Cornell & Diehl Sun Bear
(3.40)
A blend of the finest red and bright Virginias balanced by Basma leaf from 2014 and Izmir Orientals from 2013, Sun Bear showcases select varietals by highlighting their inherent characters with a range of unique and nuanced casings. South Carolina garden-grown honey — harvested from the personal beehives of C&D's head blender, Jeremy Reeves — combines with a whisper of silver tequila and elderflower to augment the fruity and floral notes of the choice Orientals and Virginias.
Notes: 2019 - 4,500 tins produced. 2020 - 8,000 tins produced.
Details
Brand | Cornell & Diehl |
Series | Small Batch |
Blended By | Jeremy Reeves |
Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
Blend Type | Aromatic |
Contents | Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
Flavoring | Alcohol / Liquor, Honey |
Cut | Flake |
Packaging | 2 ounce tin weight |
Country | United States |
Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
3.40 / 4
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Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 15 of 15 Reviews
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Unnoticeable |
Cornell and Diehl Sun Bear - Jeremy Reeves hit a grand slam with this blend IMO . Tangy toasty Reds and Sweet bright Virginias. The Turkish tobaccos are blended in with just the right amount to not take over the sweetness of the Virginias. The Tequila, Honey and Elderberry casings compliment the natural qualities of the tobaccos in a skillful way . This blend has me interested in Tequila as a flavor enhancer for pipe blends as it is delicious. I don’t have the ability to really describe this tobacco blend to do it justice . I know I like it a lot . C&D keep these limited Edition small batches coming , you have a loyal consumer right here and many more as most sell out in a day or so ! 4 stars
Age When Smoked:
8 months
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
This broken flake virginia/oriental is one of my new favorites and I'm glad I picked up a few tins while they were available. This tobacco seems to do better with at least a few months of age, I smoked the first tin over a few months and the flavors melded together and improved quite a bit over that time. The tin not is pretty sweet with the honey and grassy virginia. Actually smoking it I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't sweeter. The orientals are very noticable in the blend giving a cedar flavor and some spicey notes as well. From the virginia I mostly notice the hay and citris you would expect from bright virginia. Between the honey and tobacco it really reminds me of the red clover flowers I used to eat on my grandfathers hay field as a kid. Overall the flavors all meld well together, the tequila is subtle and the mix not overerly boozy at all. This tobacco has pleanty of complexity to keep it interesting bowl after bowl and I'm anxious to try a tin after some age on it.
Pipe Used:
BN pipe of the year billiard
PurchasedFrom:
smoking pipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2020 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
3rdguy
Quickly finished my first full tin of this and really enjoyed it. A few ingredients working well in conjuction here with Virginia, Basma leaf from 2014, Izmir Orientals from 2013, Honey, Tequila...even elderflower! Comes together in a great summer time smoke of sweetness with a touch of incense. No bite, smokes down to a white ash without effort.
I missed out on the first batch from last year thinking the hype was amusing but I am glad I jumped on board this year. I think C&D uses some young Virginia across the board for the most part but they overcame that with the press of flakes and the other ingredients being blended perfectly. I can't imagine this in a few years. I have to say it is one of their best creations.
Quickly finished my first full tin of this and really enjoyed it. A few ingredients working well in conjuction here with Virginia, Basma leaf from 2014, Izmir Orientals from 2013, Honey, Tequila...even elderflower! Comes together in a great summer time smoke of sweetness with a touch of incense. No bite, smokes down to a white ash without effort.
I missed out on the first batch from last year thinking the hype was amusing but I am glad I jumped on board this year. I think C&D uses some young Virginia across the board for the most part but they overcame that with the press of flakes and the other ingredients being blended perfectly. I can't imagine this in a few years. I have to say it is one of their best creations.
Age When Smoked:
Tin date of 7/8/2020
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2022 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
well first. it's hard to get which makes it fun. it is limited which makes it a challenge. taste, it's pretty darn good. i stored mine a year before smoking. nice mellow and fruity with that touch of honey makes it better than average. i enjoy it from time to time as a treat to me. sure, there are similar flavor profiles out there but getting this is just fun and challenging. already got two tins of the 2022 for next summer to enjoy and talk about. Small batch adds to the excitement of the indulgence.
Pipe Used:
smaller bowl briars.
PurchasedFrom:
tobacco pipes
Age When Smoked:
over a year
Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
This is a review of the 2021 blend:
Tin Note of honey and cream, vanilla. I get hints of alcohol but not as much as I'd get from Sixpence, for example.
However, the Tequila stands out a bit more in the smoke, not as a cheap alcoholic flavor that disappears after three puffs, but as a quality addition. A bit of lemon zest as well. The honey is prominent, but not overpowering. I would've believed that this has light vanilla if someone had told me so. Maybe that's the elderflower but I don't know, I've never smelled an elderflower.
It's very smooth and creamy. The sweetness and lemon zest are brought together with the Virginia and Turkish leaves to give this a tea-like taste. I'm not into iced tea, but this tastes like a wonderful summer tea with a bit of lemon, honey, and a drop of Tequila. Perfect summer blend.
As the smoke progress, it becomes a bit "warmer". While cheap blends tend to lose their topping flavor quickly, this one really holds on to them and even brings them forward more after the first third of the bowl. I get more good quality alcohol and brightness from the Virginia and honey. Towards halfway through the bowl I get a lot more spicy notes. First, it's the type of spice you would get from some spirits but soon it becomes more similar to a hot pepper. Sweet and spicy, like a Chinese dish.
The flake is easy to prepare, pack, and smoke. No tongue bite, couple of relights. Moisture level is ok out of the tin but can use just a bit of drying time. Could definitely be an all-day smoke if this wasn't a limited edition.
Medium in body, mild-medium in strength. Perfect balance throughout the smoke of all the flavors and I'm told that it has a fantastic room note.
The hype is real. Glad I got several tins.
Tin Note of honey and cream, vanilla. I get hints of alcohol but not as much as I'd get from Sixpence, for example.
However, the Tequila stands out a bit more in the smoke, not as a cheap alcoholic flavor that disappears after three puffs, but as a quality addition. A bit of lemon zest as well. The honey is prominent, but not overpowering. I would've believed that this has light vanilla if someone had told me so. Maybe that's the elderflower but I don't know, I've never smelled an elderflower.
It's very smooth and creamy. The sweetness and lemon zest are brought together with the Virginia and Turkish leaves to give this a tea-like taste. I'm not into iced tea, but this tastes like a wonderful summer tea with a bit of lemon, honey, and a drop of Tequila. Perfect summer blend.
As the smoke progress, it becomes a bit "warmer". While cheap blends tend to lose their topping flavor quickly, this one really holds on to them and even brings them forward more after the first third of the bowl. I get more good quality alcohol and brightness from the Virginia and honey. Towards halfway through the bowl I get a lot more spicy notes. First, it's the type of spice you would get from some spirits but soon it becomes more similar to a hot pepper. Sweet and spicy, like a Chinese dish.
The flake is easy to prepare, pack, and smoke. No tongue bite, couple of relights. Moisture level is ok out of the tin but can use just a bit of drying time. Could definitely be an all-day smoke if this wasn't a limited edition.
Medium in body, mild-medium in strength. Perfect balance throughout the smoke of all the flavors and I'm told that it has a fantastic room note.
The hype is real. Glad I got several tins.
Pipe Used:
Medium-size billiards and Lovats
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New