McClelland Frog Morton Across the Pond

The original Frog Morton was not my favorite light English. That said, Frog Morton Across the Pond (FMATP) is better in every way. FMATP still has the base of sweet Virginia leaf (which I believe to be stoved), but the switch to Syrian Latakia and the addition of some Turkish leaf adds a much needed complexity to the smoke. There is just more flavor to keep your interest. The cut is coarse and it takes a bit more attempts with the lighter to get it going.

*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.

Out of the frog morton series, this blend is second only to frog Morton's cellar in my opinion. It's still not an eye-popping smoking experience. In the realm of English blends I'd have to place this one on the very mild end of the spectrum. I definitely prefer the character of Syrian latakia to Cyprian, but there just isn't enough in here. I get mostly tangy orientals and pick up the dry, smoky latakia every now and then. Still, it's an easy puffing smoke with a good interplay of sweet and sour flavors, and it burns exceedingly well for a latakia blend. I found it more flavorful in a cob, of course. No tongue bite. I will probably keep this one in rotation for the times when I want a lighter oriental blend.

I can see why some people don't love this, because it's not a typical English. It varies from sweet and mild to sweet-and-sour with piney, tangy notes. Definitely not for everybody, but worth a try when you're looking for something different.

It's a shame this won't be available anymore. I have a few tins in the cellar and look forward to seeing what it will be like in a few years.

Smokey is all that comes to mind...smokey taste...smokey around my head...smokey ..hmmmm maybe at like a bbq pit next door smokey..i love all frog blends and this is no exception. I like the latakia and even the virginias dont have me running for some french fries with my ketchup! even tho there a great smokey taste and a good amount of smoke produced, the smoke will not ruin your sweater as you sit outside and enjoy this chapter in Frog Morton!

The fifth, and final, Frog Morton series that I have reviewed. Creamy and spicy, a bit pungent if you you will. A lightly smokey blend that had an improved cut over the usual chunky style of this series (have no fear, there is still an abundance of stems to go around). No flavoring is poppycock. It is in the Black Cavendish and most notably the room note. Quite subtle it is, where one can not quite put a name to it. Nevertheless, it is present throughout the entire series. As such, these blends are definitely in the American English Genre. As I have stated in my previous reviews of the blends in this series, they are all very similar to the blends that were quite popular in the 1950's. This does make them extremely relevant to the history of pipe tobacco. As such, I would merit a recommendation on this alone if not only the unique nature of the blends themselves. Well worth a go.(IMHO- Morton's Cellar is the best of the lot as it represents well early style aromatic tobacco blends before there rise to fame in the 1960's). Cheers

Compared to the original Frog, this was a surprising contrast. A touch bitter, a little pungent, and just barely recognizable as being a Frog blend (mostly in the tin moisture and topping). Not a terrible smoke, I did get through the large tin, but it was never my favorite smoke of the day.

My first mistake with this blend was loading up a bowl out of a freshly-cracked tin. My second mistake was using the wrong pipe for it at the moment. Out for a night at the local cigar lounge with a friend, I had just sampled some of his tobacco, a goopy cinnamon aromatic, in the only pipe I had about me at the moment: a sweet little Loewe bulldog, circa 1920, bought for a steal on eBay and intended from the get-go as an English pipe. Well, that cinnamon aromatic wasn't bad, just wet and nondescript. After about half a bowl of my friend's wares, I Frank-loaded the Loewe with a smallish amount of the Frog. Caramel, moisture and the threat of bite were the orders of the day. FMATP comes pretty wet by itself, and the swampy pipe wasn't helping. A very slow cadence staved off full-blown bite and allowed me a glimpse of a better smoke to come. Hints of soft caramel, interlaced with high, sharp hits of cinnamon from the previous smoke made for an odd, incongruent smoke. Very uneven, and while the flavors didn't exactly clash, the combination was distracting, as was the constant imminent bite. Ah, well. The fiddly, fussy smoke didn't detract from an overall pleasant night.

Back home, I scoured out the Loewe, used two pipe cleaners and left the FMATP on my shelf with the lid ajar. Two-odd months later, not a lot has changed. This stuff doesn't want to dry out for me. Another run in the Loewe- and this stuff still burns hot, wet and nippy. With the amount of latakia in here, I was disappointed and surprised. The caramel sweetness has receded a touch and the sharp mustiness of the orientals has inched up to the fore. Normally, with my preference for English blends over aromatics, this would be a plus, but I found myself missing that soft dessert flavor. It's still a quality tobacco, perfectly smokable (provided you tiptoe around the tongue bite), but it's unpredictable. Not within the single smoking session, but from smoke to smoke; and that is not to my liking. I'm undecided on whether or not I like this one. I like what it can be. I like the components and the tin note and the softness and the tin art. And I like some of the smokes it's given me. Some of the other ones, not so much. Still, would I buy it again? Yes, I would. Who knows, I might find a whole tin of the creamy caramel side of Frog Morton Across the Pond, with none of its hot, biting side. I dislike inconsistency in general though.

This a tobacco I will always keep on hand for those times when I want a smooth smoke blended with good tobaccos. It is not my favorite but again it is good and pleasant investment in puffing while letting my mind relax. Froggy is always welcome in my house. If this was the only blend I could get, that would be OK but since there are so many good tobaccos to choose from he is relegated to being just a good friend to have in the tobacco larder. This is a four star blend but only a 2 1/2 star for me. I find it best smoked in a large bowl so I can enjoy the flavors as they meld during a long slow smoke. The angel wife says the aroma is like a campfire with a few too many green logs in it. Not terrible but not as good as some of the incense-like other blends that she enjoys smelling. You should invest in the price of a tin or two.

McClelland Frog Morton across the Pond, in the tin has a nice smell, not overwhelming, but kind of pleasant, I sense a little bit of vinegar aroma, mixed with like wood, or earth aroma, but not too strong which is kind of pleasant. Good consistency, fluffy and easy to pack. In the bowl I find it enjoyable and tasty, ( like wood, maybe oak flavor ) and a little bit spicy maybe, but not to much. For me it is a nice three stars smoke, since I prefer the other series of Frog Morton.