Cornell & Diehl Sun Bear: Black Locust
(3.18)
A blend of the finest Bright and Red Virginias balanced by 2014 Basma and 2013 Izmir Orientals, Cornell & Diehl's Sun Bear: Black Locust commends itself with subtle notes of raw, ethically sourced, single-farm honey from the 2020 Black Locust nectar flow in Maryland — a variety prized for its small yields, extremely light color, and delicate sweetness.
Combined with a whisper of silver tequila and elderflower, the natural Black Locust honey complements these specially selected varietal tobaccos, elevating their fruity and floral notes for a bright, refreshing character and a creamy, rounded finish.
Notes: Released in a limited run of 10,000 tins on July 20, 2021, and sold out in less than eight hours, Sun Bear features honey from the Maryland Black Locust Tree harvest of 2020. Victor Seested, a pipe smoker/beekeeper, contacted Jeremy Reeves just as Jeremy realized his own hives were underpopulated and unable to produce the honey necessary for the new run of Sun Bear as they had for the original version. ""There's a little bit of a citrusy kind of tang," says Jeremy. "It's not the same tartness that I experienced from our honey. Victor's is more citrusy. But the focus of the flavor is definitely much more on these kinds of delicate floral notes. It's definitely sweet, but not as overpoweringly sweet as some honeys can be. It's wonderful in tea and delightful to drizzle over some berries and yogurt." Read the full story behind Sun Bear: Black Locust on the Smokingpipes Daily Reader: https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/the-fascinating-development-sun-bear-black-locust
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 |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild to Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.18 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 2022 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
When I opened the tin, I smelled a faint scent of some kind of liquor that was familiar to me, but I couldn't figure out why. The next few times I smoked it, I realized that this familiarity was due to the fact that it reminded me of the cherry liqueur that some chocolates are filled with, similar to the smell given off by “Warped: The Red Hunt (Cornell & Diehl)”, but lighter. Also when lighting the pipe I felt that similarity in the flavor between the two mixtures, but where TRH was excessive in flavor and somewhat overwhelming, this SB is a lighter version, which seems to me a success. Keep in mind that I may be ranting and this is a personal perception. If I make this comparison it is because readers who have smoked Warped's tobacco can get an idea of what they are going to find in this version of Sun Bear, since it is difficult for me to describe its nuances in a more precise way. I agree with some reviewers in considering that this seems like a semi-aromatic tobacco, but it still has a coverage that is more noticeable than what I usually like in a tobacco to smoke it every day. However, it smokes nicely and the blender seems to have achieved what she intended, so I'm giving it three stars.
Age When Smoked:
6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 04, 2021 | Strong | Extremely Mild | Full | Tolerable |
Sun Bear Black Locust is the last of five tins I was gifted at our recent NASPC show for sampling and, after reading the label, I wasn't sure what I would find inside. I guess it was supposed to be an aromatic Virginia/Oriental blend, but that's not what I initially found in the tin. On opening, I was surprised to see a flake of interesting shades of yellow and brown intermingled. However, it was the aroma that really caught my attention; strong and insistent as any Virginia blend I have opened recently, I could not sense the Orientals at all. As to the silver tequila and elderflower, I never found them. I thought I could detect honey in the tin aroma, but it went away with any amount of airing out and was never present in the smoke. My first bowls were Virginia dominated in the top thirds and then settled down in the middle thirds to a normal Va/Or smoke. The bottom thirds were where the Orientals stepped forward to take control of a surprisingly stout finish. As the blend sat around for about ten days, the Virginias relaxed and the bowls became more of a continuous Virginia/Oriental smoke from top to bottom. Certainly interesting, I recommend this blend at three stars.
Pipe Used:
Ashton LX Brindle Dublin
PurchasedFrom:
gifted at our NASPC show
Age When Smoked:
tinned 6/22/21
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