McClelland Frog Morton on the Bayou

This is the third in the series that I have tried so far. As with the others, this is a fine blend with all the components coming together nicely. It lights well, burns well and all that is left is a fine ash at the end of the bowl. Definitely recommended.

I opened a tin of Frog Morton on the Bayou that had been in my cellar for four years a couple of weeks ago and thought I would give it a review. Opening the tin revealed loose ribbons of tobacco in an even mix of brown and black with some tan colors bordering on yellow that were very pleasing to the eye. The tin aroma had hints of citrus, a little smokiness, some pepper, and a light coffee aroma. The moisture level was perfect for my tastes and did not require any additional drying time. After packing the bowl an unlit sip brought the smokiness to the forefront.

My initial impression was of a very mild sweetness with just a little pepper on the charring light. As I progressed down the bowl the sweetness seemed to come through consistently with the pepper and the cedar- smokiness of Latakia supporting the whole. It had a very short finish down to the gray ash, and the room note was rather pleasant and toasty.

This blend was very soothing and relaxing to me, but it wasn't as strong as I normally like my tobacco. I will not be putting this blend in my regular rotation, but I wouldn't turn it down if it was offered. I recommend trying it; it may be your thing.

This is a winner. The tin description says it all : a smooth, rich and calming Balkan blend. The Perique added a different dimention to the blend. I like it. It has a great tin aroma and leaves a smokey tangy taste on the palette. No bite at all. A nice after dinner smoke.

Right from the first bowl I knew I was smoking a quality blend: velvety smooth and cool and full and a touch sweet -- a nice english blend (even though they call it a balkan); but there was something in that first bowl I found a bit discordant, something just a bit sour and almost unpleasant. And yet, despite my initial reluctance, I found the flavor curious and compelling enough to keep me going from bowl to bowl.

I'm glad I did. This blend has nuance to spare: it must be the hint of perique, which seems to have an ambiguous relationship with the virginias and latakia, a co-dependent love/hate kind of thing, a flavorful tango that titillates my senses and makes this blend ever more interesting the more I smoke it.

Yes, this blend has grown on me in a big way, a most welcome addition to my go-to rotation.

Update 10/30/08:

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After a couple of years back in the pipe smoking "saddle" and time to try other blends, I find I must take away one star. While this is a good blend it just does mot make the four star cut for me. After smoking Samarra this weekend, riding down the road and listening to some good music on a friend's XM radio; I hit on a sweet spot where the perique kicked in at the bottom of the bowl. It was just SO good. That made me want to revisit FMOTB. I did when I got home and FMOTB seemed rather wispey in comparison. Still a very good introduction to Balkans, though.

First, I want to thank the esteemed reviewers on this site! Without your help I would not have found this blend. Much to my wife's dismay I have picked up pipe smoking again. So I have joined the brethren of the banished briar. After finding this site and researching what different reviewers said I ordered a 50 gram tin. On opening, out wafted that fine leather smell which must have been the latakia announcing itself. My nose did not sense any remnants that have spawned "The Great Mc Clelland Ketchup Contoversy". Presently, I am on my second tin (a 100gr) and there is no hint of the dreaded condiment in that one, either. This blend smokes very cool. The taste of rich spice flows throughout each bowl. Must be the perique. There is an aftertaste - not in the bad sense of the word, either - which lingers for several hours. I find this to be quite tasty and pleasurable. I will try other blends but this will be a mainstay for me. To paraphase one of Garret Morris' characters on Saturday Night Live (years ago),Mr.Froggy's trip to the Bayou" had been bery bery good to me!!!".

I will first say that Frog Morton is a mainstay in my rotation, when I get a strong craving for latakia that is what I reach for. That is why I was rather disappointed with Frog Morton on the Bayou, there was simply too little latakia for what I was expecting, and the perique was too sparce to provide the full flavor I was expecting from a Frog Morton heir.

If I was not such a Frog Morton fan I might judge this differently, but I was expecting a full flavored latakia/perique blend, and what I tasted was a light Balkan with little punch. I will finish the tin but I probably won't return.

Let me preface by saying that I'm not a big Latakia fan. I do however enjoy Perique and I think that is what is so endearing to me about this blend. The Latakia is there, but it's one of the players, not the main attraction. Most Latakia blends I've tried seem to overwhealm all the other flavours, not so with this blend. FMOTB is a pleasant light smoke well-suited for summer nights. It's not a heavy tobacco with abundant body, but it won't leave you unsatisfied either. It has a sweet flavour that balances nicely with the Latakia, packs well and burns cooly all the way to the heel with only minor gurgling which can be fixed by airing the tobacco out beforehand. This is the pipe tobacco equivilant of a sandwich versus a full meal, but sometimes you feel like a snack.

this review is just to keep track for myself mainly, less intended as a serious in depth review.

its been a long time since I tried this, I will need to come back at some point to make a better review. I remember liking it but not crazy about it. frog mortons profile in general diiddnt wow me, but Ill need to come back at some point to compare

Very nice!!! has a great peppery note while smoking very much like a Fuente 858 maduro without the cigar! There was some kind of taste that reminded me of a BBQ sauce but it wasnt something I found offensive due to it not being something that overpowered the taste. This was my first time perique and I am tickled to death with the spiciness it adds to the frog blends! The lat was not overwhelming the VA didnt kick with ketchup and the perique made this a favorite of mine forever.