Wessex Tobacco and Tobaccos With Little Bight

[sparroa]

The jig is already up on the Brigade Campaign Dark Flake.
There are a lot of fans out there and it is hard to find that blend in stock for several months at least.
Don't get me wrong - it is not impossible, but you will find it is the rarest of the Wessex blends.
It seems fairly unique and I think it will continue to be in high demand.

 

[cigrmaster]

That is one of the things about telling everyone how great a blend is, soon it becomes a bitch to find. But we all love sharing our favorites so what can you do, not talk about them, not tell your friends? I would rather deal with supply issues than not let people know about a great blend. it is what we are here for, talking about our favorites and sharing our experiences.
I found Campaign Brigade back in June and fell in love with it. A lot of people also found it because they were searching for alternatives to FVF. I actually like the BCDF better than FVF. I still smoke the FVF, but if I had to choose between the 2 it would be BCDF. I think that many flakes are going to be in short supply for the time being, there are many people who are stocking up and there are also many that are learning how great flakes can be. Hopefully the mfgs will see this demand and ramp up production.

 

[sparroa]

Most of them are probably at maximum capacity, anyway, but if Wessex is blended by K&K (and I think they are) then perhaps there is a little more room to grow than if they were a standalone operation...
Not to dispute your theory, roth, because it is accurate time and time again in other industries, but we have been fortunate in the pipe tobacco world to see quite a few successful transitions.
I think we are all glad that Dunhill and Erinmore are being produced by STG rather than if they had to go the way of the Dodo with Murray's. I do not hear too many complaints about the new products. Escudo has changed hands numerous times, but it is still a high quality blend even if one can argue that its not what it once was. I think that companies like STG have been a blessing for the pipe tobacco industry. Even K&K is keeping venerable names like Rattray's alive even if what were once straight Virginias are now spiced up with Kentucky and Perique to compensate for their shortcomings...
Even FVF isn't what it once was either since the Zimbabwean leaf supply disappeared but that doesn't stop many people from searching far and wide for a single tin... (This is a little different as they are still a "boutique" producer as opposed to a conglomerate but you see what I mean!)
On the other hand, if a prominent cigarette company buys a pipe tobacco brand, then it is time to get nervous. Quality will begin a steady process of decline and you can bet that the weaker stablemates will be up on the chopping block if they inevitably fall behind on their sales quotas...

 

[cigrmaster]

roth, good point, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We wouldn't want them to rush things to market for the sake of increasing production, but I wonder if these people are at full capacity? With the decreasing sales over the years, they all could have scaled back and do have the capacity to produce more. I am sure companies like Wessex have noticed the increase in sales so hopefully they can do something about it without hurting the blend.

 

[sparroa]

Some companies like MacBaren have been releasing new blends hand over fist to expand their market share in the face of declining sales.
Others like Samuel Gawith are at the max with just their regular offerings.
So I guess it depends on the individual company situation.
Honestly, I think companies will probably sit on whatever capital they have for the next year or two in the face of uncertain regulations. If you expand too much right now, and sales suffer a big setback due to taxation increases, then that is a good recipe for bankruptcy.
In the meantime we can hope for the best! I would really like to see some more BCDF on the shelves because there clearly isn't enough out there to satisfy demand at the moment.

 

[cigrmaster]

Anthony, good points. If a company rolls the dice and ramps up production and the tax man doesn't hit as soon as we think or not as hard, then that company would reap some serious benefits as people continue to stock up waiting for the dooms day scenario. It would definitely be a risk, but if the company already has deep pockets, it could be a major win.
Of course I am hoping some company thinks like me so I can continue to load up without having to really chase, not too self serving is it? :lol: