Old Port Pipe Tobacco

[pipebuddy]

Well speaking of survival of the tobacco retailing sector in Canada, I swung by J.E. Giguère in Vieux - Québec yesterday and was discussing the "death" of the Dunhill blends.
I left the shop depressed: buddy told me their Peterson distributor informed them that Peterson tobaccos were withdrawing from the Canadian market. The reason? The sales are insufficient!
There is not going to be a lot left for us.

 

[pipebuddy]

@rockynrobyn: then you should try Old Port. It's one of the few OTCs, along with Amphora Black Cavendish, that I really enjoy.

It's weird how flavored tobaccos are forbidden in Québec, New Brunswick and Ontario but seem to be okay in BC.

 

[sparroa]

pipebuddy, what blends are left in Quebec?

 

[seanv]

Pipebuddy I hope you are wrong about the Peterson departure from the Canadian market. I think their distributor ( here anyways) is Brigham.

 

[pipebuddy]

@simenon: Besides the usual Borkum Riff, Captain Black and Colts I have seen Three Nuns, some Mac Baren, a few Solani, a few C & Ds, maybe GL Pease as well.

I'm not sure about Montréal's status; I haven't been there since 2014 or so.

But if Peterson is really pulling out of the Canadian market, we have a major problem, Houston.

In any case, between those bad news, the crooked prices for tobaccos in B & Ms and getting financially violated by Customs when I import tobaccos, I rest my case. I will cease buying tobaccos and start a new venture: growing my own tobacco.

After all, our grandfathers, great grandfathers & al did it. I figured I'd do it too.

 

[slinkywizardbob]

Outside Montreal B&M shops near me have some Nitecap, EMP, 3nuns, Elizabethan Mix. They all carry Mr B's line of tobaccos. Zero flavoured tobaccos. They sell flavour cards which you pack with your tobacco, it emparts flavour. Tragic state if affairs really

 

[sparroa]

That is really unfortunate on all counts. I'm not surprised but it is still depressing.
I haven't been in Montreal since I bought some Samuel Gawith at Blatter & Blatter years ago.
I remember the selection thinning out back then but it was still pretty decent in some respects.
There have been so many punitive regulations passed since then that the climate has totally changed.
I'm surprised if any pipe blends will stay on the Canadian market at this rate.
I started smoking Captain Black White, Sail Green, and Amphora Original back in the day - now they are scarcely found. The largest cities may have a few specialty shops but otherwise pipe tobacco has gotten so rare.

 

[slinkywizardbob]

Yep. Blatter & Blatter have the best selection by far in Montreal. Bit of a pain for me to get to though. Got 965 and B&B Navigator when I was there last

 

[seanv]

Reading this makes me realize how good we have it at our b&m in regina. Full lines of Dunhill and Peterson. 5 rattray blends and 3 McConnell just arrived in addition to a few C&D. About 25 bulk blends also. Seems to sell well also.

 

[slinkywizardbob]

Hey Seanv, whats the cost over there? 25 plus tax for a 1.75oz tin of Early Morning Pipe or 28 plus tax for a 50g pouch of Mr B's Cavendish?

 

[seanv]

Varies a bit. Peterson tins are $38, dunhill $42-$45,c&d $42, Rattray and Robert McConnell are $38. Pouches of Holger Danske and others from $34-38 I think. Mixture 79 is $30

 

[canadianpuffer]

My TAD got the best of me - I just called walper today and ordered a pouch. They have it in stock for $30

 

[sparroa]

Let us know how it is!
So is online tobacco shopping allowed in Canada within the same province? It is my understanding that it is illegal across provincial lines.

 

[sasquatch]

I suppose you could buy online inside the province, but there's no advantage to doing so. You can legally import from outside the country, but not from province to province (tobacco is a point-of-sale tax inside the country) so that makes a ton more sense than trying to buy the same product at the same prices from the guy just up the road, as it were.

 

[sparroa]

I know there is no financial advantage for a Canadian to purchase locally but I was just wondering about the legality of online shopping for tobacco in Canada from a source within the same province.
I know that a site like SmokingPipes which ships from state to state would be prohibited from operating in Canada so I was wondering if it is truly legal for a Canadian site to sell tobacco online within their own jurisdiction.
Many Canadian B&Ms I've seen with an online presence only sell and advertise pipes/accessories and their tobaccos are often not even mentioned - likely due to advertising bans.

 

[mso489]

At Canadian prices, I believe I'd confine myself to a Wednesday night bowl. The bowl of the week.

 

[upnorth1]

I smoke approx. 3 bowls a week so it doesn't hurt too much. We Canadians have to be creative in our tobacco acquisitions, that's for sure!

 

[seanv]

Im smoking about a bowl a day maybe more. I order from the us. Even with duty and exchange I am way ahead. I do buy as much h as I can locally to support the local shop.

 

[canadianpuffer]

Well I smoked my two pouches and just grabbed another while visiting the shop. It’s definitely an OTC but enjoyable.