A Message From Mike & Mary McNiel

[cosmicfolklore]

But Geored, the difference is that he cannot answer all of the further questions that will arise from the news, and as I said the last few posts about McClelland and 5100 said the same things. This didn't exactly squelch rumors any more than the last poster. It did NOT have any Barring on Steve's credibility, which is impeccable.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

But, having them on the Radioshow is golden, and will maybe help get to the bottom of McClelland's future with Virginias.

 

[lazar]

Fake news! Everyone knows that the FDA is to blame any and all negative news about tobacco. :mrgreen:
As for the impact on McC as a whole, I'm guessing they're discontinuing 5100 so they can use the limited quantities of Red VA in their more premium blends, rather than "wasting" it on bulks. Makes sense, and probably means those premium blends will have a longer lifespan.

 

[woodsroad]

RED Virginia.

RED Virginia.

Why doesn't anyone else see this for what it is? It's Russian interference with the American pipe tobacco market. The Reds have us by the gonads!

 

[cigrmaster]

Karma is a bitch. Maybe if red virginia didn't burn my tongue so bad, the pipe gods would make the crops come back.
Actually since Steve is spreading hearsay and rumors, he should be made to sell all his blends with red virginia's for a 30% discount. Well Mr Hearsay what do you have to say for your self?

 

[woodsroad]

Honesty, if I didn't have 15 pounds cellared already, I'd be panicking.

 

[hawky454]

Thanks for sharing, Pipe Stud. The stuff was too weak for me so this doesn’t affect me directly but I feel for those of you who adored the stuff. I’m concerened about how this may affect all their other blends, I thought that 5100 was a base to several of their other blends but I guess that was just speculation. I’m certainly worried about the future of McClelland’s Virginia flakes in general but as I said in the other thread of the same subject it’s great to know that McClelland has such high standards and integrity! I’m worried that from here on out all the McClelland’s Va flakes will be very hard to obtain now that there is a new element to worry about. I imagine people are going to start breaking the bank to get as much St. James Flake and 40th Anniversary as possible and you know how we roll, we have to buy up as much as possible and certainly more than one man can smoke by his loansome, just to be on the safe side. Please everyone, try to share and allow others the opportunity to get some for themselves.

 

[pylorns]

I think its worse than just 5100... its the whole tobacco auction issue that no longer happens here in the US. Sooooo the growers that were growing for the auction are now specifically growing just for big tobacco. So no one is growing certain strains of pipe tobacco here in the US. It's not just 5100 that you can't get now from McClelland, its lots of bulk as well.

 

[pipestud]

Karma is a bitch. Maybe if red virginia didn't burn my tongue so bad, the pipe gods would make the crops come back.
Actually since Steve is spreading hearsay and rumors, he should be made to sell all his blends with red virginia's for a 30% discount. Well Mr Hearsay what do you have to say for your self?
Harris

I say keep your dastardly and evil thoughts to yourself, cigrmaster! :wink:

 

[cigrmaster]

If I were a smoker of red virginia blends, I would be going after my favorites with a vengeance. If the Mc's are having problems sourcing good red's then I would assume there are other blenders running into the same issues.

Will these other blenders stick to their principles like the McNiels, or will they use inferior leaf to keep their production numbers up? I would be willing to bet there are going to be some mfgs who will use this lesser leaf the McNiels won't touch.

 

[saltedplug]

Is the forthcoming interview of the McNeils going to answer the questions that at this point we all have about their ability to stay in business? Because the the antis are coming, and if they hurt businesses, or at least harm, such as McClelland, they will have done their duty. Christmas Cheer and 5100 have been stable, staple tobaccos for as long as I can remember. It's frightening that they are gone.
The sky may not be falling but it is certainly closer.

 

[woopigpiper]

I can’t help but wonder if McCranie’s will be impacted, too?

 

[kcghost]

This thread is very insulting to various people. Mike and Mary don't know what the internet is let alone use it. When you got the word from PipeStud its the same as getting it from them. Sorry you didn't get to ask whatever questions you had but that's how it goes. Steve and George are not your normal internet rumor monger like the guy who posted that Pease wasn't blending anymore. To put this in words that Mike would use "It's done, finished, kaput!" A few of us in the KC pipe club have known about this for months.

 

[theediabeticman]

Thank you KC

 

[saltedplug]

Yes, I trust pipestud and gorged implicitly, certainly to report what Mike McNeil says at club meetings and over the phone, though like cosmic I would prefer that they talk to us on the forum directly. But as that is not their practice, I'm fine with the intermediaries that we have and thank them for their effort.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Insulting?

 

[crashthegrey]

This is really bad news. Indefinitely out was bad, permanently is worse. I'm really hoping that there is some solution somewhere, eventually.

 

[georged]

Insulting?

Yup.
I repeat: You are either very stubborn or not very perceptive.

 

[woodsroad]

I get Cosmic's point. He has already apologized for his sub-optimal verbiage, so let's please get past that. This isn't about "trusting" Steve, most of us know that he is as trustworthy and forthcoming a person as you will find anywhere. It's about hearing from Mike or Mary directly, primarily because there are further questions we'd like to ask of them. Not about their business plans or secrets (although that would make for interesting conversation) but about the future of pipe tobacco leaf variety and quality.
If they don't do interwebs, then OK, that's their choice and they are probably happier in life because of it.

 

[jravenwood]

THis is too bad...also sad to hear about mccranies