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The Smokers Pipeline
April 30, 2008
PCCA Tobacco Update 2008
Waaaay back in February 2008 when we first announced the new PCCA pipe tobaccos for 2008 I wrote:
These blends we expect in stock before the Chicago Show, to be introduced at the Chicago Show the first weekend in May 2008. More than a few of you have stated that you will not be at the Chicago show and are concerned that the blends will sell out at the show due to the very limited number produced (240 tins each for Aurora and Jubilee). I do not believe there will be a supply problem with these blends, unless we have a surge of preorders like we had in December 2007, which I suppose is possible. To assure you can reserve and receive these new blends you can pre-order the new blends now. I expect Aurora and Jubilee to be in by the end of March to beginning of April and "Arcade" to be in by late-April - as always we are dependant on McClelland and their production schedule so the only thing I can promise is that the new blends will be in for Chicago (May 2-4th).
True to form, they were all released and shipped to us on April 29, 2008 just in time for Chicago, well….not if I was actually still going to Chicago, but Mike McNeil got them shipped to me before he left for Chicago. Based on a conversation on Monday with Mike, the Tudor Castle Arcade was the hold up and without going into a lot of details, our Signature blends (Tudor Castle series, Orient 996) are aged in different stages of blending and in cakes for longer than a usual pipe tobacco. Mike’s comment on Arcade is really “outstanding” and although he’s talking about his work, he does not usually offer high praise before a blend is released (he was excited about McClelland’s new Orientals at last years RTDA in August). Shipping by UPS is usually 4 business days from Kansas City to Virginia, which means stock should arrive here on Friday May 2nd or Monday May 5th – all pre-orders will be shipped first and will go out within 48 hours.
Although we will not be attending the CPCC show in May the new batch of Jubilee and Aurora is more than 50% sold out based on pre-orders only and definitely would have sold out completely between pre-orders and the Chicago show. Only 240 tins of Jubilee and 240 tins of Aurora have been made. Tudor Castle Arcade was made in a larger run, around 650 tins, with 150+ pre-ordered . “Arcade” is based on the same blend as the Original Tudor Castle being Red, Golden Yellow and stoved Virginias, N˚1 grade Village specific Yenidje and pure barrel aged St James Perique, plus a touch of rare Syrian Latakia. I know of no other company or brand that are using true Perique, rare Syrian Latakia and Number 1 grade village specific Oriental leaf at any price, perhaps that explains the demand.
Arcade, Jubilee, Beacon, Tudor Castle and Orient 996 will be available as in-stock by next week. PCCA pipe tobaccos are shown here and can be pre-ordered from this page: http://www.pipeguy.net/Tobacco.htm
When you signed up for this newsletter you figured I’d be entertaining you with stories and hobby history reflections, well just so you aren’t disappointed with my slow pace in producing articles, I’ll tell you about my basement, aka the great void beyond. My basement is 1160 sf and the great depository of all things we (sic) don’t want to look at everyday. There is about 50% of the perimeter of my basement that has deep shelving which is used to officially hold PCCA inventory, in real life the shelves hold all the crap that is too good to toss but we’re tired of looking at it (think 100x 78’s LP’s from the 60’s and 70’s). I do have one section of the shelves that are PCCA stock, mostly pipe tobacco. My basement is somewhat infamous for “finding treasures” meaning inventory from 10-15-20 years ago that I misplaced. Translation = wife dumps it in the back because she’s tired of looking at our house as a warehouse. I’m still looking for 24 Dunhill lighters I purchased from Dunhill and never saw again after I checked them in against the invoice…. Anyway, today I truly did find a treasure in the great void beyond, 22x 8 oz new clear packs of Series 812 which is 1998 I believe of Esoterica Penzance.
The official blurb for Penzance is “A wonderful complex secret recipe of the finest Virginias, choice Turkish and Orientals and Cyprian Latakia, all hand blended, hard pressed, and broad cut into thick flakes. Long matured and easily crumbled to facilitate pipe filling. One of the finest traditional English Flakes available anywhere. (Known in the United Kingdom as 'Krumble Kake').” If you know what Penzance is then you don’t need to be sold on his blend for a commercial pressed flake. Current suggested retail before OTP taxes is $28 for the 8 oz package, you can find it on the web in the $22-$23 area if you can find the 8 oz in stock, but try finding 10 year aged bulk Penzance at ANY price!
Next issue I’ll try to be more entertaining with stories and hobby history reflections or at least an original article of some sorts.
-Bob
www.pipeguy.net & www.pipeguy.com
April 30, 2008
