Category: Pipe Tobacco News

I’m a little slow on the uptake with this one. It was released at the Chicago show and is already available.
Its Virginia season for this pipe smoker so I’m looking forward to trying this one over the summer. This is his first pure Virginia. No cavendish, burley, Perique, or anything but Virginias.
Quoting Greg Pease [...]

New blend with Perique from Mac Baren…

I was beginning to worry. Every time I’d visit pipesandcigars.com I’d check to see if Russ has turned out anything new. My wait is over. Two new blends – a lighter English reminiscent of Dunhill’s Early Morning Pipe and a burley cake that may bring back memories of the old Edgeworth slices.

Here are some last minute thoughts on SCHIP. Most importantly, considering the timing, is some encouragement to continue supporting your retailers. If you are like me, instinct may have driven you to place an extra order for your pipe tobacco to beat the new tax. In passing along some thoughts by Greg Pease, I point out that this week those who keep our pipes and cellars full need our business as they have to cough up money themselves on the stock they have on the floor. Go ahead and place another order. There’s never a bad reason eh?

Greg Pease will be introducing a new blend to the Fog City Selection. This one is a straight VA sliced cake named Union Square. No condiment leaf, no added sugar or flavoring, just plain ol’ VA goodness. This will be available at the Chicago show.

More good news: Later in the year, he plans to release an entire new line, an “interesting new series” as Greg Pease puts it. Of course, way too early for details. He has three prototypes and working on a fourth.

Roll yer own ciggy and small cigar smokers are hardest hit. The RYO crowd have been getting hit with a $1.10 per pound tobacco tax the same as we pipe smokers. That buck a pound is jumping to almost 25 dollars!

Apparently what you do with the tobacco after you buy it has something to do with how hard you should be taxed? If I put it in a briar pipe I should be taxed 150% more for it, if I roll it in a paper I should be taxed 2000% more?! How about just taxing the hell out of the papers? Consider that for a second and contemplate how arbitrary this is. Pipe tobacco tax is only jumping 158% (this time) to $2.83.

All of these blends were originally created exclusively for the PCCA (Pipe Collectors Club of America.) These blends are now available as a regular product line through all of McClelland’s retailers – those who choose to carry them anyway.

Judging from the tin descriptions, it appears they are all light on the Latakia or they omit it altogether. Those with Latakia feature Syrian Latakia. Another thing that strikes me is nearly all of them mention aging. In my experience, McClelland tobaccos almost universally benefit greatly from even a year or two of aging so believe them. If something looks especially good, I usually order one tin to try and a couple more to cellar.

Following are the tin descriptions: