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Say goodbye to PA

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
Very sad news for some of us. Another of the great classics (once America’s biggest) — and one of my preferred daily blends — is ending:

Prince Albert Pipe Tobacco - DISCONTINUED BY MIDDLETON (12/1/2020)
Middleton's most iconic blend has been discontinued. However, Milan Tobacconists' Master Blender David Meyer is working to recreate the blend and anticipates testing and completion in the first quarter of 2021. The availability of "Our" Prince Albert Pipe Tobacco will be broadcast via our social media channels and email announcement.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
Very sad news for some of us. Another of the great classics (once America’s biggest) — and one of my preferred daily blends — is ending:

Prince Albert Pipe Tobacco - DISCONTINUED BY MIDDLETON (12/1/2020)
Middleton's most iconic blend has been discontinued. However, Milan Tobacconists' Master Blender David Meyer is working to recreate the blend and anticipates testing and completion in the first quarter of 2021. The availability of "Our" Prince Albert Pipe Tobacco will be broadcast via our social media channels and email announcement.
Doesn’t Sutliff already have a match? I saw one on P & C some time ago.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
Doesn’t Sutliff already have a match? I saw one on P & C some time ago.
Thanks ... but I generally don’t chase matches. Most are only close and sold bulk.

For old time pipers, this is the equivalent of Coke or Pepsi being discontinued.

I’ll only add this. Altria’s business model with Middleton defies sense. If you look at the Middleton website now, they are interested in anything BUT tobacco.

What’s the point of buying a tobacco company only to discontinue nearly their entire line card? Because that’s what these jokers have done.

Carter Hall is the only one left. If you like it, I would start stockpiling it.
 
I can't believe this is happening!!

I was looking forward to making this a part of my regular rotation along with Carter Hall.

Guess it will just be Carter Hall only now.

This is a real bummer
 
Apparently there’s a body piercing that only men can get that’s named a “prince albert”. Never had the piercing, nor the pipe tobacco. After reading about both, don’t think I’m missing out on much.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
I can't believe this is happening!!

I was looking forward to making this a part of my regular rotation along with Carter Hall.

Guess it will just be Carter Hall only now.

This is a real bummer

The only hope might be ... might be ... a premature conclusion drawn by a vendor. Let's hope.

This is not the first time that PA was rumored to be discontinued. A rumor was spread about 5-6 years ago that turned out to be wrong.

However, it is the first time I have seen a vendor expressly state it. And in checking around, PA is nowhere to be found in my normal channels. And the Middleton website has degenerated into a bad HR joke. So there is that clue. And all the brands have been discontinued, one by one. Sugar Barrel was no PA. And now PA is down. So I wouldn't discount the possibility of Carter Hall being chopped down next.

I normally keep up a good supply of PA. With the latest replenishment order I placed a week or so ago, I now have 6 tubs left. I will start rationing those. And start the transition to the next nearest tasting, decent-smoking, codger blend, LLRR. That is a bit more $ than PA, and a little harder to find. But it's a near copy of the original Edgeworth, and much better than the syrupy Sutliff match blend.

So for OTC codger connoisseurs, I would stock up on CH if you like it. And others to explore and consider are LLRR and SWR. As I mentioned, LLRR is nearest to PA. And SWR regular is a slightly-sweeter compromise between PA and CH.

STG is still a solid tobacco company, so their stable seems safe.
 
This kind of cloaked maneuvering does not surprise me at all. There are all kinds of detractors/activists out to bury the tobacco industry. Business/industry closings/failures alike have been happening across the board and many have been decimated or severely crippled in the “name of progress.” This movement only has become more in your face and prevalent since about the 1980’s for those that have been paying attention and/or have already had their eyes opened.

The best place to “Sink the Bismarck” is to put one that is “sympathetic to the movement” “in charge of operations” like a CEO, board of directors, venture capitalist firm(s), etc. whom can more easily and efficiently “get the job done.” Sometimes these “hatchet men” are given lucrative contracts and/or golden parachute deals to close down certain businesses/industries that are perceived to be “in the way of progress.” Non-specific warnings were given to me in some of my business management text books/courses in college that made me start thinking about the ramifications.

There have been numerous movies/books chronicling the damaging effects of some of these vultures and/or venture capitalist firms wreaking havoc on those that have “stakes” in these business/industries. They buy up certain businesses ONLY to shut them down. Unfortunately, we all lose in the end.

My understanding of this subject only touches the tip of this iceberg. Most of this type of business model/structure “flies under the radar” of most people. It is more prevalent than most people think.
 
Thanks ... but I generally don’t chase matches. Most are only close and sold bulk.

For old time pipers, this is the equivalent of Coke or Pepsi being discontinued.
What invariably almost always will follow is the never ending sagas/debates about the way certain discontinued things/blends were compared to their contemporary replacements/counterparts when in actuality there is really nothing anyone is going to be able to do about it except continuously voice displeasure.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
What invariably almost always will follow is the never ending sagas/debates about the way certain discontinued things/blends were compared to their contemporary replacements/counterparts when in actuality there is really nothing anyone is going to be able to do about it except continuously voice displeasure.

Correct. And I don’t intend to go through that process. I will just move on and transition to the remaining blends of the genre as my supply of PA runs out.

Lane and STG are still in the pipe tobacco business. Middleton apparently is not. So be it.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
I read on a pipe mag forum that one of them contacted Middleton and they were told that Prince Albert has not been discontinued.

I hope you are right, and this vendor is wrong. As I mentioned above, there have been unfounded rumors of PA’s demise in the past.

Tobacco snobs make fun of it, but this blend has been satisfying pipers since before their grandfathers were born. Legendary for settling in new pipes gracefully.

And LLRR is over $10 more a tub! We codgers are cheapskates.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I read that PA was first blended and marketed in 1856. It would be a shame to see the brand go away. And many people really love this blend. I’ve gone through two tubs of it that I can remember. It was great with morning coffee smoke but now Carter Hall or the Match is my first smoke of the day with my coffee. That first pipe of the day always seems to be the best smoke of the day.
 
I just found one of my old empty tins of Prince Albert I kept and used to store small things. This old tin is the 7 oz. size with a silver tone metal lever on the lid that is used to pop the lid off the can. This tin of Prince Albert was bought from a local drug store. It probably was not the most cheapest place to buy tobacco either. There is still a legible price tag for this tobacco when it was new on the lid of the can that reads $ .85. Yes, you read that right...eighty-five cents for 7 ounces of this tobacco. Kind of troubling in some respects.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
I read that PA was first blended and marketed in 1856. It would be a shame to see the brand go away. And many people really love this blend. I’ve gone through two tubs of it that I can remember. It was great with morning coffee smoke but now Carter Hall or the Match is my first smoke of the day with my coffee. That first pipe of the day always seems to be the best smoke of the day.

That’s interesting. I understood Carter Hall and Half and Half to be 19th Century formulations. But I had always thought PA was a very early 20th Century one. So I learned something new today. Thanks!

I understand SWR to be a ’newfangled’ 1920s blend. I never bothered to learn the particulars of the other majors such as Granger, Velvet, Edgeworth or Union Leader. I faintly recall that the original Edgeworth was also a very early 20th Century blend (1900-1910).

Of course, whether any of these are as well blended today as they were in the golden era of pipe smoking (pre-1950) I cannot say. They certainly were cheaper in relative prices then, though. A two ounce tin of most of them in 1940 was typically around 10 cents.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
Edgeworth was introduced by Larus in 1903, Velvet was introduced around 1920 and SWR sometime in the 20’s. I believe Phillip Morris bought the rights to PA in the early 1900’s. It possibly had a different name prior to that but don’t know. I don’t know about Granger and Union Leader but they are oldies but Carter Hall was the newcomer in August 1956 I believe. I can’t help but think CH was inspired by St. Bruno which was first blended in the 1880’s in Liverpool England - said to have been very popular with sailors, fishermen etc. when I smoke it, I feel like I’m smoking CH on steroids. I love it but $11 per pouch is a bit pricey at the rate I go through pipe tobacco.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
That’s interesting. I understood Carter Hall and Half and Half to be 19th Century formulations. But I had always thought PA was a very early 20th Century one. So I learned something new today. Thanks!

I understand SWR to be a ’newfangled’ 1920s blend. I never bothered to learn the particulars of the other majors such as Granger, Velvet, Edgeworth or Union Leader. I faintly recall that the original Edgeworth was also a very early 20th Century blend (1900-1910).

Of course, whether any of these are as well blended today as they were in the golden era of pipe smoking (pre-1950) I cannot say. They certainly were cheaper in relative prices then, though. A two ounce tin of most of them in 1940 was typically around 10 cents.
Granger and Union Leader appear to be early 1900’s.
 
I hope you are right, and this vendor is wrong. As I mentioned above, there have been unfounded rumors of PA’s demise in the past.

Tobacco snobs make fun of it, but this blend has been satisfying pipers since before their grandfathers were born. Legendary for settling in new pipes gracefully.

And LLRR is over $10 more a tub! We codgers are cheapskates.

Me too

I just bought a pouch about a week and a half ago and have really taken a liking to it.

I remember my great grandfather usually smoked velvet. But for the Holiday season. He would buy a tub of Prince Albert.

He used a cob pipe and rolled his own cigarettes with that tobacco.

I think he said a tub would usually last him a little over a month.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
This kind of cloaked maneuvering does not surprise me at all. There are all kinds of detractors/activists out to bury the tobacco industry. Business/industry closings/failures alike have been happening across the board and many have been decimated or severely crippled in the “name of progress.” This movement only has become more in your face and prevalent since about the 1980’s for those that have been paying attention and/or have already had their eyes opened.

The best place to “Sink the Bismarck” is to put one that is “sympathetic to the movement” “in charge of operations” like a CEO, board of directors, venture capitalist firm(s), etc. whom can more easily and efficiently “get the job done.” Sometimes these “hatchet men” are given lucrative contracts and/or golden parachute deals to close down certain businesses/industries that are perceived to be “in the way of progress.” Non-specific warnings were given to me in some of my business management text books/courses in college that made me start thinking about the ramifications.

There have been numerous movies/books chronicling the damaging effects of some of these vultures and/or venture capitalist firms wreaking havoc on those that have “stakes” in these business/industries. They buy up certain businesses ONLY to shut them down. Unfortunately, we all lose in the end.

My understanding of this subject only touches the tip of this iceberg. Most of this type of business model/structure “flies under the radar” of most people. It is more prevalent than most people think.
This was like reading an exciting textbook! Thanks for the education my friend. You said perfectly what I was thinking.

I am old enough to remember smoking on airliners. In the grocery store. At the ballpark. In a restaurant. IN A PUB!

I am not a smoker anymore. And I'm glad there is no longer smoking in a restaurant. But seriously, this country is not making me feel at home much anymore.
 
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