If you ware interested I would buy it online. I like to support local retailers but I was a little dismayed at how much more I spent. It is much cheaper online.

Not an everyday smoke for me, and not my kind of favorite english blend, but a nice change of pace. I don´t recommend it for a long smoke after a great dinner, but it works very well as an afternoon or morning english.

UPDATE: I've finished my tin. See Beeftip's review, some posts above... it's spot on. FMOOT will seriously ghost your latakia pipes. For a few bowls every english blend you smoke in them will taste sweeter then ever. If you intend to introduce this in your permanent rotation, dedicate a pipe(s) to it.

What struck me is the smoothness of this blend, all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It is very flavorful and very satisfying. I could easily say this is one of the best blends containing Latakia that I have ever smoked.

I would not hesitate to acquire more of it.

Not the philly in the stable but more like a good reliable work horse.

All in all it's a good smoke that just falls short of four stars for me. I keep it around for it's ability to be unpretentious.

FMOTT is an extraordinarily well behaved, easy smoke. It is not an aromatic, but the sweet Basma makes it the closest thereto in my permanent rotation. The smell in the jar is delectable -- sweet, smoky, and a hint of spice. In the bowl, it's a honey-kissed, cedar-like campfire with an exotic, Oriental touch, that gives off satisfyingly voluminous smoke. It burns easily, with a minimum of fuss, notwithstanding the PG that keeps the ribbons perpetually springy (at least until they're incinerated).

Not really a proper English or a Balkan, it is nonetheless a genial amphibian visitor who speaks with a distinguished (even if hard-to-place) foreign accent.

Very mild flavor, and you can puff away on this stuff like crazy without any bite, producing volumes of white smoke. It's light on nicotine. The latakia used in this blend is of the brighter variety tastewise, though it's not too 'piney'. The orientals are first rate. The virginia - well you either love McClelland virginias, or you don't. I'm one of those who doesn't - they seem artificially tart to me. Call it ketchup, BBQ sauce, acetic acid, or a natural by product of McClelland's aging process produced by fermentation... either way, the tobacco is tart. On the plus side, again, there is no bite -- perhaps because the alkalinity of the virginias has been reduced?

Good stuff. This would rate higher for me if I could just get over the McClelland 'smell', which for me carries over into the flavor of the smoke. It's not a bad flavor, either -- I just find it very distracting. Two stars for me, three if you like McClelland virginias. I'll go with 3, as most people seem to handle that McClelland 'twang' just fine.

There is absolutely nothing offensive about this stuff other than it being mild. Couldn't find a bite and was consistant throughout. Did not come out soggy from the tin as does most of my McClelland experiences.

Like I put down before, a decent enjoyable diversion.

It's interesting, I'll keep some around.

One small quibble: I agree with BingCrosby, "that it is missing a solid core" -- I too prefer something with a bit more substance to it. It's just a bit too wispy for me, which is why I can't give it four stars.

That being said, it's still delectable and satisfying. For some reason I especially like it outdoors. Many have said it'd make a good all-day blend, and I agree.

I smoked it tonight for the second time and I appreciated it much more. It was great! The tin aroma is pretty heavy (but not overpowering) with Latakia, and the moisture pretty good. I dried it out for 5-10 minutes, and then once I packed and lit, it stayed lit very easily. FMOTT produces a cool, creamy smoke, and there was no tongue bite at all. The flavor was a sweet and smoky, and the room note was awesome.

This blend is great for anyone looking for a complex, yet satisfying smoke with no bite. Very enjoyable!

edit.. this smokes great in a corn cob.. very mild pleasant smoke with a great room note.. I'm going up to 3 stars.. with no mess to worry about in the cob.

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The more I smoke this, the better it suits me. This is not a classical English/Balkan mixture but I think it's destined to become a classic oriental. The McClelland blenders are true artisans and I think this, quite frankly, is one of their most inspired creations. Updating from 3 to a hearty 4 stars. Well done, McClellands!

ORIGINAL REVIEW

Reliance on reviews is always dangerous, particularly if the writers biases are unknown in advance. Readers should note that while I think McClellands virginias are without peer in the tobacco world, I find their orientals rather ordinary. Until now, none of their oriental blends would find their way into my Top 20 of english/balkan style tobaccos.

But this one is very interesting indeed! I'm not at all familiar with Basma tobacco so I can't say if that's the kicker here but there is a particular sweetness and creaminess in this blend that, while unusual for my English tastes, is a nice change of pace. My tastes run towards Dunhill 965, SG Squadron Leader and Rattrays Red Rapparee; this tastes nothing like those. More aromatic oriental than latakia-laden, this would be a nice all day smoke... or at least until after dinner when a headier brew might be desired. McClellands has produced a very distinct and tasty blend with this one, and by far more to my taste than the other Frogmortons, all the while being so far away from my normal taste in balkan blends. Weird. In a good way. I'm going to keep this around the tobacco bar.