Cornell & Diehl Sun Bear Tupelo

The 2019 Basma and 2018 Turkish Izmir provide plenty of earth, wood, floralness, some dry sourness, vegetation, herbs, spice, mild tangy buttery sweetness, and light incense and smoke. They take a small lead. The 2019 bright Virginias offer a fair amount tart and tangy citrus, bread, vegetative grass, sugar, mild floralness, sour lemon, spice, and a hint of acidity as close competitors to the Orientals. The 2019 red Virginia produces a complimentary amount of tangy ripe dark fruit earth, wood, bread, some sugar, tart citrus, light floralness, a few blades of grass, and a couple pinches of spice in secondary support. The most prominent topping is the very sweet Tupelo honey, which has some creamy butter and a few floral notes. The lightly fruity, earthy tequila is a condiment at best. Playing at the same level is the tart, grape and berry-like, acidic, floral, herbal, Just as obvious as the tequila is the tart, grape-like, floral, herbal, acidic, sweet elderflower. The strength and taste are a couple of steps past the medium threshold. The nic-hit is medium. Won’t bite or get harsh. The rough edges are minor. The easily broken apart, mildly moist flakes need no dry time. Well balanced with some nuance, it burns cool, clean and slow with a very consistent creamy sweet, fruity, floral, mildly sour, spicy, herbal, zesty flavor that extends to the long lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a tad pungent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights. Not quite an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. It is a tad sweeter with a lightly more Oriental presence than past productions. Four stars.

-JimInks

Cornel & Diehl - Sun Bear Tupelo.

Tin #19296 of 20,000.

The somewhat broken flakes have a sweet aroma. Honey. I don't identify much alcoholic sharpness, the honey is the main addition in the tin-note. There's no need to let the blend air, just stuff-and-puff; as the late Matches 860 used to say!!

Tupelo lights up easily. The first flavour to come through is the sweet, toffee-like honey. Throughout the bowl this is the stronger of the additives. The tequila gives a bit of sharpness, but not a whack of alcohol. I can't say I get much, if anything from the elderflower. Now the tobaccos. I get more from the red Virginia than the bright Va. It's not a grassy, citrusy flavour, there's more dark fruit. The Orientals bring a sprightly floral note, perfumed, and a little cream. The tobaccos are well-balanced with one another. The burn from it's brilliant, only needing a small amount of maintenance, giving a cool bite-free smoke.

Nicotine: a little more than just strong. Room-note: okay.

Sun Bear Tupelo? A three star smoke:

Recommended.

July 29, 2023:
Received my delivery this morning of Cornell & Diehl Small Batch Sun Bear Tupelo Honey 2023 Edition. Cracked open my first tin and started to enjoy this year’s edition. Smoked a few bowls throughout the day. For the past few days I also have been smoking my earlier vintages of Sun Bear to warm up my palate for this year’s tasting. My first impression was this year’s mixture is a bit more rich and earthy. The tin note from the Tupelo honey is very sweet and pleasant. The moisture level is high coming fresh out of production and needs considerable drying time, needing more than a few relights before settling in. The sweetness from the Tupelo honey did not last too long before giving way to the grassy, citrusy, tangy, bready Virginias and the Turkish Orientals. The silver tequila addition was not predominant, but provided an undertone. Now, I must specify that my personal experience over the past four years of collecting the Sun Bear releases - they all do not overly impress immediately after production when they are fresh. They are good and tasty for sure, but even after a few days of opening, it begins improving considerably and becomes so much better after cellaring for a few years. The fermentation and aging process produces more natural sugars in the Virginias and rounds out and smooths out the mixture. I only have one tin of the 2020 edition left and won’t be opening that for a while, but I do have enough of the 2021-2023 editions to spread them out for a number of years to enjoy the aging process. This year’s Tupelo edition is coming out as possibly my favorite.

A blend of the finest Bright and Red Virginias balanced by 2019 Basma and 2018 Izmir Orientals, Sun Bear: Tupelo features subtle notes of raw, ethically sourced tupelo honey from the ancient wetlands of northern Florida.

Produced from the nectar of the white Ogeechee tupelo tree during a short two-week bloom, tupelo honey is among the rarest in the world. In this blend, the honey’s unique profile combines with a whisper of silver tequila and elderflower to complement the fruity and floral notes of specially selected tobaccos, resulting in a rich pipe blend with a wealth of character and a creamy, rounded finish.

I do not get the hoopla here. Very mild honey, almost non-existent. Then average Virginia. I understand toppings or casings are often difficult to get just right. However I don’t see the upside to barely touching the surface. At least in my tin.

This blend is just ok.

Prep: Needs to dry out.
Notes: The Orientals, which usually play a condiment role, are front and center. Earthy, woody, spicy, floral notes are on main display. The bright leaf offers some citrus notes while the 2019 Reds bring dark fruity notes with some spice as well. It’s a spicy blend.
Then you do pick up the Tupelo honey, which is unique from say the Sun Bear of last year. I was surprised by that. It’s like sweet cream.
The elder flower and tequila give me a flashback to last year’s blend and I enjoy it just as much hear. Floral, sweet berry, and herbal.
Comparing to last year's: Last year’s was great but this year’s has more depth. I’d agree. I’d be happy smoking both but I’d go with this one if I had to choose.
Both are great summertime blends.
Biggest complaint is that it seems to leave my tongue feeling...rough. Not necessarily tongue bite. Not sure what that is.
Comparison: Maybe Bijou?
8/10 for me.

https://youtu.be/yEXwowPmVx8

Has a very mild note of honey in the background throughout the entire smoke. For me the top half of the bowl is reminiscent of cinnamon rolls, the perfect amalgamation of sweet toasty fruity goodness perfect for a summer morning smoke. I give this blend 3.6 put of 4 stars.

Embarking on a deeply personal journey with Cornell and Diehl's 2023 masterpiece, Sun Bear: Tupelo, was akin to stepping into an uncharted realm of pure enchantment. ? The blend, meticulously composed with the finest Bright and Red Virginias weaving in symphony with the exotic allure of 2019 Basma and 2018 Izmir Orientals, felt as though it had been crafted to resonate with the very essence of my palate. ??

What truly beguiled my senses was the presence of raw tupelo honey, a precious gem plucked from the enigmatic landscapes of northern Florida's ancient wetlands. ? Its delicate sweetness, harmoniously entwined with delicate notes of silver tequila and elderflower, created an alluring prelude to the symphony of flavors that awaited. ??

As the tin's lid whispered open, the nostalgic embrace of Virginia tobaccos welcomed me like a cherished memory, while the Orientals contributed an intriguing layer, unveiling a multi-dimensional tapestry of taste with every contemplative draw. ?? The nuanced dance of fruity and floral notes, reminiscent of an opulent garden at dawn, unfolded gently upon my palate, each inhalation an invitation to explore its intricate composition. ??

Sun Bear: Tupelo is an evocative testament to the evolution of tobacco artistry. Each measured exhale revealed a new chapter, an intimate connection to the craftsmanship poured into its creation, and the velvety finish, reminiscent of a tender embrace, lingered long after the pipe had been set aside. Regardless of one's level of expertise as a pipe enthusiast, this blend effortlessly ushered me into a haven of flavors that felt as personal as my own thoughts. ?

In a world that venerates the unique, Sun Bear: Tupelo radiates as a guiding star. ? It encapsulates the very essence of luxury pipe smoking, an intimate companion in moments of introspection and reverie. This blend has become a cherished story of indulgence, guiding me through an intricate landscape of taste and aroma that feels undeniably and intimately mine. ?

The tin note smells like honey. It’s pretty pronounced. Dark hay, sweetness, brown sugar, floral, tea, aroma. Light and loose flakes that are moist.

The flavor is floral, grassy, a little bit sour, and a tad honey sweet. The orientals really come though in this. Floral, sour, butter, bread. My first bowl of this is out of a briar but after reading my notes from the previous renditions I remember that a cob suits this well. After finishing the rest of the tin now I’ll say a cob does do this blend well. Had a light mouth feel and after taste. The light body floral grassy sweetness works well for summer. After lunch I didn’t notice the nic hit. For being so moist it had below average relights and burned slow and well.

It's...ok. way more subtle than mountain flower and what is there is just meh, in my individual opinion. I love mountain flower and I guess I expected to love this just as much. Not a bad bowl, just not much to write about.

This was a very pleasant smoke. I do not normally smoke aromatics so take this review with a grain of salt.

The honey really shines in a pleasant way. It’s very floral in way you would expect a wildflower honey to be. Tobacco comes out of the tin a little wet. I had a little bit of difficulty lighting it compared to my typical vapors, but this could be within the normal range for an aromatic. It is not overly sweet which is something I was afraid of. It really strikes the balance with a touch of sweetness, while still feeling like something that doesn’t cover up the integrity of the underlying tobacco. The florals are very delicate, and not at all artificial tasting/smelling. This would be a perfect midday outdoor picnic/garden smoke.

The best aromatic I personally have had.