McClelland Frog Morton Across the Pond

I've just come back to pipe smoking after being away for 25 years or so. This is the second tobacco I tried and the first that my wife stated "smells nice." While I enjoy sweet flavors and aroma, she isn't much into the sweet stuff (not sure why she married me, since I'm so sweet... but I digress.)

My first bowl I thought - it's ok. I then smoked some other blends and after about a week came back to this. My second bowl seemed better than the first. And then came bowl #3!

Bowl #3 was enjoy after coming back from watching the Manatee's play - they are a Single A farm team for the Minnesota Brewers, here in Florida. So a nice evening at the ball field, came home and watched the Ray beat the Yankee while enjoying FM Across the Pond with a glass of Scotch and Water (50/50). It was a wonderful smoke, the flavors of the tobacco coupled with the scotch, together with the win of the Rays...only one things could make this evening magical.

Oh well... 3 out of 4's not bad!!

It took me a number of bowls to come to become enamored of this stuff, however at this point after having partaken in some eight bowls of FMAP I've become a happy aficionado of this mixture. It's something of a thick shag cut of various dark shades of tobacco. The moisture content is neither brittle-dry or goopy wet. Like Goldilock's favorite porridge it's just right, which clearly lends to the excellent burning characteristics and lack of unwanted juices creeping down the stem. The tin aroma is a slightly sweet dried fruit and fragrant mildly smokey herbal smell. As for the "ketchup" it's very mild and it's not ketchup it's the McClelland fermentation process your olfactory sense is noticing. As for the taste, outstanding, it's no Bar-B-Q pit, and that's a plus. The gentle Syrian Latakia provides an herbal and softly smokey quality to the balance of slightly sweet Virginia and tangy Oriental flavors. At first I liked it but searched for what I liked as I found the Latakia flavor unusual even for a Syrian Latakia. However the more I smoked the more I liked it and I then realized that a big part of the pleasure was that it was providing a number of enjoyable flavors in a wonderful balance. Balanced is the word to describe FMAP. This blend is sophisticated and elegant but still richly flavorful. You won't find nicotine nirvana here, the drug is quite restrained, another big plus in my eyes. I have been able to enjoy consecutive large bowls without my head spinning. FMAP is very, very gentle on the tongue. Not recommended for those seeking heavy nicotine or that sooty bottom of the grill flavor. Highly recommended for those seeking a gentle, flavorful, elegant, balanced bowl of tobacco.

A bit lighter than Frog Morton. Smells similar but a bit more woodsy/smokier. Tastes like Frog Morton, but different, not as sweet and more woodsy and smokier (just like the smell). It has a different nuttier/earthy edge than Frog Morton and seems to be more complex with more depth than Frog Morton as well. Perhaps it is the orientals and the Syrian? I like it a lot. Another great edition to the Frog Morton series.

I will never figure out the "stars" on this thing. They never come out like I want them to. I would give FMAtP a good 4 star rating, out of 5. It is the first Frog Morton I have tried and I have done so on purpose, having read that it is somewhat mild. That said, I am an old hand and Dunhill "Nightcap" and other, similar, blends. I found the very mildness of "Across the Pond" to be its most refreshing attribute. It is what is it is. Relaxing and enjoyable. It is not overly complex and you do not have to think about it. It lights easy, produces good smoke, stays lit and is tasty. What more can be said? I would have given it five starts had it not been for the standard McClelland "ketchup" thing. It kind of stays with you and leaves a lingering odor and taste. Not "bad" exactly but it is there. I suppose it takes some getting used to. I think that I shall be keeping "Across the Pond" in my regular rotation from now on.

McClelland's “Frog Morton - Across the Pond” is a sweet, spicy blend of pipe tobacco. The sweetness come from the Virginia tobacco. The spiciness comes from the Syrian and Oriental tobaccos. There were no aromatic additives. The flavor was delicious.

However, I gave it three stars instead of four because it was too lightweight. The sweet and spicy flavor was medium in strength, but there wasn't much body to the flavor beyond that. Also, the nicotine was weak. Also, I often had to relight the tobacco. I smoked a third of a 50 gram tin.

Then I blended the remainder with an equal amount of a medium English blend. The result was much more satisfying. The sweetness and spiciness still was present, but the English blend gave it more strength of flavor and more vitamin N -- and it stayed lit.

My recommendation: Try it if you want to taste a sweet and spicy blend. You might find it a bit light, though, and you might prefer to blend it with an English blend.

-- J.G., 24 October 2011

This is a decent blend. Not much else to say, everyone has said it, but I will echo someone else and say that I could use a bit more strength in flavor.

Warning: review based on a two-bowl sample, by a man who has tried about 150 pipe tobaccos, but has never before this tried a single one of the "Frog" blends, and who thinks it's pretty nice, but probably wouldn't buy any of them based on this unless he could get a sweet deal on an aged tin...

Quality leaf, well-blended. Rich with stoved Virginia, Orientals, and Syrian Latakia. (And so this is Syrian Latakia? How much?) Yes, a well-made mild English blend. What I usually say (and practice) with Latakia is that I like just a touch, or a mainline. Not the middle. But then, the application here seems to me from the small amount I smoked to be pretty light, so what gives? I can't bring myself to give it two stars. I think there is also this thing with me where I don't usually like highly stoved Virginia, with some exceptions from time to time. It's good, but I actually prefer those McClellands that scream "vinegar!" when you pop the lid and are sharp on your tongue. I can see how these blends could have become so famous, but for someone else, I'm afraid. Maybe I will give another one a chance someday.

First, I've got to give props to McClelland for making such a consistent line of products as the Frog Morton series. They all basically follow the same theme: medium-flavored blends that showcase the most popular condimental tobaccos in a way that serves both as a perfect introduction to them for newbies while retaining their attraction for us more experienced smokers. The original FM is based on Cyprian latakia; On the Town focuses on various Orientals; On the Bayou uses perique, and Across the Pond uses Syrian latakia. Each of these mixtures burns slowly, has very little nicotine and is formulated in such a way as to have as close to "zero" tongue bite as is probably possible in a pipe tobacco. But their mildness belies the amount of flavor you can derive from them, if you coax the tobacco in just the right way (yet another reason they're nice for new smokers -- they're a great way to work on technique). There's no complexity here -- just the wonderful, straightforward flavor of whatever varietal of leaf each Frog is meant to shine the spotlight on.

FM Across the Pond uses the same base tobaccos as the other "Frogs," a mixture of what appear to be heavily stoved Virginias and perhaps even some Virginia cavendish. They then add a respectable helping of the now impossible-to-find Syrian latakia from their stores, producing what is perhaps THE perfect introduction to that leaf. If you want to understand the differences between the two types of latakia, then smoke a bowl of the original FM and follow it immediately with some of this. Unlike the intense, smoky and comparatively sharp taste of Cyprian, the Syrian is very deep, wine-like, and quite spicy. It definitely stamps its flavor on the mixture, but in a more subtle fashion. Overall, this is a very sweet and easy to enjoy blend.

I went through a period of disliking the Frogs because of their mildness, but I've come to really appreciate them for what they are: modern classics, and ones that will be revered like the legendary mixtures of old once they - inevitably -- disappear from the market. The one drawback is that these contain some kind of preservative (perhaps PG) that basically keeps them hydrated for months even after the tin is opened. Some might consider this to be a "deal killer," but I don't (at least not in this instance). Like the other Frogs, this is at least a 3-star mixture, lacking only more strength and a little more depth to make it a solid 4. YMMV, of course.

This time I have to agree with Pipestud: this is my favorite of the Frog line!

The tobacco is certainly flavored, as the plum-like tin aroma and the stickiness of the leaf suggest. The cut is very big and rough, with huge chunks of sugary sticky shiny black cavendish, which made me fear for the worst!

Wrong, since McClelland definitely can make aromatics which not only smell good, but taste great (Mellow Mack comes to mind).

The result? A weird crossover blend, which has both an incredible sweetness and some interesting smoky spiciness from the Syrian Latakia. Yes, it's just like they mixed the flavors of Rose Of Latakia and those of Mellow Mack, not the usual "timid EM with too little latakia and some cavendish for a hint of sweetness": this is real the middle of the road between the two styles, with no compromises to either of them. Bot traits show clearly, and it's a miracle that the union actually works!

The original Frog Morton was quite good though unexciting on the long run, and showed a definite sweetness. I was less impressed by the "On the Town" and "On the Bayou" variations, which I find less pleasing and dull. In "Across the Pond" the good news is that both the Latakia flavor is accentuated in comparison to the original Frog, but ALSO the sweetness! Slow smoking brings out the best of this: a darkly sweet, caramelized note, with the Syrian Latakia emerging once in a while delightfully.

Sure, it is too light and delicate a blend for my taste, but once in a while it can be a delightful change of pace!