McLelland v PS v Sutliff v Lane v Low Country et al

I find vanilla a flavoring that's hard to stay with through a whole tin or smaller sample. It's sweet and lively and pleasing through a bowl or two, but it has just never stayed in my rotation long. Of the blenders you mention -- guessing -- I'd hold out the most hope for Peter Stokkebye or Lane, just because I've had good experiences with other aromatics from them. I tend toward whiskey, rum, plum, and anise. The tobacco has to be good quality and play the starring role.

I can say Mcclellends make quality aro's that will dry to a crisp if you let them, whereas with some aro's I've found still fresh after 5 years. It comes down to quality

Intersting topic.
Mac Baren Vanilla Creme is in my regular rotation, but for the life of me, I can't taste any vanilla in it. It smells like it, people tell me the room note is lovely, but to me it just tastes like a very slightly sweet and just a tad stronger than Mac Baren Original Choice.
Wondering if this is true of most "vanilla" blends.

Personally I have better luck with McClelland and PS. I think their tobacco is top quality.

To varying extent, we have all fallen victim to the marketing of tobacco blends. Starts with the name and continues in the write-up on the tin. Pease is a master at this, every word of his tin notes carefully chosen for the maximum allusions to pipe smoking splendor and tobacco sophistication. But you can't blame him for being justifiably proud about what he does so well, and like everyone else, he is chasing a living. My point then is not that he is a savvy marketer but that many are, and between them they keep us running after new blend after new blend when previous generations have smoked OTCs in modest pipes and found all the satisfaction they needed. I read that many smoked just one blend.
The OP asked for bulk suggestions. When I was coming up I stayed away from bulks as I thought them second best. I think the chances are that they are as good as premium but that the seller has chosen to be competitive in the bulk market and is willing to make less money. It's a different market not really a different product.
I smoke a lot of GH Dark Flake and SG 1792, both of which endear themselves to me at $50.00-$60.00/500 g. That's my benchmark, and I find all the quality I need in them. I do, resentfully, also pay tin prices, but I tend to shy away from this. For instance, I've been wanting to buy Moztek Tom's Plug, but that's tin pricers. Not yet.

If you want a good cherry try Mcclelland three cherry, it's bulk only

It is almost certainly not true that bulk is equal to tinned tobacco but that it is marketed to appeal to the cost-conscious. If a blender fashions a tobacco that he knows can command tin prices, he would be unwise to sell it as bulk. Russ Ouelette has made many blends for P&C, but his top tier costs more.
I was reading a review of Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye by a reviewer who goes by the name of Puff Daddy that I've known for some years on the forums. Savvy piper. His original review was that it was of moderate quantity, and apparently he put it in a jar and forgot about it, and on retrieving it after a few years, found he liked it much more, the take home being that the tobacco was young and simply needed age. If age is the corner that Stokkebye cuts, it doesn't amount to much for the buyer.
In the end I must believe that there are probably a number of bulk blends that would satisfy me. P&C sells a lot of bulks. 4noggins has Oriental Dusk by John Patton that is a steal at ~$35.00/pound.