Boswell Pipes & Tobacco Bear Blend

This seems like a beefed up Berry Cobbler to me, with perhaps slightly more virginias and cavendish, and the addition of latakia. LIke all Boswell blends, it is very mild, even if this is supposed to be one of their more stout concoctions. These are very fine blends for what they are, and if you like smooth smoking high burley content aromatics with a lot of aromatic room note but not a lot of tobacco flavor or complexity, then you are sure to love Boswell, and Bear Blend. Part of that formula also calls for no bite (due to the light hand with the virginias?) and really no appreciable nicotine. These remind me of the House of Windsor blends, which were supposed to be high quality reissues of drugstore offerings of yesteryear.

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.

The smoke and wood from the Cyprian latakia in this blend is so slight that I barely sense it. More prominent is the citrusy, grassy Virginias and the cherry flavor is very understated, though it does leave an after taste that lingers if you immediately go and smoke something else. I detect a little vanilla, a very light honey note, and a light caramel note. The nic-hit is mild. I detected no bite or harsh moments. Burns cool and clean and a little slow and may need a light dry time. Has a very consistent flavor from start to finish. Needs a few relights. The after taste and room notes are very pleasant. Can be an all day smoke for the experienced aro-smoker.

-JimInks

First off let me say I am a Boswell kinda guy. I smoke only Boswell pipes & Boswell Tobacco. I have five 8oz. jars on my counter filled with...Boswells Best, Boswells Burley, No Bite Delight, Countryside & my latest addition to my rotation..Bear Blend. I'm not into "Cherry" blends so I never ordered any but after the wife & I drove 2 hrs to their shop I figured I try it while i was there. WOW!! What a GREAT smoke!! The aroma in the bag says Cherry but it doesn't SGREAM it & that goes the same for the flavor. The Cherry is there but not overpowering & it blends well with a nice tobacco flavor, a bit of Honey/Vanilla & every so often during each bowl the mild Latakia finds you & you find yourself with a bit of a smile. Even if you're NOT an English smoker, don't be afraid of this blend. ITS A WONDERFULL SMOKE!! J.M.Boswell has hit more home runs than A-Rod & here goes another one out of the park!!

I bought this on recommendation during my most recent Boswell's visit. I told them I tend to like the aromatics but want something that's got a little body to it and some more complexities. They recommended this blend because of the light amount of Latakia in it. I don't often buy blends with Latakia but this smelled great so I took the recommendation and bought an ounce. I am pleasantly surprised!

This is a really nice blend. It's a great middle of the road aromatic with a hint of Latakia. Perfect for someone trying to start to expand beyond the traditional Cavendish, Burley and Virginias... The Latakia comes through as a hint in the rest of the sweet aromatic blend. It has a light bit of the same cherry sweetness (though much more subtle) from the PA Dutch treat that hangs out for most of the bowl before falling out. It stays cool and is still nice on the relight. No bite to this blend just like the other Boswell Blends.

Because of the Latakia it has a little more body than most of the aromatics, but it's still a very mild light blend. Room note is quite pleasant, anyone who enjoys an aromatic will enjoy this scent. It's more complex than your standard sweetness, but the sweetness is still the driving scent in the air. The room note may have been the highlight for me. Second would be the hint of Latakia shining through... and I'm not a Latakia smoker typically. This is just enough to start to enjoy it.

I've worked through the bulk of Boswell's blends at this point and this is one of the better ones. I like a blend that walks the line between aromatic and natural flavors and while this leans heavily on the aromatic side, the introduction of Latakia for someone who doesn't usually smoke it, was quite nice. A strong 3 star blend...

I haven't posted a review on here for a while because my wife was very ill for a while and I had to give up my pipe. Fortunately things are better now and I am back puffing happily at my laptop.

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 received my 2 ounce sample earlier in the week - and at first was somewhat disappointed. I expected a bigger aromatic - considering the review.

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.

A very cool smoke. The taste is somewhat cherry to me, with a hint of maple or sweetness to it.

A good all day smoke. No goo at the end of the bowl. Very mild and sweet. No bite.

Room note is very good, and people around you will love to smell it.

Update: Turns out, the Initial hype I had was quickly capped off. The blend became very...bland and easy to grow tired of. The lack of kick to the blend, and the similar aroma to other Boswell blends made for an "ok" blend.

Recommended for a starter tobacco, However I wont be ordering anymore to keep around.

A very nice blend from Boswell. The cherry casing is not to sweet and overwhelming, as it is in Penn Dutch Treat. Great middle of the road aromatic. It could be an all day smoke-no tounge bite at all. Good stuff.

A very clean smoking aromatic blend with a tart cherry high note that's layered on a sweeter foundation of vanilla, caramel and a trace of Latakia. Sounds a bit complicated but it works. I wouldn't categorize Bear Blend as a "cross over," there's just not enough unflavored tobacco in the mix for that. The flavored Cavendish is front and center with the Virginia and Latakia playing very minor roles, the former more so than the latter. Throughout the smoke I got a few grassy notes from the Virginia and just a smidgen of smoky Latakia flavor from time to time, but it was never constant. Like most of the blends that I have had from Boswell's, this one requires some dry time prior to loading up, but it does burn nice and slow and the flavor is consistent and somewhat creamy. A good aromatic mixture from a most reputable pipe shop.

If I were to describe this blend in two words, they would be: Cherry-tangy! Boswells are great to do business with. This is a good aro. that is more bold, robust, and fuller than most others, especially cherry blends. It smells great from the pouch and smells about the same when smoked. I seems to make me want to cough, even though I don't inhale from time to time though....like the tartness is so powerful. Love the blend! It is actually cherry delicious.