Just in from STG/MacBaren/Sutliff

[Law]

Don’t forget this means the end of Curly Block too. Was hoping to grab one more but I doubt we’ll see a final run.

Yeah, indeed a shit show. It is actually unfathomable how much we are losing. I think STG are trying to integrate us to the masses were each person is satisfied with just smoking either creme brulee or captain black. My advice to Leonard is just to pretend you lost your password, and never come back again. How can someone reason with this information? What will Leonard say that will make us "understand" these decision? What is it there for any consumer to be mildly neutral about this situation? If you, for some reason, do not smoke the whole of mac baren or sutliff portfolio, You will still be affected by something or some blend going extinct from other brands or mixtures. Everyones affected someway, except the ones that cellared and have done for years. Seems most are either greatly affected (like me) or minimally. Horrible situation. Too many uncertainties, and even more certainties of axed blends.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Why so many Peterson blends, discontinue all except University Flake.

So pee all over what other people like? Get with the program Andy!

 

[gcm]

I've just received information about certain John aylesbury blends that are made by macb, and will of course also be gone.
View attachment 360298

This is an email ive gotten by one of the macb employees after asking which of JA's offerings are made by macb.

Ive scrapped out his name for privacy's sake.

Edit: scrapped all personal info.

Update from the source: all John aylesbury tobacco is actually made by macb.

Luxury/Classic flake+ sir john's flake too. They are packaged by k&k but made by macb.

 

[Ryan]

They cut my top three everyday burleys, and I don’t have enough stocked up. Such is life, right?

On the other hand, I was pleased to see that Scottish Blend made it but will it stay the same? I pose that question for all the other blends, does anyone think they will remain the same?

 

[Sobrbiker]

So pee all over what other people like? Get with the program Andy!

Andy could get a job in Assens with that attitude

 

[Sobrbiker]

They cut my top three everyday burleys, and I don’t have enough stocked up. Such is life, right?

On the other hand, I was pleased to see that Scottish Blend made it but will it stay the same? I pose chat question for all the other blends, does anyone think they will remain the same?

If they’re not already made in the Assens widget shop, absolutely not.

 

[Law]

thank goodness STG 'stepped in' to save us here

All that, then to close 2 huge factories, discontinuing nearly 99% of their portfolio, and leaving blenders wandering in the mist. Look at KBV and his statement on sutliff closure...nobody knows whats happening. Yeah, let STG close all the factories and one day to 'save some of these blends' Back to life. How corpora-Kind of them

 

[lordofthepiperings]

There you have it, they truly don’t care about pipe smokers or the community.

 

[sablebrush52]

When I read the communicae from Sutliff this morning, my first response, and this will not be popular, was to find it darkly funny, if not exactly hilarious.

The "survivors" of this Viking raid are supposed to represent the most profitable blends in the MB and Sutliff portfolios and if true, confirm the statement that aromatics are by far the largest amount of sales. STD STG is sparing the goopiest of Sutliff goopers for you to buy in bulk, as well as eliminating any duplication of their Lane offerings.

The loss of the Sutliff match blends is a shame, but not unexpected, given STD's STG's metric for survival.

Not being immune to the financial benefits of branding they are retaining St Bruno, Capstan, and Three Nuns, maybe STG can improve them as they could scarcely be made worse than what MB did to them in the last couple of years.

I was never much of a Mac Baren fan and those blends that I liked, such as Modern Virginia, Vintage Syrian, and Acadien Perique, Mac Baren had discontinued as their quality dropped, so I won't miss Mac Baren at all. All that said, my sympathies to those who continued to enjoy their offerings.

The loss of livlihoods for those caught up in all of this corporate pooh is unfortunate and I hope that some sort of compensation is being provided. We're not talking hundreds of jobs here, more like dozens, but that doesn't make it any easier for those affected.

Anyway, there it is. You have other options and plenty of them. Time to move on and go exploring.

 

[seanv]

There you have it, they truly don’t care about pipe smokers or the community.

There are no "good guys" or feelings in business. I hate this as much as almost everyone else, but this is business.

 

[sablebrush52]

I just ordered a 12oz tub of Edward G Robinson. The shipping to the UK was almost as much as the tub itself!
What blends are you guys going to miss the most?

The Mac Baren blends I really liked were already discontinued as Mac Baren's quality dropped, so I won't miss Mac Baren in the least.

I'll miss Sutliff's matured Red Virginia offerings. I'll also miss some of their match blends.

Fortunately I stocked up on my faves years ago, so none of this really affects me, and even if it did, I would look elsewhere for something new to enjoy.

 

[Chasing Embers]

There you have it, they truly don’t care about pipe smokers or the community.

None of them do really, it's just a market. Sad for the employees but this is just a common occurrence.

 

[sardonicus87]

Yeah, how tf didn't those make the cut? Or even some of them?

I'm surprised the HH line is being discontinued. For some reason I always assumed they sold well but maybe not. They did the same thing here in the UK. The entire line was discontinued a little while back.

I said it multiple times in multiple threads... just because something is popular or sells a lot, doesn't mean it's safe from the chopping block, yet people still kept saying stuff like "well X blend is popular, so they probably won't get rid of it..."

High sales volume doesn't necessarily equate to high margins, which was just one of many factors as to whether or not something would stick around (other factors being things like whether they already carry equivalent ingredients in-house, their willingness to pick up any necessarily ingredient contracts, etc). I did warn many times not to presume a blend is safe because it's popular, that popularity has very little to do with it.

 

[lazar]

Update from the source: all John aylesbury tobacco is actually made by macb.

Luxury/Classic flake+ sir john's flake too. They are packaged by k&k but made by macb.

Any chance you could ask your source what else they make for K&K? I'm wondering how far this bloodbath will extend....

 

[gcm]

Any chance you could ask your source what else they make for K&K? I'm wondering how far this bloodbath will extend....

Sure ill ask.

 

[Snook]

I said it multiple times in multiple threads... just because something is popular or sells a lot, doesn't mean it's safe from the chopping block, yet people still kept saying stuff like "well X blend is popular, so they probably won't get rid of it..."

High sales volume doesn't necessarily equate to high margins, which was just one of many factors as to whether or not something would stick around.

Yeah... and I read those posts... guess I just had the rose-colored glasses on and was thinking that maybe there would be some hope of a few blends being kept around just for the sake of being popular with the community.

 

[sablebrush52]

On the other hand, I was pleased to see that Scottish Blend made it but will it stay the same? I pose that question for all the other blends, does anyone think they will remain the same?

Not once manufacture moves to another plant. Different production line, different personnel, different sources of material. They may make some effort to adjust the blend to taste similarly to the Mac Baren version, or they may not, but change is guaranteed.

 

[gcm]

Sure ill ask.

Pretty terrible news on that front.

 

[AndyNJ]

So pee all over what other people like? Get with the program Andy!

You trust them not to mess w the Peterson blends in the future and cut?

I meant to say: I am going to support C&D from now on, this hurt. I smoked Plumcake for 40 years and Dunhill for 20 until it's death

 

[sablebrush52]

I've just received information about certain John aylesbury blends that are made by macb, and will of course also be gone.
View attachment 360298

This is an email ive gotten by one of the macb employees after asking which of JA's offerings are made by macb.

Ive scrapped out his name for privacy's sake.

Edit: scrapped all personal info.

Why would this announcement affect MacBaren making these under contract to K&K? Presumably STG took on the responsibility to meet contractual agreements when they bought MB. It's more likely will be that STG will offer to complete the contract, for however long it goes. It's the name on the label that counts, however meaningless in reality.