Sutliff Pipe Tobacco – The Story

Sutliff is Pipe Tobacco, one of the oldest pipe tobacco manufacturers in the world. They began as the Sutliff Tobacco Company in 1849 in San Francisco, California, USA.

The founder is H.W. Sutliff as a tobacco retailer, as like many tobacco retailer of that day; he created his own pipe tobacco for his clients. The company growing and had a reputation for providing good-quality pipe tobaccos and other tobacciana.

products of Mixture No. 79.  A non-aromatic cube-cut burley-base blend that introduced in 1933. Their business grew steadily to the point that, in 1953, they felt the need to be closer to the major tobacco markets and relocated their plant and offices to Richmond, Virginia.

This decision taken also for efficiency of raw material of tobacco supply.  Most of the raw materials of tobacco they bought from the tobacco fields and warehouse located around Richmond, Virginia.

Due to the economic, market and others situation the company has been bought and sold several times in the last half-century, changing names along the way.

The name of the company back to the original Sutliff Tobacco Company after the new owner Mc Baren bought out the company in 2013, and the company continues to operate as their own entity.

Sutliff Pipe Tobacco of products although known mainly for the classic Mixture No. 79, they have been supplying bulk tobaccos to shops for more than 50 years, and have the largest selection in the industry.

Sutliff’s Mixture No. 79 is a classic American Burley blend with a unique combination of flavors that has been a favorite of many for decades. This rich burley tobaccos, blended to the original, time-honored formula of the Sutliff’s of California, maintains the classic tradition of perennial favorite and is totally unique in flavor and aroma.

A topping of natural vanilla flavoring gives this pipe tobacco blends a soft, sweet aroma to enhance its already mild, round taste.

These blends highlight Sutliff’s mastery of aromatic tobaccos. There’s a broad palette of flavors and aromas used to create pleasant smoking blends that smell great too.

But don’t think that aromatics are the only thing they make. Sutliff has a large number of Latakia and non-aromatic tobaccos.

Sutliff business running well and the brand become popular in the USA, the sales revenue also increase, it is also means the operation costs of the company become increase significantly.

In 1969, Gordon Sutliff – the fourth generation of the family, sold the company to Consolidated Cigar Corporation.

Under the new management Sutliff’s brand portfolio grew more massive.  In the period of 1970s and 1980s, Sutliff began selling a private label to the customers; this is also following the trend of the pipe smokers in the USA.  The heavily aromatic become popular at that period of time.

To lead the pipe tobacco market national wide, Sutliff expanding the business by purchasing other tobacco companies.  Sutliff became a leading provider for a bulk tobacco blends and became a leading supplier of value-priced blends at Walgreens stores. ‘

In 2000, Consolidated Cigar Corporation merged with Altadis, and Sutliff became a part of Altadis U.S.A.  In 2013, Mac Baren’s bough Altadis’s pipe tobacco division, including Sutliff Tobacco Company.

With that position of the company it seems to be the company back into the Sutliff family ownerships. There is also Hendrik Halberg – the fourth generation of Halbergs as part of the owner of Mac Baren, now directing Sutliff.

Today Sutliff produce many type of pipe tobacco, and since Mac Baren bough the company, they have an access to the best tobacco sources around the world.  Even those, Altadis remain focused on cigar business.

All picture from Sutliff.