Thoughts On STG

[MisterBadger]

I can see it now. Peoples Collective Tobacco No:1 a fine blend of good honest proletarian leaf picked by genuine workers and intellectuals as the vanguard of the pipe smoking revolution! The tin would have picture of Marx on the lid and each tin would cost you $100.00 a tin or 2 forever stamps!

@condorlover1 - don't forget Victory Tobacco, on rationed sale this side of Oceania, on Airstrip One. Exactly the same stuff as in the former USA, but franchised by IngSoc, and with a Union Jack on the tin instead. It'll be a shag, cut too fine for a pipe and too coarse for a hand-rolled cigarette. But I'll be doing my best to join the Inner Party, where - so it is rumoured - you can get Perique to enliven the 10% generic domestic pseudo-Virginia and 90% domestic herbal additives.

 

[BingBong]

Me. But fortunately I'm not facing that decision because I stocked up on things that I like and don't actually have to deal with any of this. Still some things are already dead and just don't know it.

Farewell St Bruno. You were once a truly great and mighty blend, but Mac Baren gelded you and your current version is but a faint trace of even that.

I'm sorry to say that the gelding has been a step too much. In the UK, we get an even thinner end of the wedge; Three Nuns is a different thing nowadays, but here, not even coins in a round tin. We get 40g of ribbon in a pouch. Capstan Blue, ribbon, 25g pouch. Gold Block, ribbon, 40g pouch. Only St Bruno survives as 50g flake or ready rubbed, albeit pouched. I can imagine them all getting the chop; perhaps Imperial Tobaccos will get the licences back, but they'll bury them in the back yard.

We don't know what backroom deals get done. Just as Senior Service (untipped) cigarettes were being promoted in a new soft pack, JTI ended them forever. No logic, for we mortals - I even phoned them and was simply told "gone".

 

[warren]

They are all about sales and less about tobacco.

Well, duh! They are in the business of business, making money and rewarding shareholders.

dunhill

"dunhill" with the small "d" is a purveyor of luxury goods, not a vendor of tobacco.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Dunhill

STG has made the Dunhill blends since the early 2010s.

 

[georged]

But I'll be doing my best to join the Inner Party, where - so it is rumoured - you can get Perique to enliven the 10% generic domestic pseudo-Virginia and 90% domestic herbal additives.

You'll also be able to switch off the giant 2-way broadcast tv / spy cam on the wall of your office occasionally.

 

[lupy1234]

I just learned from the pipesmagazine podcast that Scandinavian Tobacco Group is behind Orlik, Peterson, Dunhill, and many others (coming soon: Mac Baren/Sutliff). On top of this, they own Pipe Tobacco - Tobacco Pipes - Smoking Accessories | CupOJoes.com - https://cupojoes.com/ and Tobacco Pipes, Smoking Tobacco and Pipe Accessories (Huge Selection, Best Prices) - https://www.tobaccopipes.com/ , which is a shocker.

They are all about sales and less about tobacco. They buy the competition and eliminate most of their blends in order to gain shelf space. I know this business model well and know how quality takes a back seat when you are buying other brands just for market share.

Does anyone intentionally buy blends from other, more reputable companies that are more aligned with quality tobacco? Are there any fans of STG? I had some STG blends on my list but will be trying C&D equivalents.

You do know they also own Pipes and Cigars, Cigar International, Cigar Bids and Meier and Dutch (Distro).

 

[lupy1234]

My hope is LDG will take over the manufacturing building in Richmond.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Does anyone intentionally buy blends from other, more reputable companies that are more aligned with quality tobacco?

STG is quite reputable and do produce quality tobacco. All brands priority is money.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

@condorlover1 - don't forget Victory Tobacco, on rationed sale this side of Oceania, on Airstrip One. Exactly the same stuff as in the former USA, but franchised by IngSoc, and with a Union Jack on the tin instead. It'll be a shag, cut too fine for a pipe and too coarse for a hand-rolled cigarette. But I'll be doing my best to join the Inner Party, where - so it is rumoured - you can get Perique to enliven the 10% generic domestic pseudo-Virginia and 90% domestic herbal additives.

And remember: 2 + 2 = 5

 

[Chasing Embers]

It'll be a shag, cut too fine for a pipe and too coarse for a hand-rolled cigarette.

One way or another, it's usable.

 

[Chasing Embers]

And remember: 2 + 2 = 5

If 6 multiplied by 9 is 42, then why not?

 

[mr_future]

OK, it’s fair for a business to be all about sales. I was going with the sentiment of the podcast which called STG “widget sellers.” I have played a part in buying products just to get the customers, scrapping them, and selling the crap out of products regardless of if they are any good. I have also worked for companies that cared about their products and focused on improving them. Both are profitable. I don’t know enough to make any declarations about STG - I heard one podcast and got fired up. It sounds like lack of quality hasn’t been much of an issue, so maybe “widget seller” isn’t exactly a fit.

 

[mr_future]

This is interesting, too. I had no idea these were all connected:

“Laudisi Enterprises is the parent company of Smokingpipes.com, Smokingpipes.eu, Laudisi Distribution Group, Cornell & Diehl Pipe Tobacco, Kapp & Peterson Pipes, Peterson of Dublin, and Low Country Pipe & Cigar”

Coincidence that the same podcaster who tore STG a new one endorsed both C&D and Smokingpipes.com? Laudisi annual revenue is $15M while STG is north of $2B so Laudisi can still be the little guy in this scenario.

 

[PipeIT]

I’m not sure that I would honestly say I’m biased towards the past. The unfortunate sad reality for me, not so sad in the sense, that at least I started out smoking when Murray and Dunhill were at their prime, only sad, that I don’t see many of the STG blends at the same level of quality when Murray and Dunhill reigned in their day.

Orlik Golden Sliced at present is the only thing I have under STG.

I certainly haven’t smoked everything STG handles, but I‘ve smoked quite a few that didn’t quite have the character they once were, when they were under Murray and Dunhill. I found everything I smoked lacking uniqueness, and quite middle of the road homogenized.

Don‘t take me wrong, I wouldn’t call any of it complete trash, and there are certainly people who enjoy a lot of the blends under them.

I guess the problem, is when you’ve been fortunate to experience a lot of uniqueness and high quality, it’s hard to find replacements.

 

[condorlover1]

When I lived in the U.K I used to grow with somewhat limited success my own tobacco. I had the plants stuffed into every spare bit of the flower bed which resulted in certain uneducated people wondering whether I was growing Marijuana!

 

[blackpowderpiper]

When I lived in the U.K I used to grow with somewhat limited success my own tobacco. I had the plants stuffed into every spare bit of the flower bed which resulted in certain uneducated people wondering whether I was growing Marijuana!

Would you mind expounding on your "limited success"? I live on a small farm and have given thought to someday growing small amounts of tobacco for personal use.

 

[condorlover1]

@blackpowderpiper : By limited success I was growing in an area of the U.K called Essex which is I suppose in the South of East of Britain. Whilst the summers were wet and warm the weather was totally unpredictable. I could get the plants grow which I usually did in a triangle formation so that I could tie the tops together for stability. I would cut the flowers off so that the energy went into the leaves and not producing seeds. The problems I ran into was the curing process which was a bit hit or miss in the U.K.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

@blackpowderpiper : By limited success I was growing in an area of the U.K called Essex which is I suppose in the South of East of Britain. Whilst the summers were wet and warm the weather was totally unpredictable. I could get the plants grow which I usually did in a triangle formation so that I could tie the tops together for stability. I would cut the flowers off so that the energy went into the leaves and not producing seeds. The problems I ran into was the curing process which was a bit hit or miss in the U.K.

Thanks.

 

[BingBong]

@blackpowderpiper : By limited success I was growing in an area of the U.K called Essex which is I suppose in the South of East of Britain. Whilst the summers were wet and warm the weather was totally unpredictable. I could get the plants grow which I usually did in a triangle formation so that I could tie the tops together for stability. I would cut the flowers off so that the energy went into the leaves and not producing seeds. The problems I ran into was the curing process which was a bit hit or miss in the U.K.

I must get "Home Tobacco-Craft" scanned and uploaded - in the Reverend's day, members of the co-op could send their crop to Roehampton for fermentation (at a shilling a pound). Air curing was fine for Burley but flue cure recommended for Virginias.

In his mind's eye, every grower could build a fermentation cabinet one day and avoid involvement of Customs & Excise

 

[sablebrush52]

I’m not sure that I would honestly say I’m biased towards the past. The unfortunate sad reality for me, not so sad in the sense, that at least I started out smoking when Murray and Dunhill were at their prime, only sad, that I don’t see many of the STG blends at the same level of quality when Murray and Dunhill reigned in their day.

Orlik Golden Sliced at present is the only thing I have under STG.

I certainly haven’t smoked everything STG handles, but I‘ve smoked quite a few that didn’t quite have the character they once were, when they were under Murray and Dunhill. I found everything I smoked lacking uniqueness, and quite middle of the road homogenized.

Don‘t take me wrong, I wouldn’t call any of it complete trash, and there are certainly people who enjoy a lot of the blends under them.

I guess the problem, is when you’ve been fortunate to experience a lot of uniqueness and high quality, it’s hard to find replacements.

Well put. Even though today's product lacks quality and character like it had 30 years ago, you imprint on what's available to you. So long term smokers are aware of the differences while newer smokers accept and enjoy, at face value, what's available to them.

Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.