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 - 6 of 6 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 04, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Cornell & Diehl - Sun Bear: Black Locust.
Tin #06952/10,000.
This is the only blend I've smoked since yesterday lunch. Not just so I could extrapolate an informed opinion before posting, but because it's that good!
In the tin sits a sweet smelling, medium brown, rather well broken flake. This tin's moisture suited me, very well; a touch moist but not wet. Only a few flakes need further rubbing, the majority can be loaded straight in.
The smoke? I like it lots more than the 2020 version. Like it's predecessor, the Virginias outweigh the Izmir Orientals. There's a lemon-sharpness from the bright Va, which is a tad louder than the fruity red, but a floral yet creamy, butyraceous quality from the Izmir. The Black Locust honey easily makes more impact than the tequila. The honey's fragrant, sweet, but not sticky; quite charming and very tasty. The tequila differs, greatly (IMO), to 2020's offering. Before I found it diminished the rating, although not a formidable flavour it was bitter and acerbic. This year? I get a very slight touch of piquant alcohol, a subtle ''zestiness'', but nothing as game-changing. It burns perfectly, creating a smoke that's mid-temperature and bite-free.
Nicotine: below medium. Room-note: nice.
Sun Bear: Black Locust? A perfect smoke in these hotter months. Highly recommended:
Four stars.
Tin #06952/10,000.
This is the only blend I've smoked since yesterday lunch. Not just so I could extrapolate an informed opinion before posting, but because it's that good!
In the tin sits a sweet smelling, medium brown, rather well broken flake. This tin's moisture suited me, very well; a touch moist but not wet. Only a few flakes need further rubbing, the majority can be loaded straight in.
The smoke? I like it lots more than the 2020 version. Like it's predecessor, the Virginias outweigh the Izmir Orientals. There's a lemon-sharpness from the bright Va, which is a tad louder than the fruity red, but a floral yet creamy, butyraceous quality from the Izmir. The Black Locust honey easily makes more impact than the tequila. The honey's fragrant, sweet, but not sticky; quite charming and very tasty. The tequila differs, greatly (IMO), to 2020's offering. Before I found it diminished the rating, although not a formidable flavour it was bitter and acerbic. This year? I get a very slight touch of piquant alcohol, a subtle ''zestiness'', but nothing as game-changing. It burns perfectly, creating a smoke that's mid-temperature and bite-free.
Nicotine: below medium. Room-note: nice.
Sun Bear: Black Locust? A perfect smoke in these hotter months. Highly recommended:
Four stars.
Pipe Used:
Peterson #03
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Full | Pleasant |
Ahoy!
I've had the pleasure of being able to enjoy last year's sunbear and was lucky enough to get some of the 2021 Sunbear :Black Locust, let's jump in.
Tin note: Fig newtons, bready, floral honey, wiff of tequila/booze and a very slight and fleeting smell of cigar leaf almost undetectable (I know it's not in there).
Let's get this in a bowl..... nice!
Immediately it reminds you of last year's run Sunbear but it has differences, in a very good way. The smoke seems more delicate and complex the black locust honey elevates this much more than previous release. While slightly sweet, very slight tartness it is more savory to my palate and there is a medium creaminess to the smoke, the retreohale is very nice, floral and little pepper. The casing was applied with an expert hand to allow the tobacco to be the star but there is just enough to let ya know hey your smoking Sunbear.
The Orientals are in the driver's seat here, followed by the bright VA, if there is Red VA it's way in the back seat and an after thought. It's best to take this one slow and sip it to really get the nuances of this blend it's such a rare gem as it should be savored with kicking back in a chair on a summer evening with a nice beverage watching the sunset or thunderstorm.
Overall this is a an improvement over 2020 version, that black locust honey is something special and really excited about aging this one in the jar, I'll update. If you enjoy Orientals and are able to track down a tin it would be well worth the effort.
I've had the pleasure of being able to enjoy last year's sunbear and was lucky enough to get some of the 2021 Sunbear :Black Locust, let's jump in.
Tin note: Fig newtons, bready, floral honey, wiff of tequila/booze and a very slight and fleeting smell of cigar leaf almost undetectable (I know it's not in there).
Let's get this in a bowl..... nice!
Immediately it reminds you of last year's run Sunbear but it has differences, in a very good way. The smoke seems more delicate and complex the black locust honey elevates this much more than previous release. While slightly sweet, very slight tartness it is more savory to my palate and there is a medium creaminess to the smoke, the retreohale is very nice, floral and little pepper. The casing was applied with an expert hand to allow the tobacco to be the star but there is just enough to let ya know hey your smoking Sunbear.
The Orientals are in the driver's seat here, followed by the bright VA, if there is Red VA it's way in the back seat and an after thought. It's best to take this one slow and sip it to really get the nuances of this blend it's such a rare gem as it should be savored with kicking back in a chair on a summer evening with a nice beverage watching the sunset or thunderstorm.
Overall this is a an improvement over 2020 version, that black locust honey is something special and really excited about aging this one in the jar, I'll update. If you enjoy Orientals and are able to track down a tin it would be well worth the effort.
Pipe Used:
Mark Tinsky blast
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking pipes
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2022 | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The bright Virginias provide some tart and tangy citrus, bread, sour lemon, vegetative grass, sugar, mild floralness, spice, and acidity as the lead components. The aged Basma and Turkish Izmir offer plenty of earth, wood, floralness, some dry sourness, vegetation, herbs, spice, light tangy sweetness, and a touch of smoke as competitive supporting players. The tangy dark fruity, earthy, woody, bready, mildly citrusy, sugary, lightly floral, spicy red Virginia sits in the third position. It’s more than a condiment, but not quite a secondary supporter. The sweet honey is the most obvious topping. The lightly fruity, earthy tequila is a condiment. Playing at the same level is the tart, grape and berry-like, acidic, floral, herbal, sweet elderflower. The strength and taste are a step past the medium mark. The nic-hit is a rung short of the medium threshold. No chance of bite or harshness, but it does have a few small rough edges. The flakes easily break apart to suit your packing preference. As is my usual custom, I did not dry these lightly moist flakes. Well balanced and nuanced, it burns cool, clean and a tad slow with a mostly consistent sweet, fruity, floral, mildly sour, spicy, creamy flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights. The room note is a rung stronger than the after taste. Can be an all day smoke. Four stars out of four.
-JimInks
-JimInks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This release tastes like a fresh tin of the previous batch so my review is about the same.
Sun Bear is tasty and the tin note is scrumptious.
The bright Virginias shine in this flake. They are grassy with some crisp edges. The reds add some earthiness. The Turkish leaf adds complexity with a little sourness—especially in the last third of the bowl. The honey and elderflower casing melds well with the sweetness of the Virginia leaf. There is a pleasant fruity undertone to the flake.
This batch has a few rough spots in the smoke upon opening the tin. It smoothed out after a week and tastes like the Sun Bear I know and love.
Sun Bear is tasty and the tin note is scrumptious.
The bright Virginias shine in this flake. They are grassy with some crisp edges. The reds add some earthiness. The Turkish leaf adds complexity with a little sourness—especially in the last third of the bowl. The honey and elderflower casing melds well with the sweetness of the Virginia leaf. There is a pleasant fruity undertone to the flake.
This batch has a few rough spots in the smoke upon opening the tin. It smoothed out after a week and tastes like the Sun Bear I know and love.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 23, 2021 | Mild | Medium | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This blend taste like a sunny shine. Mouth so good flavor makes for water. Grasping at subtle notes easy and honey great. More tins the better.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 04, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
The tin has a unique note. I can smell the liquor, and it is pleasant. The smoke aroma just the same. Not offensive either way. It's one that excites me to fill the bowl up. Nice sweet treat.
Smokes clean and easy right from the tin. Taste is okay, not much to it perhaps a little bit of bite but nothing a swig of water won't fix.
I'm not nuanced enough to pick out flavors but I think the description does well enough.
Smokes clean and easy right from the tin. Taste is okay, not much to it perhaps a little bit of bite but nothing a swig of water won't fix.
I'm not nuanced enough to pick out flavors but I think the description does well enough.
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