The Tobacco Buying Process- How?

[jah76]

I'm generally curious about how blending companies buy and store their stock. Do they purchase a large amount of raw or pre-processed leaf for the their specific blends and keep it on hand for a few years? Do they buy it by the year? I imagine it would be a combination of the two.
The reason I bring it up is because during the least radio show it was mentioned that a large quantity of Syrian Latakia was destroyed in a warehouse fire. It was inferred (or I assumed) that that particular warehouse seemed to hold a LARGE stock of leaf and that the loss was quite serious compared to just losing a seasons worth.
So. Do blending houses buy up a bunch of specific tobaccos, store them, and draw off them? Would this be in the case of specialty tobaccos like Perique and Orientals that are used as an enhancement and in lower proportions? I imagine the crops for the Virginias and Burleys would be larger overall due to the fact that they are used in high percentages in many blends.
Anyway. Just curious. I didn't know if there was some secret hidden Fort Knox type warehouse filled with the nations supply of perique. (Anyone else want to help me break in?)
Thanks in advance.

 

[missileguy]

Blending houses buy up a bunch of specific tobaccos, store them, and draw off them. I was recently looking around at different tobacco shops online and came across one that explained their process for buying tobacco. I am sorry I cannot for the life of me find this site but it was very informative and had a good story. They explained that they go to a wharehouse and pick the tobacco they think looks the best and fits their needs and buy a bunch of it. Then they store it in their own wharehouse or garage attic in the case of this place.
Atleast now i have a mission for the long night of duty I will find this site.

 

[spartan]

G.L. Pease spoke to how companies will take older leaf and blend it with the new crop to get a more consistant blend as the crops change.

 

[sparroa]

Perique itself is blended.
St. James perique is blended with Acadian perique which is Green River burley that has undergone the perique fermentation process. This is also down for the sake of consistency and I presume to keep costs low and the supply high...
I would imagine that every blending house has a few barrels of perique kicking around. It would not surprise me to know that some blenders have learned the lesson of the perique shortages and that they keep a generous supply on hand in case the supply dries up...

 

[cigrmaster]

I am not sure if pipe tobacco mfgs work like cigar mfgs, but if they do, then they have thousands of pounds of tobacco in temperature controlled warehouses. I have been to cigar mfg facilities and they have bails upon bails of tobacco from many different years that they use in increments. They have long term storage warehouses, and then warehouses that store leaf that is due to be used. I would imagine that a big company like C&D has to have thousands of pounds from many different years at the ready so they can keep their blends consistent. Now pipe tobacco is different in many ways than cigar leaf so I am sure some of their methods differ. I bet Greg Pease knows .

 

[jah76]

Interesting. I appreciate everyone's responses.

 

[cigrmaster]

roth, you are correct in that Carlito only bought his Cameroon from M. Meerapfel Sohne and that the Oliva Family is maybe the largest seller of tobacco in the world. The cigar mfgs facilities I mentioned above were the Fuente factories. I spent 3 days with Carlito hanging out with him in 2000 in the DR and he showed me everything. The factories, rolling rooms, storage facilities, box facctory and the farm where all the Opus X tobacco is grown. One of the best things was hanging out on the veranda at the Opus farm sipping strong coffee and smoking Opus X Serie # 2's. I have hung out with John Oliva jr a number of times and the amount of tobacco they produce is mind boggling. Pretty much any wrapper from Ecuador is from their farms. Here is a pic of me and Carlito in the Opus X rolling room smoking fresh Opus. I am the tall guy next to Carlito.

 

[cigrmaster]

Here is a pic on the Opus farm of a couple of the barns and in the background you can see the sea of shade that is covering the tobacco plants. Damn I was heavy back then, 50 pounds heavier than I am now.

 

[jah76]

Thanks for posting those Harris.

 

[gray4lines]

Great pictures! That is very cool