking.

The first bowl was not that good of an experience. The perique made my eyes water and gave me a good sock in the nose, thus in my opinion, much more than condimental percentages. The second bowl was a bit better, perhaps because I completely rubbed out one of the cakes and let it sit a while... still nothing to write home about.

If you like strength then by all means stock up on this one. If you want a pleasurable experience, then avoid like the plague.

.5 stars out of four.

My personal preference is for tobacco that is rich, complex and strong enough in the nicotine department to satisfy me. Bow-Legged Bear fits that bill nearly perfectly. It has a wonderful variety of tobaccos that when you first start smoking, don't seem to harmonize all that well. They never get to the level of perfect harmony, there are rough edges, but after a couple of ounces you start to understand and admire the blend for what it is. A powerhouse of flavor and nic. stength that showcases well.

It is deep, dark and not really sweet at all. An evening smoke for the more timid, a morning smoke for me. The latakia is well placed in the middle of the profile with the perique, burley and turkish filling out the bulk. The virginia is only there at the edges, and this blend could probably use just a bit more of the va. that they have chosen. It would take this to a four star level I believe.

The blend can get a bit woody in the middle of the bowl if smoked hot. Again, a little more of the va. could round that out as well. All in all, a very acceptable smoke for the crowd that likes their whiskey straight and their tobacco strong.

The name of this blend intrigues me. A bow legged bear? What? How come? Who thought of that? Since I seem to match that description, I?m very comforted by the notion. It?s about time I get some recognition.

This was an out of the norm purchase for me. The LA Tinderbox, my local, yet often maligned (by me) B&M, doesn?t carry C&D blends, and by that extension, they neither carry any Pease blends. I asked one of the shop workers why they would ignore such a prominent force in the pipe tobacco industry. He shrugged it off as to suggest these people are amateurs, then pointed off to a dark corner of the store, where hidden out of view lay two dusty tins of Bow Legged Bear. I suppose he was trying to suggest upon me that C&D blends are impervious to consumer demand. I asked this very early on in my pipe smoking days?all of two years ago. ?Look at those tins,? I thought. My tastes demand only the freshest product.

Two years later, and those tins still sat on the shelf. I got my hands on them not so long ago, and noticed the date?wait for it?August 29, 2001. The guy who helped me out was anxious to get rid of them, and offered each for $5. He told me, ?You?d better open one before you leave, I?m not sure if they?re any good.? For the love of God, this man works in a tobacco establishment and has no idea of anything. ?Should I do him the favor??, I considered. I?d rather have not opened the tin in the shop, but under orders I broke the seal. Mind you, this wasn?t the current C&D tin design with the plastic lid and the air tight container, but the old, all aluminum design. A wonderful aroma of fermented tobacco lifted from the can, and he looked at me, astonished to see a beautiful package of tight, black bricks, wrapped in tissue.

This is the same Jackass that tried to talk me out of buying Escudo quite some time ago.

Having opened this baby up, I didn?t waste much time digging into it. Bow Legged Bear is strong as hell, thank all things Perique. There was a period when I swore off Perique, but I?ve been gradually bringing myself to reappraise its various qualities, and I would go so far as to say it makes all the difference in this blend. I don?t know much about aging, other than a feeling that Perique is some kind of magical presence that must have stewed my sample to new heights. I fear somehow I may go on another binge, and I will not cower this time, I swear it.

There?s something of a controversy regarding Bow Legged Bear. There?s so much crap in this mix, no one can really form a consensus on its taste profile. I can only be subjective regarding this matter. To my senses, Bow Legged Bear does not recall any English mixtures I?m familiar with. The Burley puts it in another category, one that doesn?t quite exist as a defined genre. Being somewhat averse to Burley, physiologically, I suspect, I approached Bow Legged Bear with a short apprehension. In practice, I can?t make heads or tails of the leaf, as to me, it?s been drowned out by nearly everything else that constitutes this blend. I know I?m a lousy person for cursing Burley in my recent Edgeworth review, but I cannot complain here.

There?s such a varied nuance, I feel as though I?d never tire of this bearish fellow, crooked posture and all.

There is plenty of Latakia here. Not a lot of dimension, but plenty of flavor. The Perique is anything but weak - really, there is nothing weak at all in this one. I even noticed the nicotine - a rarity for me.

If you like bold flavor, get yourself a Bear hug.