I found a package of Bear Blend that the Boswell's had sent with an order when we were packing to move. The tobacco had not dried out and was at the correct moisture level. I packed a bowl and lit it up. The first thing (that didn't really surprise me because it's a Boswell blend) is that there was no bite. The taste was very pleasant, a slight caramel and cherry one with just a hint of Latakia. It required a couple of relights, which for me is very good. It burned down to the bottom, with very little dottle. My wife loved the aroma.

I can't finish any Boswell review without mentioning how nice they are to deal with. They treat you just like family and there isn't a nicer group to deal with.

Scores for Bear Blend: taste- 18 of 20; lighting and burn- 9 of 10; value- 8 of 10. 35 points and a high **** for Bear Blend.

I was heading out for the day and when I grabbed my pouch, it was nearly empty. I had just a little bit of two samples from Boswells - Dan's Blend and Bear Blend. Not being the most sophisticated guy in the world, I dumped them together and headed out. All I can say is, "Nice!"

With the first whiff, you get some Cavendish, a slight hint of the cherry, but that's about it. I detect no hint of the latakia the others have talked about in the Bear Blend. It’s very understated.

On the palate, it has a smooth, subtle flavor…almost sweet, but not quite. There’s just the slightest little hint of the cherry, but I get none of the caramel or the latakia – and I’m okay with that. I’m not a tobacconist, but I’m guessing that is the balancing effect of the mild Virginia from the Dan’s Blend.

It has no bite, and definitely tastes more of tobacco than it does of any of the seasonings. If you’re looking for big flavor to rock your world, this won't work for you. If you're looking for pleasant, easy on the tongue, full tobacco flavor, this works. It packs easily, stays lit without a fuss. If you’re an all day smoker, this is definitely an all day blend.

Use a thick bowl - it does tend to burn a little hot. Great room note - full, rich and very pleasant. Even my non-smoking friends like it.

On the palate, though, I caught neither. No doubt, both influenced the character of the smoke in subtle ways; but, at no point did I think I tasted cherry, nor at any point did I think I tasted latakia. This was a disappointment for me, because I had been quite curious to see how the two flavors would interact in my mouth.

The tobacco is very high quality, and behaves well in every way. The smoke is fairly rich and quite cool.

There's nothing wrong with this blend, and it's above average in many regards. Just boring to me.

Don't expect too much from this blend. It promises more in the pouch than it delivers in the mouth, and if you get your hopes up about some amazing marriage between cherry and latakia, you'll probably find it boring. That said, go ahead and try it.

Butterscotchy-cherry-vanilla taste with a bit of latakia that really tops it off and imparts a very robust flavor. Great on relights! Great room note.

Perfect blend for an aro-smoker like myself. I just don't crave a pipefull of something that is "Latakia with a fleck of something else on top, so we can say it has depth" every day, or feel the need to smoke lat-bombs to be a 'real man'. These "crossover" blends that use latakia as a spice and not as the whole damn pie are great.

Smokes a bit hotter than I'd like (use a wide bowl), not much vitamin N, and just does not keep well even when properly sealed in a mason jar as with just about every Boswell. Very solid 3 stars!

Anyway, my first whiff of the bag revealed not only a sweet dessert/cherry smell, but also a hint of the deep and woodsy Latakia. Good and sweet, yet the Latakia keeps it from being TOO sweet.

Apon the first light, the cherry/caramel casing really came through, leaving a great room note which would draw compliments anywhere. As I settled in, the Latakia made its presence known, giving the blend a mild, but definitely not flat, flavor with a good amount of sweetness.

The blend stayed well lit throughout my whole smoke, despite the high moisture content, which I noted in all five of the blends I sampled. At the bottom of the bowl, I personally lost much of the casing, and the Latakia took over, making for rich and woodsy puffs at the end.

All and all, this is a good smoke for someone who likes a mild English blend, but wants to satisfy his sweet tooth too. I might try this to introduce friends to Latakia... Bear Blend is a fitting name for this... woodsy like a bear's home, and sweet like the berries and whatnot he likes to eat. I'd say, give it a shot. :)

Would pair well with your morning coffee.

But a very nice cherry flavor with a great room note. I ordered several others inlcuding the famous berry cobbler and choc creme. Cant wait to try this in my new Wiley!

Its funny, everyone on here comments on how their wives like the smell of this , hate the smell of that, etc. My boyfriend found this smoke pleasing (since im a lady pipe smoker):-p!

The room note definitely smells of tobacco and has a more "burnt" aroma than berry cobbler, raspberry cream, etc.

The flavor is more full than the fruity Boswell tobaccos, but still not strong and overpowering by any means. The casing is definitely more caramel than cherry, but still a bit subtle. I get more flavor from the Virgina than the topping.

A good blend, i might like it more than berry cobbler because there is more "tobacco" flavor than casing. A good blend, i definitely recommended it to the smoker of aromatics.

Do not take my assessment as a criticism or slight of Boswell. I am merely pointing out where they fall on the spectrum, as opposed to say 1792 or Peterson flake, in terms of strength and style. I can honestly say I reach for this type of blend, when I am working for example, more often than something like 1792. They require little fussing once lit, and can be enjoyed without paying too much attention to them. Each has its place. I have friends who concentrate on smoking English blends, and I tell them to branch out and try some of the higher quality aromatics, of which Boswell certainly is at the top. For those who claim to only smoke aromatics, or, more incredibly, only Boswell blends, I would say the same thing, there is a whole world out there to sample, and you can learn and improve your pipe smoking skills if you force yourself to master some of the more demanding styles, like a good virginia flake. I know Boswell has tins aplenty from other companies, so they are clearly down with that approach!

With respect to Bear Blend, I really could not detect the latakia. It did show more virginia flavor and qualities, and requires a little more care to achieve that cool Boswell smoke. I find that all of their mixtures really benefit from a good drying out, and this one requires more drying than most. Give it a few hours and you are going to have a much tastier and more enjoyable experience.

I do taste the carmel and cherry, with a little more tobacco flavor than in other Boswell blends. Perhaps that is where the latakia is coming through. My one gripe is that this, like Berry Cobbler, has a funky aftertaste between puffs. A logical conclusion would be that this is a result of the cherry flavoring used, as I do not detect this aftertaste in their other blends that I have tried. While it is not overwhelming, and does not ruin the smoke, it is there, and is distracting, especially if you are used to more natural blends.

Along with that aftertaste, I rate this one a little lower also because unlike most Boswell mixtures, it at least purports to be a medium to full bodied smoke, and it really is not in any way. The latakia is not significant enough to play any real role in the blend, and it lacks the backbone and complexity that more virginia based mixtures offer. I would love to see the guys at Boswell really tackle a true medium to full bodied blend, with more complex virginias and other component leafs. This one, while not bad, is just not there in terms of body or strength.

Ursus Horribilis? I don't think so. This tobacco smells so wonderful your wife will encourage you to smoke it indoors and may begin calling you "my little Teddy Bear." Now THAT'S a good tobacco, eh?

However, like most tobaccos I found myself falling in love with the mellow warmth and complexity of this blend.

Rather than getting knocked on my keester with on over the top aromatic I found a very pleasant friend indeed.

Bear Blend is extremely smooth, doesn't leave a foulness in the pipe and there is no pipe bite.

Highly recommended.