I've been smoking and enjoying last year's batch, and I ordered 8 tins of this year's batch.
Got My Sun Bear
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Have 32, bought 20 more. Very good tobacco.
Just picked up mine this morning, as well! I’m a bit sheepish to admit that I still haven’t tried the stuff... my 2019 batch is still quietly cellaring away undisturbed.
I only got 2 more. First order I've had in months though. Was hoping to get some racoon's friend but they were cleaned out.
??
They got me. I'll try this one.
For what its worth, I opened my 2019 batch last week (too many other blends to smoke). Given that another small batch of Sun Bear was coming out I figured I needed to open a tin and see how I like it. The elderflower and silver tequila topping give it a unique flavor and aren't heavy handed, just enough. You notice it at first, and then the Virginias, Basma leaf and Izmir Oriental flake take the driver's seat. The Honey adds a small bit of sweetness to the flake, but not too much, just enough to compliment the Virginias. The flake is not too moist out of the tin. All in all I really enjoy this tobacco.
Sounds very good!
I'm curious how much honey is necessary to case 1000 pounds of tobacco for the 8,000 tins produced for the 2020 release. It seems unlikely that one set of hobby hives would produce enough honey, but I could be wrong about that. Beekeeping is on my list of things to try and have gotten the okay to do so once my daughter gets a bit older and can help!
Got my 8 allowed tins at SP. Wonder why they opted for 8 instead of the usual 10. Either way, I've got a tin open from last years batch and another one cellaring along with the new 8. I'll be set for a while.
So, what is Elderflower?
Elderflowers are creamy white blooms from elder trees. Elderflowers are edible, and so are the elderberries that grow on the shrubs later in the summer. Elderflower tastes have been described as: "light and floral" "floral and fragrant" "subtle yet heady" "distinctly musky and sweet.". Elderflowers are used to make, St. Germain liqueur and have been made popular by its use in Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's wedding cake.
Elderflowers are creamy white blooms from elder trees. Elderflowers are edible, and so are the elderberries that grow on the shrubs later in the summer. Elderflower tastes have been described as: "light and floral" "floral and fragrant" "subtle yet heady" "distinctly musky and sweet.". Elderflowers are used to make, St. Germain liqueur and have been made popular by its use in Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's wedding cake.
Well, 8 tins is ALMOST just enough for free shipping. Also, maybe they are trying to stretch it a bit further this time given how fast the 2,000 tins of Mac Baren Stockton disappears last week at a limit of 10 tins/day. I wasn't able to get a tin of that to try, but maybe someday I'll have a chance to try it from a kind soul.
It's not clear how many out of the 8,000 were released for distribution to be sold by other vendors. It's a bit weird since C&D and SmokingPipes.com are both owned by the same parent company (Laudisi) and therefore participate in the entire production, distribution, and sales chain for the C&D products. At least some portion of the tins has been sent into the distribution chain for Small Batch releases. but this one seems to be more limited so far as only one other vendor (Cup O Joes, 5 tin limit) has shown Sun Bear as being available for purchase at this time.
I am not sure what a hobby hive is by quantity? Are you suggesting that hobbyists do not have the capacity to produce the honey for this? If so, you would be wrong. I have kept as many as 40 hives and I am nowhere near commercial. I averaged around 75-90 pounds of honey per hive per season. I have had hives produce over 120 pounds. Anyway you slice it, a good beekeeper can produce a helluva lot of honey from a few hives. So at 40 healthy hives, you are looking at 1.5 to 2 tons of honey per season...
Sorry, "hobby hive" is my own term that really has no definition. I truly have no idea how much honey would be required and am genuinely interested in knowing. I appreciate your information as beekeeping has been on my lists of interests for years, but I have not yet looked into it in any detail. The amounts you mentions are very impressive and clearly beyond my assumptions. That is very exciting and all of this has only renewed my interest into investigating the beekeeping hobby more!
I hope all your tins come dented. ?They got me. I'll try this one.
IT is a fun and frustrating endeavor. You can have a perfect hive and halfway through the season, empty. You lost a queen, they swarmed on another queen, mites, various other maladies, and poof...no more hive. On the other hand, if you know your plants, you can place your hives such that you get very specific honey "flavors". I have kept hives on blueberry farms in south Georgia and the honey was amazing. I have also kept hives in swampy areas on a hammock...and you get sourwood (a favorite) mixed with Tupelo (most favorite) and it is amazing. And the best thing is, it is relatively inexpensive and the product can augment your spending money for tobacco and pipes or movies for the kids, etc.
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