Kudos for Distributon, Availability

[mso489]

One definitie challenge of pipe smoking is seeking scarce blends. There are numerous blends that are prized but not widely available, and pipe people love to go in quest of these and score them when they can. It's a sport and an endeavor, and you can't deny the rewards when they are attained. But I have always equally felt a loyalty to those blends that succeed by producing volume to meet the demand and sustaining distribution so their blends are continuously available. To the great majority of pipe smokers who are seeking only quiet moments after a busy work day or a smoke while driving, mowing, or waiting for their kids at soccer practice (etc. etc.) the available blend is the unsung hero of tobacco pipe smoking. You don't have to scour ebay or the rest of the web. You don't have to plow through every last tin at the pipe show, or drive two hours to the distant pipe shop or discount tobacco outlet. You can shop your price a little. You can sometimes find a coupon. Pipe tobacco outfits gain a lot of credibility with me for continuous availability and distribution. It's not as romantic as chasing the unicorns across the globe, but I honor the companies that work for the ease of the pipe people. Are you ever just glad you don't have to chase every blend over the moon?

 

[cigrmaster]

mso, great post. Finding hard to get blends can be fun when you score, it is a major pain in the ass when you don't. Esoterica is the company that I dislike the most. Those clowns work with 6 people and that is it. They refuse to bring their company into the modern world. I wish people would hate on them and leave the suppliers full of their blends instead of selling out the second they are listed.
I was fortunate to be able to stock up on Stonehaven so I never have to chase it again. I totally agree that people like GL Pease and McClellend and C&D keep their supplies up and should be applauded for it.

 

[cortezattic]

There are too many great and easily obtainable blends for me to waste time and energy seeking the scarce ones. Add to those the untried blends on my wish list, and I find little incentive to hunt and/or pay exorbitant prices.

 

[swhipple]

But, but, but this is an internet forum. This venue is tailor made for creating and then chasing unicorn blends. I tend to agree with you MSO, I do truly appreciate the blenders that make great quality products in sufficient quantity to supply demand. I don't mind the occasional Unicorn hunt but I normally prefer blends that I can find readily and sometimes even on sale.

 

[mikethompson]

I'm too early in my pipe smoking journey to chase "rare" blends, I still got common favorites queued up to try.

 

[plugugly]

Pease is a perfect example of a blender who makes premium products -in quantity-and only occasionally lets a unicorn get out if his corral.

 

[mso489]

I'm frequently surprised at how good old standbys are when I finally condescend to try them. I can't taste much with Sir Walter Raleigh Regular, but the SWR Aromatic, with a burley base, Virginia as a condiment, and flavored with three liqueurs was a pleasant surprise, and an aromatic at that. I don't think anyone is going to have a problem getting a pouch of that. Or, maybe if you like it, a tub.

 

[brightleaf]

Cheers to the manufacturers that supply a market and encourage growth by providing enough to go around.
I also like the companies that produce a lot of different blends. I share the sentiment of mikethompson. With so many blends available I don't have much compulsion to spend time or money chasing the unicorns.

Even when blends like 5100 that are usually always around go out of stock, there is always good tobacco to be had.
If a company doesn't want to make a lot of product they may be able to sell out but they are also capping their profits.

 

[hawky454]

I really wish that I was satisfied with American otc’s I would have more money in my pocket and if I was close to running out, no problem, I’ll just head over to the grocery store and pick up a tub of Carter Hall. But, and this applies to anything really, the things that you have to seek out are often worth the hunt. Usually the better things in life are often hard to find. I do love otc’s, I just happen to be on the wrong continent.
But yes, Kudos to C&D/Pease and McClelland for always getting our favorite blends on the shelves.

 

[snagstangl]

Hawky, just grind up one plug of Condor, mix with a tub of carter hall. Im sure you could only taste the condor. Let me know your results. I like condor quite a bit as well, so I understand your chase. The better things in life aren't often hard to find, for me. But affording a few of them is sometimes the prob

 

[sasquatch]

The idea that any particular tobacco company should simply "ramp up production" pretty ignorant of the world's realities. Pouring money into equipment, space, and product in order to satisfy a temporary demand (the market is shrinking and will get only more difficult under the FDA rules remember) would be pretty silly. Doing so in the face of a dwindling supply-side chain even more so. For example, McClelland just announced that they can't source enough good leaf to make their 5100. But we should somehow expect that obtaining ultra premium or no-longer-available (syrian lat for example) tobacco should be no trouble for tiny Germain's? Come on.
Shortages suck and it is nice when everything is working for the customer, but the truth is, a lot of things are stacked against us at this point, right from the farm on down.

 

[hawky454]

Hawky, just grind up one plug of Condor, mix with a tub of carter hall

Blasphemy!!

 

[cigrmaster]

Sasquatch, Germains products have been in short supply for over 15 years. You would think that they would have wanted to cash in while the getting was good. Maybe I just think like your typical American, business is good, expand and get bigger and richer.

 

[jaytex1969]

I really wish that I was satisfied with American otc’s I would have more money in my pocket and if I was close to running out, no problem, I’ll just head over to the grocery store and pick up a tub of Carter Hall.

Hawky, I was in the HEB on Burnet & Koenig the other day. Just for grins, I looked for CH. No such luck.
Truth be told, I find it easier to window shop online until I find enough goodies to hit free shipping land and then click "go". Easier and less expensive than cruising around to shops. I still pick up a token tin at B&M during Pipe Club, but logistics dictate that most of my smokage comes from PA via my attractive letter carrier.
I've never had the unobtanium, therefore, I don't miss it. I'm just trying to lay in a cellar before it ALL becomes unobtanium. In 20 years, we remaining geezers will be meeting in back alleys and trading grams of The Frigate like the seedy dope man of the '80's... 8O

 

[deathmetal]

I have always equally felt a loyalty to those blends that succeed by producing volume to meet the demand and sustaining distribution so their blends are continuously available.

Hail to C&D, Peterson, Dunhill (?) and Five Brothers.

 

[sasquatch]

Very "American" indeed Harris, and hopefully without sounding like I have a bone to pick with Americans, the idea that if a little is good, a lot must be better is .... wrong. A Froggy Bottom guitar is a thing of beauty BECAUSE it was made slowly and with care. Quickly made guitars are called Fenders! Asking Germain's to be the Wal-mart of pipe tobacco is totally crazy. You can't just make more, hire more, build more when the fundamental supply isn't there, and the knowledge/care/ability of the new employees isn't up to snuff.
Moldy batches of "boutique" product (as an example) only happen when the boutique doesn't quite have its shit together. Germain's do, I think we'll all agree, and they presumably want to KEEP it together. Nothing wrong with that. If the fundamental equation to double their production was easy/straightforward, they'd have done it. They're not stupid, after all.
I think a lot goes on in the tobacco industry that is not known or is misunderstood by us laymen.

 

[cigrmaster]

GL Pease, C&D and McCLelland are all boutique brands and keep their customers happy with their ability to keep them supplied in almost every instance. Guess their American ingenuity is the reason why. The quality they put into their blends is every bit as good as Germain.
edit. My guess is that Germain is like many European companies who probably take off their 2 months every summer, work 6 hours a day and basically could care less about their customers. Nothing beats the American work ethic.

 

[hawky454]

Hawky, I was in the HEB on Burnet & Koenig the other day. Just for grins, I looked for CH. No such luck.
Truth be told, I find it easier to window shop online until I find enough goodies to hit free shipping land and then click "go". Easier and less expensive than cruising around to shops. I still pick up a token tin at B&M during Pipe Club, but logistics dictate that most of my smokage comes from PA via my attractive letter carrier.
I've never had the unobtanium, therefore, I don't miss it. I'm just trying to lay in a cellar before it ALL becomes unobtanium. In 20 years, we remaining geezers will be meeting in back alleys and trading grams of The Frigate like the seedy dope man of the '80's... 8O

The HEB on 620 and Anderson Mill has a decent selection of otc tubs. But you’re right, I would much rather get them online and for much cheaper. I think they average about $60 a tub but I’m sure some old codgers that don’t even know how to work the internet are buying them up on a monthly basis as somebody has to be buying them.
When we get together for s smoke I’ll bring some Condor for you to try. It’s a very polarizing blend so chances are you’ll either love it or hate it.

 

[sasquatch]

LOL well... we'll have to agree to disagree on the relative quality of C/D and Germain's.
McClelland's isn't making 5100 anymore... where is the American ingenuity?

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

The Germain trashing completely ignores the fact that to them, Esoterica is a "white label" product made under contract. That contract is now owned by one of the few remaining independent national distributors, Arango, who bought it from an individual, Mike Butera, whose network was limited to a relative handful of tobacconists. Arango's combined distribution channels, between brick and mortar shops that Butera could and did service, the many B&M's that he could not service and likely never heard of him, and the relatively recent emergence of etailers, are capable of taking much larger quantities of ANYTHING than Butera ever dreamed of.
Keeping that in mind, I would assume the following statements are true until someone provides facts to cast doubt on them :
(1) Germain produces all of the Esoterica product that they are contractually obligated to deliver to Arango;
(2) Over the years that quantity has likely increased;
(3) None of us know whether Arango would like Germain to produce more ET than the present contractual obligations require, or if Arango requested more, that Germain is unable or unwilling (two different things) to deliver
Mike Gold is President of Arango. He gives interviews. Perhaps Kevin should conduct one.