McClelland Frog Morton on the Bayou

(3.20)
When vacationing on placid waters of the Bayou, Frog Morton prefers this rich Balkan blend, to which he adds just enough precious Louisiana Perique. Smooth and dark and calming, a relaxing Balkan Blend.
Notes: The name Frog Morton comes to us from the works of JRR Tolkien. Frogmorton: A village in the Eastfarthing of the Shire. It stood on the East Road, between the Three-farthing Stone (fourteen miles to the west) and the Brandywine Bridge (twenty-two miles to the east). Immediately to the north of the village, the stream known as the Water broke into two, creating a wide watery region - this feature seems to have given Frog Morton its name, which means "frog marsh".

Details

Brand McClelland
Series Craftsbury Series
Blended By McClelland Tobacco Company
Manufactured By McClelland Tobacco Company
Blend Type Balkan
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.20 / 4
80

70

29

7

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 186 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 27, 2013 Medium Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The smokey, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is less prominent in this Frog blend than some of the others in the series. This blend has the familiar "vinegar" notes you expect from McClelland. The dark fruit sweet, lightly earthy Virginia is muted a little though it does form the base for the product. The raisiny, figgy, spicey perique is obvious is every puff. The woody, dry, lightly spicy Turkish is a minor player. I have found this blend to be a little inconsistent, because some tins are spicier than others. Why this is so is beyond my understanding, because McClelland blends are usually consistent. I really like perique, but when it's overly spicy, the balance of taste is disrupted and intrusive. Has a mild nit-hit. Won't bite. Burns a little slow and may need some dry time. Requires some relights and leaves moisture in the bowl. Not really an all day smoke.

-JimInks
20 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 22, 2009 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
In tobacco smoke, as in life, there are no absolutes. What is good for one may not be good for another.

About 6 months ago, I purchased a "sampler pack" of the four Frog blends. I cracked this one first because, after all, it contains perique and I love the stuff. I have yet to open the original Frog or the Across The Pond but I found On The Town to be incredible. This one I find flabbergasting.

As someone who prefer virginias and vapers to latakia blends as a rule, I opened this tin thinking the perique might just make this a killer smoke. As it happens, it's the perique that kills it for me. I'm not sure why, but the taste was "odd" - as best I can describe it. Perhaps there isn't enough perique, and what is there simply masks what could have been an excellent latakia blend, had there been no perique. I can't explain it. But this blend makes me appreciate On The Town even more and makes me anxious to open the other two Frogs that do not contain perique in the hopes that I can truly specify what causes this one to miss the mark for me. I can't really recommend this one with a clear conscience to perique lovers.
20 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 25, 2008 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
07-25-08 I don't think that this blend ages very well. All experiments in aging, are well...expiramental. Aging is what this update is based on. Nearly 5 years has passsed and I have a new tin of FMOTB and let me say I want to give the aging what it deserves, a suitable grave. The jar was vaccuum sealed, upon opening, but thats it. Flavor: Amonia, figs, hay. I'm a southern american, and cheewing tobacco is a mainstay. Whether plug, snuff, or loose leaf. My aged batch of FMOTB hit the pallet like stale Levi-Garrett chewing tobacco. All of the latakia- pine essence, is gone. No rose, No fruit, No Citrus. Only stale vermont maple syrup. Good luck McClelland, others are great with age but this is like smoking dry Red Man. Wow is this one of the great pinnacles of tobacco blending. McClelland has managed to produce one of the most diverse and complex latakia blends on the market. I love latakia, but as many smokers may have experienced through trying alot of different blends of this nature, many of the other tobaccos get muted by improper proportioning of the latakia. This is not the case with Frog Morton on the Bayou. A great deal of complexity is achieved through the addition of a perfect amount of perique. The sweet and spicy overtones of the perique seem to nip at the heals of the VA's and latakia that also embody this blend. It pulls a minute amount of sweetness out to challenge the powerful latakia, that leaves my tastebuds curious. This tobacco can not be labeled by one descriptive word or phrase alone. It metamorphasises and builds as the bowl progresses, much like a good boxing match. This blend is so entising that it can easily become an all day smoke but, I prefer to keep this blend as a rotational element in my smoking. When I become bored with other blends in my rotation andwant to throw something exquisite in the mix, I almost always reach for Frog Morton on the Bayou or 965. I consider these blends a treat and not a contant, that way I truely can appreciate the quality that oozes from these blends.
20 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 31, 2014 Medium to Strong Very Mild Medium to Full Tolerable
Frog Morton on the Bayou is an interesting blend. My initial thought was: "Froggy plus Perique? What's not to like?"

However, having lived with this blend for three years now, I find there are some challenges to this type of blend - at least to my palette. The following review, therefore, should be approached with the understanding that clearly this blend - and this series - is overwhelmingly popular and that this is just one man's opinion.

The tin note is classic McClelland ketchupy Virginia tang. The Latakia here is on the mild side, as this series is meant to present a hybrid approach to a mild-to-medium English. I can't detect any aroma of Perique amidst the McClelland trademark tin note, but then the same can be said of many fine McClelland VaPers.

As I smoke this blend I struggle to find much difference from the original Frog Morton - perhaps a hint of spice to rise above the distinct Virginias. As a lover of Perique, I find myself frequently observing that I find the mixture of Latakia and Perique very difficult for a blender to pull off. It may be that the two flavors are not quite complementary. Substitute the Latakia for burley, as with, for example, Irish Oak, and I comprehend the Virginia/Cavendish/Perique mix. But the Virginia/Cavendish/Lataka/Perique mix largely eludes me.

Two comparable tobaccos that come to mind are Pipeworks & Wilke No. 13 and Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding. In this style of English/Cavendish/Perique blend - call it a slightly aromatic English with Perique - only Plum Pudding seems to really stand out. Don't get me wrong, all three are fine tobaccos. Yet the non-Perique versions (Frog Morton original and P&W No. 5) seem to rise above the Perique infused versions.

Now don't get me wrong: this is a fine tobacco. It could just be my taste, but it seems that the addition of Perique to a blend with so much already going on detracts rather than adds to the harmony of the constituent tobaccos.

This is certainly a blend to try, and a fine blend in its own right. But I wonder if blenders of crossover English blends reach ever so slightly too far in adding Perique to the mix? In any case, that is my opinion. But legions of FMOB smokers suggest that I'm in the minority.

Regardless, this is a fine blend and one I would recommend any pipe smoker to try. Such blends educate and diversify the pallet, expanding our experience of just what is possible with today's master blenders and abundance of fine tobaccos.
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 30, 2014 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant to Tolerable
An overall great blend, after G.L. Pease's Maltese Falcon (a very different blend) this is my favorite. The tin note is afflicted by the vinegar/ketchup smell typical to McClelland blends but after a bit of airing out the smell fades. The smoke itself is slightly warm with a silky quality to it, it never bites, overheats, or produces water. Towards the bottom of the bowl the smoke heats up a bit but is still pleasant and easy on the tongue. The flavor starts off sweet and rich with a background of black pepper like spice. Throughout the bowl the sweetness, the spice, and a very slightly sour flavor play off of one another. The spice builds and the sweetness subsides as you progress through the bowl but all three main flavors stay present. Their interplay is complex and interesting and is best appreciated during quite meditative moments. I find that this blend pairs well with bourbons, stouts, and coffee. While I haven’t actually tried it I can also see it sitting very well with a robust red wine like cabernet. A great smoke and highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Stanwell Colonial 56
PurchasedFrom: The Tinderbox
Age When Smoked: 6 months
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 28, 2014 Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Maybe it’s the onset of springtime, but over the past month, I have been opening a bunch of aged tins from my tobacco cellar and coming across a few that I had purchased way back when and for whatever reason, never got around to trying. I say this because my review is based on a tin of FMOTB from 2002 and I have not tried it fresh off the shelf and so my thoughts are only on an aged tin. My reference points are Frog on the Town and on the Pond. Of the two ‘on the Town I prefer more. I should mention that I like Perique with Virginias and English blends alike. So On the Bayou should have held some promise. As with the other Frogs, The usual wait and dry time is needed before packing a bowl. I should also mention that at least in the aged version, the scent of the Perique is easily detected in the tin note. On the Bayou seems to be a little less sweet than FMOTT, and the Latakia plays a supporting role in the flavor department. I find on the Bayou to be a bit stronger than the other two as well. For the first several bowls, I really enjoyed on the Bayou, but over time that diminished, and soon went downhill. I noticed that one reviewer pointed out that he felt this blend aged poorly and I am finding myself in agreement. It seems that time has softened the other component tobaccos; this is especially true of the Latakia. I have found that Perique seems to soften over time too, but in the case of this blend, it takes over too much of the blend and things seem way out of balance. The bottom third of the bowl was totally dominated by the Perique. In the end, I grew tired of it. I seldom smoke any in the series anymore, but if I happen to buy a newer tin, I’ll update this, but for now, FMOTB misses the mark, at least in the aged department.
Age When Smoked: 12 years
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 15, 2015 Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Lead by the Orientals. The Latakia is next in influence. The Virginias add a little sweetness, but not much flavor. I find the Perique to be very lightly applied adding just a touch of spice and a mere hint of flavor. Truthfully, I'm a bit let down by this one. My expectations were, perhaps, a bit too high. For me, it's just an average Balkan.

Medium in body. Mild to medium in flavor. Burns very nicely.
Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, Diplomat Apple, Mark Twain
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 19, 2014 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I have smoked 3 of the Frog Morton series: on the Bayou, Cellar, and the original.

For me, on the Bayou is my favorite (one of the few tobaccos I have reordered). It definitely has Perique, and I think that is what sets this apart. (Original comes second, Cellar comes third).

I know I am in the minority on this, but Cellar for me is just too sweet and distracts from the latakia. It also had a weird aftertaste for me. I wish I had smoked the others first before get a tin of Cellar.

But back to Bayou. The reason I like this is because this is a great cold weather smoke. The Perique burns the nostrils not unlike the crisp air of a cold morning or evening. I also think this blend goes back and forth between latakia and Perique. I can't really pick out the Virginias, but I think there is enough going on to keep me interested.

I tend to prefer savory and sour for my smokes (and my tastes in general as well). For me, this blend hits both. If you don't like the feeling a pepper in your nose, and you use smoking satisfy your sweet tooth, this probably isn't the blend for you. But for a smokey, sour (in a good way, not a dirty pipe taste) smoke, this is my go to.

I love the smell of latakia when it is smoked around me. I don't think non-pipesmokers would enjoy this but to me, it smells great.
Pipe Used: Savinelli Strait Dublin, Polinski Bent Bulldog
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: 4-6 months
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 01, 2004 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is the blend that reformed me from being a confirmed "Lataphobe". I tried this on a whim and have not looked back ever since. While this blend has a lot of latakia, it does not dominate the blend but rather it compliments it as it is supposed to do.

I look at tobacco blends like a good pasta sauce. Each ingredient should serve a purpose to create the complete flavor that was intended. Too much of any ingredient and the sauce will be very different from the chef's original idea. For me, Latakia is like the onion of tobacco, excellent when used properly but terrible if there is too much of it.

FMOTB has a complexity that one can enjoy for a long time. Many flavors make their introductions then allow each other to shine throughout the bowl. Great burning blend without much in-smoke maintenance.
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 07, 2003 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Frog Morton on the Bayou was similar to the On the Town version, but McClelland eased off the accelerator when dishing out the the Latakia in this one. What shines is the Perique. That skillfully dished out Louisiana pepper sauce makes FMOTB a winner for my palate.

9 people found this review helpful.
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