STG closes Mac Baren and Sutliff

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f4phantomdriver

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 23, 2019
141
242
1. Yes! 2. I work for Mac Baren, which is owned by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
So what. Why even bring it up if you can only give crumbs. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going to happen to their favorite blends and all you given us is what we read on the Briar Patch. Why not tell us? 200 jobs are going to be gone and they sure don't give a rats a$$ about them. " I have to be authorized" lol, I had more leeway as a government contractor, you work for a tobacco company lol.
 

f4phantomdriver

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 23, 2019
141
242
For six months leading up to McClellands closing, dozens of people came on here and said that Mike told them personally that he was closing, and everyone was like, "bullshit, he didn't tell me that," or "my B&M calls bullshit on that." Then they closed, and like POOF, all of their best blends were no longer to be found.

Now... you can stand around with your hands in your pockets and wait for every MacBaren product to vanish, or if there is something that you can't live without, start maxing out your cards. But, after they are all gone, one thing this forum won't put up with is "where did all of the tobacco go. Why did no one tell me?" These people will get no mercy. I
I've seen it... too many times.
I did that when Lane Limited announced they were closing their Tucker plant. I bought half cases of Lane Limited Ready Rubbed, Sir Walter Raleigh regular and aromatic, I bought 7, 12oz tubs of the Captain Black series. I've been stocking up for 15 years. I'm not "too" worried, but I absolutely love Country Squire's blends. Matter of fact of their blends is my everyday smoke. That's what I'm worried about.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,558
48,332
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
So what. Why even bring it up if you can only give crumbs. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going to happen to their favorite blends and all you given us is what we read on the Briar Patch. Why not tell us? 200 jobs are going to be gone and they sure don't give a rats a$$ about them. " I have to be authorized" lol, I had more leeway as a government contractor, you work for a tobacco company lol.
Well, he did give everybody a heads up. He works for the company, he doesn't own it, so he may not have all the details, or be constrained by agreement, not to tell more than so much.
Having worked for a number of studios, there are always limits to what I'm allowed to say, and when I'm allowed to say it.
BTW, Harley Quinn season 5 is airing shortly, for anyone interested. I can't speak to the coming and goings.
 

wyfbane

Lifer
Apr 26, 2013
5,120
3,543
Tennessee
So what. Why even bring it up if you can only give crumbs. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going to happen to their favorite blends and all you given us is what we read on the Briar Patch. Why not tell us? 200 jobs are going to be gone and they sure don't give a rats a$$ about them. " I have to be authorized" lol, I had more leeway as a government contractor, you work for a tobacco company lol.
So what? Like it has been mentioned, early warning on these events can be key if you have the resources to cellar deeply. I cellared a fair amount when I heard about the pending McClelland closing, but always wish I'd had a bit more time. I fully appreciate the heads up and don't see the need to take a poke at the poster.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
4,222
12,530
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
So what. Why even bring it up if you can only give crumbs. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going to happen to their favorite blends and all you given us is what we read on the Briar Patch. Why not tell us? 200 jobs are going to be gone and they sure don't give a rats a$$ about them. " I have to be authorized" lol, I had more leeway as a government contractor, you work for a tobacco company lol.
Sheesh. You want all the answers? Go talk to a priest! The rest of us only have partial knowledge.
 

karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,559
9,743
Basel, Switzerland
So I went looking for what MacBaren to buy and ended up buying 5 tins of Nightcap and 3 tins of Cut Blended Plug ;)

It’s an inevitable problem, my own experience with properly storing blends is that they certainly change within 3+ years, let alone 20+, and not always for the better for my taste. So no matter how much one buys and how well one stores their tobacco, we will NOT be smoking what we like TODAY in 20 years’ time.

Two examples where I experienced the change in my hands, the first two blends I bought a pound of at once:

  • Old Dark Fired went from crisp and woody to sticky sweet over 5 years
  • StBernard went from bright, grassy, spicy to bland and sweet
There used to be a time I chased natural sweetness in pipe tobacco, now I am not, I find enough sweetness in most blends. Been smoking a pipe for about 15 years so I’d think my palate is pretty good, so blends should reveal more complexity to me, unless they themselves change for the worse over time.

So yeah, that’s the inevitable problem, the direction of travel for pipe tobacco is that it’s ever more niche product where it stops making financial sense. I honestly put my faith in cigars for the long term future, I think cigars will be just fine for a long time. I love cigars too, but there’s more variety in pipe tobacco.

Edit: just had a super ripe banana as my kids won't eat them after they go black. It was, of course, super sweet, but I prefer them when they're just right as they're more nuanced, it sparked a thought that this is how I perceive some (not all!) aged blends I've had.
 
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woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,567
19,797
SE PA USA
So what. Why even bring it up if you can only give crumbs. Everyone wants to know what the hell is going to happen to their favorite blends and all you given us is what we read on the Briar Patch. Why not tell us? 200 jobs are going to be gone and they sure don't give a rats a$$ about them. " I have to be authorized" lol, I had more leeway as a government contractor, you work for a tobacco company lol.
That’s a rather sorrowful response to someone who stuck their neck out to keep you informed.