This blend goes on sale August 2.
The potent Basma and Turkish Izmir provide a lot of earth, wood, floralness, a fair amount of dry, tart sourness, spice, vegetation, herbs, light tangy sweetness, and a touch of smoke as the lead components. The bright Virginias offer some tart citrus, sour lemon, grass, bread, sugar, vegetation, mild floralness, spice, and light acidity as supporting players. The red Virginias produce some tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, tart and tangy citrus, bread, light sugar, floralness, and spice. They are a couple of slots behind the bright Virginias. The sweet mountain flower honey, elderflower, fruity tequila, and blackberry honey additives generates a wealth of tart and tangy fruits (including grape and berries from the elderflower), honey, floralness, and herbs. They moderately tone down the tobaccos as they help form a cohesive, well balanced, and complex blend. The strength and taste are a couple of steps past the medium mark. Has a medium nic-hit. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. There are a few hints of roughness. The flakes easily break apart to suit your packing preference. They are mildly moist, and as is my usual custom, I did not dry them nor did I see a need to do so. Burns cool, clean and tad slow with a mostly consistent tangy sweet and tartly sour, fruity, floral, spicy, savory, zesty flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Four stars out of four.
This production is a little different than the first two Sun Bear blends. The Orientals are a little more prominent here, so it is more floral and a tad less sweet and fruity than the others were. It’s not as creamy or as smooth as Black Locust or the original Sun Bear. Those two could be all day smokes. This one really isn’t as it’s a more rugged, potent, savory blend with a touch more complexity. I gave four stars to each manufacture.
The potent Basma and Turkish Izmir provide a lot of earth, wood, floralness, a fair amount of dry, tart sourness, spice, vegetation, herbs, light tangy sweetness, and a touch of smoke as the lead components. The bright Virginias offer some tart citrus, sour lemon, grass, bread, sugar, vegetation, mild floralness, spice, and light acidity as supporting players. The red Virginias produce some tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, tart and tangy citrus, bread, light sugar, floralness, and spice. They are a couple of slots behind the bright Virginias. The sweet mountain flower honey, elderflower, fruity tequila, and blackberry honey additives generates a wealth of tart and tangy fruits (including grape and berries from the elderflower), honey, floralness, and herbs. They moderately tone down the tobaccos as they help form a cohesive, well balanced, and complex blend. The strength and taste are a couple of steps past the medium mark. Has a medium nic-hit. There’s no chance of bite or harshness. There are a few hints of roughness. The flakes easily break apart to suit your packing preference. They are mildly moist, and as is my usual custom, I did not dry them nor did I see a need to do so. Burns cool, clean and tad slow with a mostly consistent tangy sweet and tartly sour, fruity, floral, spicy, savory, zesty flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable. Four stars out of four.
This production is a little different than the first two Sun Bear blends. The Orientals are a little more prominent here, so it is more floral and a tad less sweet and fruity than the others were. It’s not as creamy or as smooth as Black Locust or the original Sun Bear. Those two could be all day smokes. This one really isn’t as it’s a more rugged, potent, savory blend with a touch more complexity. I gave four stars to each manufacture.
