Is there a tobacco shortage or a pipe boom … or both?
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Kevin Godbee - Nov 17, 2010
- 1 min read
I’m not sure what to make of this. Is the pipe smoker market growing at a pace where producers have underestimated their production?
You may have seen Mac Baren’s advertising here in September and October. They renewed for two more months of advertising and then requested their ads be pulled because they are completely sold out of 7 Seas.
There’s a perfect example of an ad campaign being the victim of its own success. Their ads will go back up when they are back in stock, hopefully in December.
Next up: Villiger 1888 tobaccos. They were going to take the "peel ad" in the upper right corner of the home page, but that’s canceled as they are out of stock.
Villiger-Stokkebye is also selling their new bulk blends like crazy because Lane can’t keep up with production of 1Q and BCA. Stokkebye has their own replacements that shops are buying like crazy.
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And then there’s Dunhill tobaccos. There’s lots of questions there, and one of the main ones is concerning the availability.
Samuel Gawith can’t keep up either, and there are other tobaccos that are hard to get.
Is there a pipe boom on the horizon?
I hope so, but let me get stocked up first.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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When I first started with the pipe as a quirky and precocious teen, the only tutelage I had at my disposal were scenes from old movies in which a well dressed chap would stick his pipe into a pouch, scoop tobacco into the bowl and press it down unceremoniously with his thumb. Then, with great flourish, he’d strike a match and light the thing with all manner of cinematic excess, puffing up vast clouds of smoke falling just short of completely obscuring his visage. While it may look good on film, it’s a terrible approach to actually enjoying the thing. Somehow, though, this “technique” seems to have survived in the contemporary vernacular, at least to some extent, even with bit-loads of information handily at our fingertips that should dissuade us from the practice. But, at the time, this misguided approach was all I had; it’s no wonder my early days of puffing were fraught with difficult lighting, harsh, bitter smokes and tongue bite, all culminating in a fireproof mass of ye old soggy dottle in the bottom of the bowl. Ultimately, the resulting frustration made me give up the pipe, at least for a while. While the idea of it was still very appealing, the practice of it was not. It wasn’t until a few years later when, still full of curiosity and romantic notions of pipe smoking, I wandered into a real tobacconist’s shop, and learned my “method” was a long way from the techniques that would bring me to any sort of pipe smoking bliss. So, after my poor start, and under the guidance of someone who actually seemed to know how to do it right, I was given the opportunity to approach the process anew, this time with much greater success. It was only because I was both perseverent, and fortunate to have a local shop staffed with knowledgeable people, that I’ve been able to enjoy the experience ever since. At least mostly… How many fledgeling pipe smokers have simply given up on an enjoyable pastime because of similar early mis-starts? Fortunately, today, it’s not hard to find helpful guidance at the press of a key or ten. 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Before we begin, I should tell you: this tobacco review is being written by an A.I. Not the fancy new GPTs or their ilk; no, this is last century’s meat-and-bone, all-organic model. To be fair, a large part of what we call knowledge is merely the accumulated perceptions and impressions gathered from a life wandered through, synthesized into a spongy mass of what-it-is-that-we-think-that-we-know. The algorithm for this prompt is simple enough: pump thousands of bowls of smoldering plant matter into a gaping maw, cross-reference the chemical sensations with all other matter previously ingested or inhaled, sieve it all through the diffuse and fractal twin lens of memory and emotion, and churn out a panoply of adjectives that attempts to convey the sensations to someone who hasn’t experienced it yet. Odds are that a diligently trained monkey could succeed half the time; if this reviewer nears fifty-one percent then that would qualify as an unrivaled success. 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A first whiff from the tin releases the aromas of shoe leather and hide glue in a base of clay soil with a campfire wafted over it like last night’s beach party. Once it’s been accustomed to oxygen again, subtle hints of sweetness poke through from the Virginias: lemon rind, light milk chocolate, the dregs of a peaty Scotch, and muddled cherry. Old regulars like fresh-sawn oak and tilled earth are there, of course, with distinct notes of truffle, creosote, damp peat, and pine bark mulch. As an aside, I’ve been re-potting my camellias and the similarity of aroma to the ericaceous soil mix is notable; the Katerini really brings the unique depth of its vegetal complexion when supported by the Rustica and afforded more voice in the mix. The smoky Cyprian Latakia, in turn, is backed by equal earthiness from the Rustica, which overall exhibits a profile similar to dark-fired Kentucky; it leans more toward the woody and vegetal end of that spectrum, echoing and amplifying those traits of the other constituents. The tobacco is presented pressed and cut into a couple of thick, hearty flakes in the tin, lightly moist and easily crumbled to prepare—I prefer mine with a bit of drying time. The out-of-this-world tin art for this episode in the series is Major O’Meara smoking a cavalier. In the absence of confirmation, I’m going to hazard a guess he’s of the Ithklur species. The first taste from the light is sweet, with hints of that milk chocolate dancing around the edges. The Virginia leads the smoke through the top of the bowl, and orchestrates it well. 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I started out my tasting in cobs, then cut short an unpleasant bowl in a meer, and finally landed on my best instrument with the lovely Dunhill 4427 pictured, a quaint group 4 shell briar with a gentle curve and Cumberland stem supporting a perfectly executed acorn bowl. It surprised me here, as I’ve learned through the years that I generally have the best experience with English blends in large, wide bowls. With this blend it seems that to get the best out of the Katerini’s somewhat diaphanous influence the smaller bowl fared much better. Room note is very English, so the company you keep will either love it or hate it, and it doesn’t linger too much. I find it paired best with a strong coffee; Sumatran beans complement the flavors well, as do Ethiopian if a lighter brew is preferred. Overall impressions of the blend are that it’s a curiously interesting take on the English genre, almost a reductive reconstruction of the theme using the unique components. This blend, if nothing else, expanded my vocabulary of sense perceptions with the uniquely treated leaf. While the average human can distinguish approximately one trillion (1,000,000,000,000!) different aromas, multiplied by seven basic tastes, and wholly dependent on variables from body chemistry to atmospheric conditions, our overworked and underpaid simian brains can’t effectively catalog them all. Our pet adding machines are exceedingly good at this, however, and someday soon they’ll be the ultimate and unequivocal authority on what something tastes, smells, looks, or even feels like. Until that time, friends, revel in the moments that can be stolen to savor over a bowl of Pipe Force: Episode I.
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I have not noticed it too much but I have really wanted to try the new 7 seas blends in the tins but I can’t get them anywhere.
This is why I am glad I have 13 years of tobacco stored in my closet!
Had not noticed things missing from the shelfs of the local smoke shop. As one who would receive first notices, such as the cancelling of ads due to lack of product, its nice of you to let us know early what is going to run out soon. This way we can stock up for the long cold winter awaiting the new tobacco crop to come in. Always apprecite the heads up.
I haven’t noticed it too much, outside of what I see here. I am thinking it is just a matter of the tobacco companies either make more production runs or acquire more tobacco to begin with. Some, like Gawith can’t expand because of the equipment being used. But there are others, I would think, that could expand one way or another.
The purported shortage(s) may be the unintended consequences of the success of the anti-tobacco nazis and increasingly oppressive taxation. Smokers aren’t being deterred, they’re just stocking-up big time against the possibility that increased taxes and trade prohibitions are imminent. I know I am.
I’m with cortezattic on this one. I think people are hoarding right now … at least that seems to be the trend.
But with that said; my local tobacconists (I have a couple here in Copenhagen) say that they see more new pipe smokers these days.
Well I’m going down to Rich’s ASAP. I’ma gonna cellar me some tobaccy!
I don’t kmow if there is a shortage or just poor management by the blending companies. I noticed a “slowdown” in supply at my local B&M over the past 6 months; not only with pipe tobacco but cigars as well.
The usual answer from suppliers has been that pipe and tobacco trade shows have impacted supply which I find to be astounding.
Consolidation in the market is causing back orders and with the holiday season coming on these companies are shooting themselves in the foot at every opportunity. Remember when Hershey could not deliver their candy in time for Halloween? It cost that division’s president his job.
I am as encouraged as anyone by the uptick in our hobby but find it difficult to believe that popularity has outpaced their ability to supply.
I wonder how much some of the increased buying has to do with internet rumors and smoking forum participation. Some of the posts I’ve seen almost approach a hoarding style of purchases and a hedge against future shortages, there by feeding the stock shrtages and making the cycle even more pronouced.
I am inclined to agree with cortez and mlaug, I think there is A lot of hoarding going on, I know I am.
I know that cost was a big factor in my moving from cigars to pipes. I think alot more people are doing the same. Second I think the great sites like PM.com are helping move more tobbaco. Lastly the tobacco giants are smart business people and know that supply and demand drives higher prices so since they see more tobacco being bought they can capitalize on the increase demand with higher prices if we think there supply is running low.
To me, it seems that there’s a big response to the reality of increasing
price and decreasing availability in the Pipe tobacco marketplace. People
are stocking the cellar. The figures are skewed on Pipe tobacco sales at this
time as manufacturers are producing more Pipe tobacco cuts on cigarette tobacco
blends. Yes, I keep reading that Pipe smoking is gaining momentum, as people
attempt to get more product value as they move away from cigarettes and cigars…
This is speculation, as there doesn’t seem to be much data available beyond the
bottom line for Sellers.
About 2 years ago I felt betrayed and actually angered by the outrageous actions of the public and govt. against citizens of what I thought was my country too. I starting seeing people of all ages standing in the cold behind stores and other businesses as though they were lepers/ These same people stand in small closed bathrooms and spray various products all over themselves
to the point it was hard to breath (hair spray as an example). Weeks ago our local hospital hung signs all around their property
that this was, by law, a TOBACCO FREE ZONE. This means even in a tin or pouch. (results) nurses and DR’s walking all the way,
several hundred yards, to a public street to stand in the street (no sidewalks) to smoke now that they were declared criminals.
I’ll be damed if I will yield to this abuse and so therefore I have started stocking up on tobacco in hopes of at least having supply for the balance of my life. We tried to shut down the use of spirits and found that you cannot legislate another persons likes and dislikes. I can be a smoker and a reasonable man who considers others without laws demanding it. Our freedoms are being
pooped away by dangerous people and it has to be stopped. Maybe its time to start voting if we care – really care! There is a substance far more dangerous and deadly to the american public and thats ok, because that substance is food, are we going to pass laws making fat people criminals?