Are we Really Losing That Much With the Closures of Mac Baren and Sutliff?

[NookersTheCat]

To be fair, this (profitability assessment) can happen to all blends by whatever manufacturer, right?
Otherwise they'll be losing money and risk going down as well.

Even though we hope blenders is doing stuff just to please us pipe smokers, I think that without profitability we will lose all blends in the end, Right?
I'm really sad over this Mac Baren/Sutliff ordeal, but I think it is unfair to blame STG only... Some blame should also be put on the previous Mac Baren owners, though MOST of the blame should be thrown hard at our regulating bodies; EU, US etc, governments, politicians.. the really evil taxating ones. Booh them.

(And no, this is not a political post. I just happened to mention some political institutes in a tobacco blame game)

Agreed, on all points.
And (not to derail the thread, but it seems about played out by now anyway) to prove it goes beyond politics look into how Central Banking works... highly recommend the documentaries "Money for Nothing" & "Four Horsemen" free on YT. You'll see how it's really only in the last 100 years how we've allowed the banking system to be structured to produce tons of "cheap money" for those at the top (regardless of political affiliation).

That's the root of what creates these mega-conglomerates that get the opportunity to take an otherwise profitable and viable business like this and destroy it just for "shareholder value" or whatever. People blame capitalism but in reality the amount of central planning in our economy would make Stalin jealous. Again, this has nothing to do with Red vs. Blue...

 

[f4phantomdriver]

There are a bunch of unique blends that will be missed. Mixture 79, for example. The impact will be felt greatest for the B&Ms that blend their own.

I bought a few pounds of Mixture-79 to smoke while my tubs quietly nap in my cellar. STG just destroyed the Lane codger blends like Sir Walter Raleigh, Velvet, Paladin Black Cherry, Half & Half, Granger and the Captain Black series. I smoked ALL of them and they all suck now. I'm just glad that I stocked up on all those blends before the stock dried up when the Tucker GA plant closed. I did however buy the new incarnations of the blends to try after they started producing the tobacco in Denmark. The result is horrible. I have enough for my life time but I'm kind of worried about the newbe's never being able to experience the original Codger blends as they were.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I'm kind of worried about the newbe's never being able to experience the original Codger blends as they were.

Even prior to the move in recent years they weren't the same as they were in the early '90s.

 

[MisterDearly]

I mean, I really only smoked a few HH blends and a few SPC blends. My heart lies with the Gawiths, C and D, and the Rattray's blends anyway.

 

[f4phantomdriver]

I mean, I really only smoked a few HH blends and a few SPC blends. My heart lies with the Gawiths, C and D, and the Rattray's blends anyway.

I'm a Country Squire house blends fan. I do like some of C and D blends as well like Pegasus, Winchester, Big N' Burley, Epiphany and Crooner. The Sutliff tobaccos I like are not going to be saved which sucks. I thought they would at least keep their flagship blend Mixture-79 which I absolutely 100% love.

 

[krizzose]

I am not an STG fan by a long shot, but what Per has said about the company he works for is just what anyone would say. Who in the hell would come on here and say, "my company is struggling to stay afloat"?

Per was fired by Mac Baren well before the STG acquisition. Whatever he said, he wasn’t trying to make Mac Baren look good

 

[didimauw]

When you only smoke burley blends, losing HH Burley Flake is a big one. Roughly 1/5 of my 5 blends I smoke. But I'll get by.

 

[DesertDan]

There are Sutliff / Macbaren blends I will miss, but I am more concerned about the effect upon the smaller blenders.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

When you only smoke burley blends, losing HH Burley Flake is a big one. Roughly 1/5 of my 5 blends I smoke. But I'll get by.

I feel this. I smoke mostly burley or dark fired blends myself so losing ODF is a gut punch.
I've only been smoking a pipe for about 10 years. I quickly became a McClelland lover and smoked tin after tin of their Red and Black and Blackwoods Flake. When they closed up, my main tobacco became ODF. Now we're watching it go away. So to the original question of the thread, yes I'm losing that much.
But I won't lose sleep over it. When news got out that it was going away, I bought what I could afford to buy, and I'll deal with it.
About the closest thing I know of to it is Peterson Irish Flake, and I smoke that a lot now. It will be what I start buying and putting away now with talks of it leaving in 2018.

There's nothing by Sutliff I'll miss, but I still very much hate to see it go. We all have different tastes and I know it has a huge number of fans.

While it is unfortunate to see blends we love go away, there are hundreds out there to try and no doubt many we will enjoy.

 

[NookersTheCat]

I feel this. I smoke mostly burley or dark fired blends myself so losing ODF is a gut punch.
I've only been smoking a pipe for about 10 years. I quickly became a McClelland lover and smoked tin after tin of their Red and Black and Blackwoods Flake. When they closed up, my main tobacco became ODF. Now we're watching it go away. So to the original question of the thread, yes I'm losing that much.
But I won't lose sleep over it. When news got out that it was going away, I bought what I could afford to buy, and I'll deal with it.
About the closest thing I know of to it is Peterson Irish Flake, and I smoke that a lot now. It will be what I start buying and putting away now with talks of it leaving in 2018.

There's nothing by Sutliff I'll miss, but I still very much hate to see it go. We all have different tastes and I know it has a huge number of fans.

While it is unfortunate to see blends we love go away, there are hundreds out there to try and no doubt many we will enjoy.

Perhaps try the new Toscano series? I'm not a huge DFK fan myself, but I've been seeing it get great reviews by those who are... and one assumes Toscano knows a thing or 2 about that kinda leaf. Just a suggestion

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Perhaps try the new Toscano series? I'm not a huge DFK fan myself, but I've been seeing it get great reviews by those who are... and one assumes Toscano knows a thing or 2 about that kinda leaf. Just a suggestion

Thank you for the suggestion, and I most certainly will give them a go.
I just looked and there's one that doesn't contain Latakia (I really have to be in the mood for it). Looks like the Maestro Puccini may be worth a try for me.

 

[NookersTheCat]

Looks like the Maestro Puccini may be worth a try for me.

Yes, unfortunately another limited edition tho it's already been in stock for weeks so hopefully one that will be available long enough! ... if not possibly made to stay now that alot of their competition was knee-capped

 

[Pipke]

Thank you for the suggestion, and I most certainly will give them a go.
I just looked and there's one that doesn't contain Latakia (I really have to be in the mood for it). Looks like the Maestro Puccini may be worth a try for me.

It is if you love Dark Fired Kentucky. I don't know if it's from the American or Italian DFK, but I detect flavors similar to how cured, smoked meat smells along with a wood smoke. It has a strong nic hit too. Maestro Puccini wasn't an instant hit some stuff that gets sold out within hours after release. I may buy a few more tins. May also try the one with Latakia and Perique.

 

[f4phantomdriver]

When you only smoke burley blends, losing HH Burley Flake is a big one. Roughly 1/5 of my 5 blends I smoke. But I'll get by.

I feel for you man. I just tried HH Burley Flake last year and really liked it. HH, Cobblestone Hiking and Wessex BS are the burleys that I really like. I only have one unopened tin of HH Burley but a good amount of Hiking and a suitable supply of Wessex. To be honest I like the HH Burley Flake A little better than Wessex. I think because it has less casing? I don't know but this is a huge loss. I think some people don't realize that this is very bad for the pipe community especially in regards to the nostalgia of the lifestyle and hobby.

 

[#LiverGiftFromGod]

With the soon to be ceasing of operations of Mac Baren and Sutliff, I wonder if we are really losing that much. I mean, there are still many other options for essentially similar blends from many other sources. Does anyone find any of the soon to be gone blends that are truly unique?
Anyone believe that Mac B or Sutliff may become the next McClellands? I'm sure that many thought Dunhill would become a unicorn brand, but Peterson came through and brought back many of their blends.

For me, just a handful of MB HH and Amphora blends. I'll miss Bold Kentucky the most after I exhaust my stash. Thank goodness for the Gawith house.

 

[Mike N]

I feel for you man. I just tried HH Burley Flake last year and really liked it. HH, Cobblestone Hiking and Wessex BS are the burleys that I really like. I only have one unopened tin of HH Burley but a good amount of Hiking and a suitable supply of Wessex. To be honest I like the HH Burley Flake A little better than Wessex. I think because it has less casing? I don't know but this is a huge loss. I think some people don't realize that this is very bad for the pipe community especially in regards to the nostalgia of the lifestyle and hobby

Cobblestone Hiking is my go-to when I want a Burley. Although, most Cobblestone blends were made by Sutliff, Tobacco Reviews indicates that their Outdoor series, including Hiking, are made by Kohlhase & Kopp. So, here's hoping we still see Hiking available going forward. It's tough enough to find now.

 

[Briar Lee]

Aside from the gradual decline in premium pipe tobacco sales as geezers die, or switch to RYO types, or vapes, or quit, I wonder if the market share Sutliff of premium pipe tobacco had will just evaporate?

For example, the classic cloth bagged tobaccos eventually all died. Young smokers could buy codger blends and premium tobacco and couldn’t get hooked on Bull Durham, Our Advertiser, Old Hillside, and Country Gentleman.

There won’t be any more Mixture 79 as a starter tobacco, or any other Sutliff blend.

 

[Deano]

The 3 MB blends I smoke sometimes made the cut. The Sutliff goopers I will not miss and there are other goopers around. Its not fun but there are a lot of tobaccos left. Peterson and C&D. Those 2 right there produce quite a bit.

 

[Mike N]

Plus, the availability now of dozens of HU blends only recently available in the states through Laudisi should offset a lot of lost product. I've sampled over 10 of them already and with a year or so in a mason jar should be delicious.

I saw this morning that SmokingPipes listed three new Nording blends. Also, these Rivertown bulk blends are now being offered: https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/rivertown-tobacco-works/bulk/

We should be fine. A vacuum seldom remains empty under the laws of quantum physics and capitalism.

 

[NookersTheCat]

The 3 MB blends I smoke sometimes made the cut. The Sutliff goopers I will not miss and there are other goopers around. Its not fun but there are a lot of tobaccos left. Peterson and C&D. Those 2 right there produce quite a bit.

Peterson/Dunhill is STG and the dude who axed Sutliff/MacBaren stated that by 2028 they will almost certainly be cutting some if not all of these too. He claims the Dunhill blends actually sell pretty poorly (by their standards) in the U.S. I'd try to stock up on those if I were you and you are able.