STG closes Mac Baren and Sutliff

[Sobrbiker]

I’ve got a couple pounds of Match Elizabethan/Victorian on the way just to not freak out, and some of their TS-20 perique.
I should be sutliff comfy until it shakes out a little bit. I hope the Sutliff tangy reds stick around.
Glad I got a couple of tins of Stockton last drop. I like a few MacB blends, but I haven’t found any to be anything I’d extensively bemoan losing.

 

[karam]

I like a few MacB blends, but I haven’t found any to be anything I’d extensively bemoan losing.

Same here, but it’s the inevitable direction of travel that bothers me.

Let’s see what I miss, HH Acadian Perique and Mature Virginia. Let’s see what I would miss if it went away: HH Old Dark Fired, Dark Twist Roll Cake, Vanilla flake.

 

[Old_Newby]

I just ordered me a tin each of 3.5 HH in ….

Bold Kentucky
Latakia Flake
Burley Flake
Pure Virginia

I already had a tin of each so at least I will be good for a couple years. I like so much stuff that I it takes me a while to use a blend up since I rotate a lot. I also think the HU line will produce some favorites. I have yet to try any.

 

[BingBong]

I just ordered me a tin each of 3.5 HH in ….

Bold Kentucky
Latakia Flake
Burley Flake
Pure Virginia

I already had a tin of each so at least I will be good for a couple years. I like so much stuff that I it takes me a while to use a blend up since I rotate a lot. I also think the HU line will produce some favorites. I have yet to try any.

In the UK, the HH line dried up around March or April this year. Then everything else, although a couple of flavoured MB lines have come back. So, enjoy them while you can.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

In the UK, the HH line dried up around March or April this year. Then everything else, although a couple of flavoured MB lines have come back. So, enjoy them while you can.

Holy Crap!! the HH line was the only MB blends worth buying.

 

[Oddball]

Just popping in, if this has been mentioned, forgive.

I think a bigger fear for the pipe community is how this will effect the leaf that is grown.


If STG continues to support farmers from around the globe and carries on Mac Baren blends, i.e. the amount of leaf bought from the farmers/brokers/traders etc, stays relatively stable, then that feels like a good outcome all things considered.


If they pull back production and thus purchasing, then there will be some farmers that quit growing it, farmers that may also sell to other producers, making it harder to source or harder to source quality, etc etc, and domino out.

 

[elvishrunes]

Just popping in, if this has been mentioned, forgive.

I think a bigger fear for the pipe community is how this will effect the leaf that is grown.


If STG continues to support farmers from around the globe and carries on Mac Baren blends, i.e. the amount of leaf bought from the farmers/brokers/traders etc, stays relatively stable, then that feels like a good outcome all things considered.


If they pull back production and thus purchasing, then there will be some farmers that quit growing it, farmers that may also sell to other producers, making it harder to source or harder to source quality, etc etc, and domino out.

That is generally what streamlining does, like Walmart and Amazon, they set prices and bully farmers on price, forcing consolidation or quitting.

I’m less concerned about Mac B, but the Peterson/Dunhill line, and Sutliff….

 

[newbroom]

 

[Old_Newby]

I hope the HU to the US means they will need more tobacco and can absorb the orders dropped by Mac Baren.

Interesting I watched a YT video about when Ireland grew some tobacco but it was taxed to death and it ended.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

 

[Old_Newby]

That is generally what streamlining does, like Walmart and Amazon, they set prices and bully farmers on price, forcing consolidation or quitting.

I’m less concerned about Mac B, but the Peterson/Dunhill line, and Sutliff….

Huh? What does Peterson blends have to do with this? Are you saying they too are at risk?

 

[sablebrush52]

Huh? What does Peterson blends have to do with this? Are you saying they too are at risk?

Peterson blends are made by STG, so the damage has already happened long ago.

 

[Pipke]

Huh? What does Peterson blends have to do with this? Are you saying they too are at risk?

It doesn't. Peterson was acquired by STG back in 2018. STG has been selling the current versions of Peterson blends like Night Cap and Early Morning Pipe for six years now. What's being talked about in this thread has nothing to do with that.

To summarize what we think we know:
1. STG acquired Mac Baren Tobacco.
2. STG is restructuring its acquisition as it is incorporated into STG.
3. STG announced that production plants in Denmark will be consolidated.
4. STG announced that Mac Baren operations in the USA will be closed.
5. Sutliff is part of Mac Baren Tobacco.
6. Sutliff is based in the USA.
7. Therefore we conclude that Sutliff is being closed.
8. As of today, Sutliff is still open.

My opinion - the sky is not falling, yet.

 

[sablebrush52]

It doesn't. Peterson was acquired by STG back in 2018. STG has been selling the current versions of Peterson blends like Night Cap and Early Morning Pipe for six years now. What's being talked about in this thread has nothing to do with that.

To summarize what we think we know:
1. STG acquired Mac Baren Tobacco.
2. STG is restructuring its acquisition as it is incorporated into STG.
3. STG announced that production plants in Denmark will be consolidated.
4. STG announced that Mac Baren operations in the USA will be closed.
5. Sutliff is part of Mac Baren Tobacco.
6. Sutliff is based in the USA.
7. Therefore we conclude that Sutliff is being closed.
8. As of today, Sutliff is still open.

My opinion - the sky is not falling, yet.

My opinion is don't wait until the sky does fall, which it most assuredly will. Both entities will be around for a few months at least, maybe longer, before they begin the transition. So buy what you can, while you can.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It doesn't. Peterson was acquired by STG back in 2018. STG has been selling the current versions of Peterson blends like Night Cap and Early Morning Pipe for six years now. What's being talked about in this thread has nothing to do with that.

To summarize what we think we know:
1. STG acquired Mac Baren Tobacco.
2. STG is restructuring its acquisition as it is incorporated into STG.
3. STG announced that production plants in Denmark will be consolidated.
4. STG announced that Mac Baren operations in the USA will be closed.
5. Sutliff is part of Mac Baren Tobacco.
6. Sutliff is based in the USA.
7. Therefore we conclude that Sutliff is being closed.
8. As of today, Sutliff is still open.

My opinion - the sky is not falling, yet.

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.

 

[sablebrush52]

My opinion is don't wait until the sky does fall, which it most assuredly will. Both entities will be around for a few months at least, maybe longer, before they begin the transition. So buy what you can, while you can.

Just took my own advice. Yes, I have plenty of tobacco that I enjoy. No, I didn't need to do this, but one of my favorite blends, St Bruno, doesn't age for shit, as I found out when I opened my tins and pouches from 2016 through 2018. This is true for the Mac Baren version. The Ogden's version, even when it's decades older, will still have more flavor in it that this stuff, provided that it has been cellared properly.

Don't get me wrong, the Virginias are OK, but all of the toppings have died out, so it doesn't taste like St Bruno in the least. The plastic pouches of the flake, that I bought from Estervals are marginally better than the tins I bought domestically, but only marginally. The topping is kaput. But then again, MacBaren didn't lay enough of a topping to the flake tobacco when it was new. So I bought the ready rub version, which is MUCH better than the flake, IMHO.

The other one was Doblone d'Oro. The current version isn't bad, and I don't yet want to dig into my 2014 and 2015 stocks from when it was a true Three Nuns clone, the only one that's come close to the real McCoy, something which changed by 2018 when MacBaren changed the blend. So, I ordered a couple of tins of that. Not cheap, but...

 

[TheIronMonkey]

With Sutliff’s fate at risk, I wonder what will become of Seattle Pipe Club’s blends since they’re presently made by Sutliff.

@John Brandt : I saw your sad face reaction to one of my earlier posts—what’s your take on how this possibly affects Wilke?

 

[litup]

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.

This is spot on. As a group of hyper-interested people in a niche product, we tend to go crazy about any little news and people come in and sagely urge caution and taking a deep breath . . . most of the time that's good advice. But there are enough times when everyone's fears turned out to come true and all that time being cautious and taking a deep breath while you're touching the grass outside turns into regret because you didn't heed the warning signs.

 

[elvishrunes]

Huh? What does Peterson blends have to do with this? Are you saying they too are at risk?

I was under the impression Peterson was manufactured by Mac B, i stand corrected…. I guess I’m already more under the STG mob than I thought, not just Orlik Golden showers.

Now they just need to take over Gawith and empire will be complete,,,

 

[Chasing Embers]

My opinion - the sky is not falling, yet.

The same was said when someone said McClelland was going out of business.