Nording Fox Hound

If they really discontinued this I think they're nuts. This is good stuff. A Lat forward light English with a light touch of vanilla. Well done and very tasty. You can push this a little before it tries to get hot. You don't have to be overly careful. Mild in body. Mild to medium in flavor. A little moist, but burns well straight from the tin. Really enjoyed this.

If this runs out you can try C&D's Snug Harbor. Same thing with a touch more body and flavor.

Fox Hound is a typical McClelland English blend in tin note and texture. That’s not a bad thing, just a comparison. The tobacco needs some dry time. The Oriental component, which is of the usual McClelland high quality, leads the way with the Latakia and Virginias in supporting rolls. This is what many would refer to as a “crossover” English or an aromatic English. I find it really similar to Frog Morton on the Town, and lovers of that blend will likely enjoy this too. Its mild in strength, burns cool and the vanilla like topping leaves a nice room note. I don’t normally respond to other reviewers, but I have to say, this would only be like Nat Sherman’s City Island Dawn if City Island Dawn had Virginias, Orientals and Latakia rather than straight golden Cavendish. And it is nothing like 965, not even remotely. What Fox Hound is, is a nice entry level English blend for those looking to cross over from aromatics or for those that simply love a very mild English “style” blend.

This is a very nice English style blend for those who like their "English" in lighter rather than heavy doses. And McClelland's did a great job by putting a really sweet Oriental in the mix that makes this blend truly shine as many English blends do not exhibit any sweetness while puffing.

Pipestud

Nording - Fox Hound (Hunter Blend).

This tin's stamped 03/2017, so it has just over a year's age on it. Such a shame this can no longer be obtained.

It contains a little more brown leaf than black, a couple of slightly coarse pieces, and has great hydration.

At first I couldn't taste any vanilla, as is often mentioned. But when I changed technique, and started retro-haling more, I soon noticed a silky smooth vanilla quality. The Latakia offers more flavour than the others, but it isn't a sharp Lat-Bomb. The combination of Lat and Orientals creates a mellifluous smoke, flavoursome, yet quite relaxed. The Virginia, although the lightest of the bunch, gives a tart, tangy, background note. The ONLY negative, to me, is the speed it burns at. It can go a bit quick. But the speed's probably a paradox of how nice it is: it's too delicious to just gently sip at, it's the kind of smoke which brings out the glutton in me! It hasn't got a bite in it.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: I like.

Fox Hound? Love it. Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Don't buy this weed, don't try this weed - it is not for you. Your children will rebuke you, your wife will leave you and your dog will pee in your slippers. Things may go poorly for you afterwards. Only calamity and misfortune will find you if you pursue this weed.

Find something else to smoke and leave this one all for me.

McClelland never ceases to amaze me! Every time they manufacture an outstanding blend that does NOT appeal to "Mass Tastes" they discontinue it. Alas, Like "OLD DOG" this is a wonderful mixture that is still avilable but no longer produced.

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Upon opening the tin, one is greeted by a wonderful mix of Vanilla and Orientals with just a wisp of Latakia in the background. It has a wonderful sweet and sour aroma. Strangely,the famed "KETCHUP" smell is not a Virginia ketchup but rather an "Oriental Ketchup". A very alluring yet unusual olfactory experience. This is a true "CROSSOVER" blend. It has a definitive English taste and aroma but is tempered by the addition of an aromatic vanilla casing. It has no bite and is quite smooth. This is very strange stuff. It is nothing like the Frog Morton series at all. If you have smoked OLD DOG which is a tweaked British woods IMHO, then you will understand the concept. This is a tweaked oriental blend. It burns dry and cool. It has a slightly bitter taste that I enjoy immensely. The room note is that of some sort of English /Aromatic hybrid. It is not a sweet Vanilla ! If you are a McClelland fan I do think this one should be tried.AH! Now I can give an example of a similar blend. C&D has a series of aromatics with Latakia- e.g. Craig Starks blend comes to mind. It is something like that ala McClelland ketchup. A unique smoking experience and not one to be missed. A solid 3 of 4 stars!

Erik Nording's Hunter Blend Fox Hound is delightful. I visited a seventy-year old tobacconist recently. Tucked in a corner of this underground dwelling were a can of Fox Hound and a can of Hartwell's Chesdin Mixture. (I will no doubt review the latter at some point in the future). These little tins were full of dust and certainly forgotten. I have been smoking and reviewing a lot of less than satisfying blends of late. It occurred to me that I actually have been comparing levels of un-satisfaction. I was reminded what a superior tobacco is when I recently went back to one of my standards (Squadron Leader) rather than try something new. How delightful it was! Still, the thought of finding a new tobacco--finding it a brilliant new treat--is intriguing and generally enjoyable (though often frustrating and costly when disappointment occurs). Back, though, to entering this aging cave of a tobacconist. I grabbed these two tins of leprechaun gold with the intent of trying some non-McClelland blends (as I have been smoking a lot of them lately). The joke was on me as these are BOTH made by McClelland. Bugger! Still, these were clearly aged and looked very good. I paid the cigar-smoking proprietor and off I went.

As I was finishing my tin of Squadron Leader, it was a couple of days before I decided to try Fox Hound. Oh, it was worth the wait. The crack of the tin caused me to be giddy as a schoolboy! 'Joy, gentle friends! joy and fresh days of love'. The look of this splendid tobacco burst like Chinese fireworks in such a rainbow of vibrant colour. The tin smell was wonderful (even if some will call it the typical McClelland tomato sauce aroma). One has to keep in mind that I smoked this following a superb tobacco. Therefore, (to the present) my comparison is high and not based on something inferior. That said, Fox Hound is undeniably wonderful. It is extremely light, and certainly mild, but it has so much nuance and flavour that I have already bought three more tins (although I know that they will not have the same age as this first tin). I truly am impressed with Fox Hound and it can easily become an all-day smoke.

This weed is curiously very close (perhaps too close) to another McClelland-made product that I smoke regularly and I wonder about that. Regardless of what one may be told, Fox Hound is still available, but I question whether it is still being made. I tend to think that it is now being made under a different name (as 'Fox Hound' was produced exclusively for James B. Russell, Inc. who is no longer in business). Either way, this is a fine tobacco. The bottom of the bowl did show some moisture, but that is the only less than stellar thing that I can say about this pleasant and interesting weed. If you are looking for a mild and flavourful Latakia blend, try this one today (and you will certainly be smoking it tomorrow and for days--if not years--to come). Hunt this fox hound with stealth and savour its enjoyment, though. Like the use of hunting dogs in England (bloody shame at that loss of good sport), this stuff could become antiquity.

Classic McClelland Heintz-like smell, along with something vaguely vanilla-ish, just enough to soften its English nature. Lots of browns and darker tones, ribbon cut. This tin dates 3 10, upon opening perfect in humidity, so much so that I only required two lights throughout the bowl, with no drying time.

It's a very "airy" smoke....it produces lots of smoke, but it's not that thick buttery texture that you'd experience with -let's say a Nightcap or a Penzance. The better half actually took a puff-which seldom happens-and agreed with that summation. Very yummy though, no vanilla, just a light Latakia blend. Lighter than Early Morning Pipe, or perhaps just more refined. Excellent early a.m. smoke, burns clean to dottle and tasty all the way there.

I'd give it a four except it seems its no longer available 🙁 I'll be on the lookout for more-you'd do worse than grabbing a can if the situation should present itself to you!

UPDATE: A fantastic tobacco blend, and as I see P&C stocks it i have ingrained the name into the wife's memory-as Father's Been Good Day is closing in fast. The perfect early morning smoke!!!!

The tin reads "3 2008," and I can't tell if this is a dog or a frog. I'm guessing McC couldn't shelf a name as marketably pipe-worthy as "Fox Hound," so they cased some leaf in the great vanilla equalizer and re-released.

Very similar to Nat Sherman's City Island Dawn (and to the new My Mixture 965 for that matter), and a smokeable addition to that genre, but equally derivative and redundant. I'm no expert, but it's obvious even to me that this is not the Hound the rest of you have written about. How the folks who created my beloved Frog can feel good about this is beyond me.

I guess what bugs me is that, for those of us trying very hard to learn the ABCs, and maybe one day display some aficion, with regard to the blender's Art, cased leaf that bills itself as a "Virginia/Latakia/Oriental," using the name of a blend I will never actually smoke...it's just damn frustrating...my apologies to all. jm

UPDATE: 9-19-07

I ordered 6 tins of this and got them no problem. If you like this blend get it while you can - if it has really gone out of production. One of the best all day smokes I've tried.



ORIGINAL: 7-28-07

This Nording Blend by McClelland is excellent. I would classify it as a Balkan Blend given the latakia and orientals. Don't be fooled by the above listing of VA's as the first, and perhaps the primary ingredient - they are not. I cannot visually or otherwise detect any VA's in the mix. Fans of Forgmorton will love this blend. I ordered a tin of Fox Hound and Frogmorton on the Town together, having already become a fan of Frogmorton (regular).

1) Cool and dry burning, easliy lit and re-tamped for a smooth, volumnous smoke

2) Latakia fix is there, which I love, but the orientals lighten and spice the mix just right. Nicotine is medium to mild.

3) Wonderful aroma, aromatic and English fans alike will praise this creation - along with the non-smoking passers-by.

4) True flavor and body to the bottom of the bowl, with NO BITE!! There are too many good tobacs out there to smoke a "bitey blend."

5) This one likes a deep/large bowl size. The coarse cut just doesn't pack well in a smaller bowl.

PS: To Erik and McClelland!

If you've stopped making this blend, please resume with all haste!!

PS: To all fans of the pipe!

Try this blend - its a winner!

Thanks,

Ethan