McClelland Frog Morton Across the Pond
(2.85)
Remarkably cool-smoking, delightfully fragrant. Frog Morton journeyed far across the pond to find the exotic components for this rich, smooth pipe tobacco blend enhanced with rare Syrian Latakia. He says it was worth the trip.
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 |
| Manufactured By | McClelland |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50g Tin, 100g Tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.85 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 42 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 07, 2005 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Though McClelland is a venerable American pipe tobacco manufacturer, and they do offer excellent, pure, unadulterated smoking products, they have never been one of my personal favorites. For one thing, I?m not a lover of straight Virginia tobaccos, which is the staple of the McClelland line. For another, McClellands are all too reminiscent of one another. Many seem to taste and smell conspicuously similar, i.e., that characteristically barbequed ketchup aroma in the tin and a bowl that requires all too many frustrating relights and frantic puffing to keep it going. They are also notoriously expensive, and their offerings come in 100g tins, not 50, making it a costly mistake if you don?t happen to like your selection. There is something magnificent about pulling the ring off a tin of McClelland, but unfortunately, the few blends I have tried have promised much more than they delivered. Even the Christmas Cheer, which I was fortunate to sample at a local tobacconist, left me flat & disappointed. Judging by the number of unsold tins, others must agree.
Frog Morton Across the Pond is the exception to this rule. While it still has that characteristically McClelland aroma, this is a much more subtle and complex blend of stoved and red Virginias with hints of latakia for added warmth; a perfect campfire or fireplace blend on a cold winter night. It smells invitingly nice in the tin, and the room note is pleasant and woodsy with hints of raisin, fig and sweet spice. The tobaccos are loose and thickly cut into fat ribbons with plenty of sticky wholesomeness. This is a real wide American cut tobacco. Like other McClellands, this mixture will not dazzle you on the first light. You have to be patient and get midway down the bowl to realize the fragrant spices and subtleties. Really, though, it takes about two or three bowls to appreciate this fine blend with its unusual appeal. Since I enjoy full English blends ala 965 or Durbar, this isn?t one of my all time favorites, but it is an excellent change of pace when I want a lighter, less forward tasting smoke. This is at the top of the McClelland?s heap, and perhaps the best of the Frog Morton line, though On the Town makes it a tough call. Thanks to Frog, I've become an enthuasiast of many of McClelland?s fine mixtures. I am curious about British Woods. I plan on trying that soon and then will add my two cents.
Four and a half of five stars
Frog Morton Across the Pond is the exception to this rule. While it still has that characteristically McClelland aroma, this is a much more subtle and complex blend of stoved and red Virginias with hints of latakia for added warmth; a perfect campfire or fireplace blend on a cold winter night. It smells invitingly nice in the tin, and the room note is pleasant and woodsy with hints of raisin, fig and sweet spice. The tobaccos are loose and thickly cut into fat ribbons with plenty of sticky wholesomeness. This is a real wide American cut tobacco. Like other McClellands, this mixture will not dazzle you on the first light. You have to be patient and get midway down the bowl to realize the fragrant spices and subtleties. Really, though, it takes about two or three bowls to appreciate this fine blend with its unusual appeal. Since I enjoy full English blends ala 965 or Durbar, this isn?t one of my all time favorites, but it is an excellent change of pace when I want a lighter, less forward tasting smoke. This is at the top of the McClelland?s heap, and perhaps the best of the Frog Morton line, though On the Town makes it a tough call. Thanks to Frog, I've become an enthuasiast of many of McClelland?s fine mixtures. I am curious about British Woods. I plan on trying that soon and then will add my two cents.
Four and a half of five stars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 18, 2015 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Bingo! I'm always looking for a good English tobacco. Dunhill 965 and Perfection are the gold standards of English tobacco in my opinion. I smoked a pipe of Across the Pond today and guess what? Across the Pond joins 965 and Perfection as perfect 4.0 English tobaccos. Yummy!
Pipe Used:
Paulo Becker
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 26, 2014 | Mild | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
I just want to say that all of the hype regarding the Frog Morton blends is definitely warranted. This is a splendid example of a great English. The Syrian Latakia is smooth. Maybe it's just me, but it seems more "buttery" and less spicy, all while producing a smokey flavor and aroma. It's different, but it's a GOOD different. The other tobaccos behave very nicely with this blend as well, allowing a bit of sweetness to present itself. I consider this a light English, and I could certainly see myself smoking it all day long (I have done this, in fact). If it were available in bulk, I'd be stocking up. I highly recommend this to those getting started with English blends as well as those who are looking for something lighter and a bit different from the gamut of other English blends. It's definitely a keeper for me.
Pipe Used:
Sasieni, LHS, Peterson
PurchasedFrom:
JR Cigars, Statesville, NC
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 10, 2005 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This was the first Frog I tried, and so far remains my favorite of the series. The original was too unbalanced toward latakia; this one is much more interesting and I am still picking out different flavors and characters. I like my latakia as a team player, and they got it right on this one. A good blend for smoking when you have nothing else on your mind and the time to go slowly. It's a shame some smokers are put off by the cute Frog cans and the literary character on them. It's just marketing. Dump it in a nameless pouch, let it dry and breathe a while and try to ignore the name. A fine smoke. This mixture is leading me into other V/L/O blends I doubt I would have tried otherwise.
Update 8/05: I felt compelled to upgrade this to a full 4-star. It improves after being opened and has become my go-to baccy. Love this stuff! It's wrestling with FMOTT for my favorite amphibious smoke and is currently winning. For some reason, this remains readily available despite the Syrian latakia component. Bless McClelland for their stores of it; I will sorely miss this when they are depleted.
Update 8/05: I felt compelled to upgrade this to a full 4-star. It improves after being opened and has become my go-to baccy. Love this stuff! It's wrestling with FMOTT for my favorite amphibious smoke and is currently winning. For some reason, this remains readily available despite the Syrian latakia component. Bless McClelland for their stores of it; I will sorely miss this when they are depleted.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 28, 2015 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
This is a wonderful blend! I do not smoke throughout the day, but if I did, this would probably be my baseline. It has an elegant, even winey sweetness that carries straight through from beginning to end. It burns cool, and still works if it's a little too wet or dry. This is the blend I will usually offer to friends who are not diehard pipe smokers, or who are new to the art. By no means am I a connoisseur of tobaccos, but I like what I am tasting here! The Syrian Latakia makes this blend immensely smooth. The Virginias layer in very nicely, and the Orientals lend precisely enough depth to make Frog Morton Across the Pond familiar and fragrant, even if not complex or groundbreaking.
Pipe Used:
Trevi, Duca Carlo, and Unfinished--all Savinellis
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
This is without a doubt next to regular Frog, Boswell Railroad Station and Northwoods, one of my most favorite blends among all the other Froggy blends. This I expect is the only blend of the four that really and truly uses any Syrian Latakia. I wonder how much longer that will last? It doesn't carry as much of that vinegar flavor that Froggy carries and is a bit more wood smoky tasting. You also get that delicious baked bread flavor now and again that identifies Syrian Latakia is present but the amount must be small. I have to say that this blend hits all my buttons. Room note is very nice and has that great wood smoke aroma. Just an all around great and enjoyable smoke. I have no idea how much Syrian Latakia is left in the storehouse but I hope they have a bunch left to continue this outstanding blend along with regular Froggy.
Pipe Used:
Boswell freehand
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking pipe
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 12, 2017 | Mild | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Really surprised with this one since I didn't care for one of the other Frog Morton versions I had tried. There almost seems an alcoholic quality to the tin aroma even though there is no alcohol from what I can tell. What I realized is the stoved virginias which have a very slight tang and sweetness and perhaps the other leaf elements produce almost red wine like undertones; Very sophisticated and appealing. The latakia is slightly in back of the virginias which leads to a more rounded taste and better balance to my preference. Being Syrian, the latakia has more of a pine needle and spice-like smokiness that I think is superior to Cyrpian and especially so in this blend with the character of the stoved virginias. It's not oriental heavy but it is there rounding out the blend. There is depth and layers of complexity along with refinement in this blend that I haven't noticed in most other english tobaccos these days. Being a Frog Morton blend it is rather cool on the palette and is a good choice for those who find more natural virginia ribbon based blends too sharp. A real surpurlative blend for my taste.
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 2016 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
McClelland - Frog Morton across the pond.
Another one from a trade with Gentleman Zombie where we included a few 'opened, but not so fond of' blends'. The first of these that I reviewed was another by McClelland: Bombay Court. I gave that four stars, it was great, and I feel it's the same scenario with this; absolute quality. Cheers pal!
I can't comment on the age, but that doesn't bother me right now; it's achieved a perfect water content whilst opened and gives a delightful smoke. Now, I'm considering it maybe because it's Syrian Latakia, but the flavour's nowhere near as smoky and formidable as Lat' can often be: it tastes rich, but not astringent. The tobacco's work together nicely as the combination of the earthy Lat', and the slightly spicy Oriental's make for a tasty, yet calming smoke. Without sounding sycophantic towards Franck (Gentleman'), I too struggle to detect much Virginia; I'm putting this down to the inimitable nuances of the other two tobacco's making the Va seem redundant. I'd put the nicotine as a steadfast medium amount, a good blend for anytime of the day! As much as I love this blend, I do have a little problem: slight bite. To be fair, this doesn't happen until I'm over halfway through a bowl, and when it does it doesn't cause me too much of a problem. As it's only a tiny bite, and that's subjective, the rating won't diminish from four stars!
Highly recommended.
Another one from a trade with Gentleman Zombie where we included a few 'opened, but not so fond of' blends'. The first of these that I reviewed was another by McClelland: Bombay Court. I gave that four stars, it was great, and I feel it's the same scenario with this; absolute quality. Cheers pal!
I can't comment on the age, but that doesn't bother me right now; it's achieved a perfect water content whilst opened and gives a delightful smoke. Now, I'm considering it maybe because it's Syrian Latakia, but the flavour's nowhere near as smoky and formidable as Lat' can often be: it tastes rich, but not astringent. The tobacco's work together nicely as the combination of the earthy Lat', and the slightly spicy Oriental's make for a tasty, yet calming smoke. Without sounding sycophantic towards Franck (Gentleman'), I too struggle to detect much Virginia; I'm putting this down to the inimitable nuances of the other two tobacco's making the Va seem redundant. I'd put the nicotine as a steadfast medium amount, a good blend for anytime of the day! As much as I love this blend, I do have a little problem: slight bite. To be fair, this doesn't happen until I'm over halfway through a bowl, and when it does it doesn't cause me too much of a problem. As it's only a tiny bite, and that's subjective, the rating won't diminish from four stars!
Highly recommended.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Harp Royal #03
PurchasedFrom:
Trade with Franck (Gentleman Zombie)
Age When Smoked:
6 months to a year?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 01, 2013 | Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A blend that belongs to those bringing you to a journey.
If you search for the strength and the overwhelming sensations, this tobacco won't satisfy your needs at all. Here you enter in a subtle and calm universe.
I personally never trust a tobacco at the first smoke. Your pipe needs to be introduced slowly to it, and after few smokes it will gradually unveil the full game. By giving a chance to this tin and doing so, I have been so amazed. This is definitely one of those tobaccos I like to call my "meditation smoke".
Smoke it slowly, and gradually discover the subtlety of this blend. You will notice that from the beginning to the very end, it will exactly taste the same, just amazing. And no tongue bite at all.
I am someone who love "the kick" in everything. I love ultra spicy food, as I love the overwhelming sensation of the Latakia and Perique. But for this tobacco, I wish to find some for years again, because it sooth my mind.
Go for it, I bet that Gandalf would dig it.
If you search for the strength and the overwhelming sensations, this tobacco won't satisfy your needs at all. Here you enter in a subtle and calm universe.
I personally never trust a tobacco at the first smoke. Your pipe needs to be introduced slowly to it, and after few smokes it will gradually unveil the full game. By giving a chance to this tin and doing so, I have been so amazed. This is definitely one of those tobaccos I like to call my "meditation smoke".
Smoke it slowly, and gradually discover the subtlety of this blend. You will notice that from the beginning to the very end, it will exactly taste the same, just amazing. And no tongue bite at all.
I am someone who love "the kick" in everything. I love ultra spicy food, as I love the overwhelming sensation of the Latakia and Perique. But for this tobacco, I wish to find some for years again, because it sooth my mind.
Go for it, I bet that Gandalf would dig it.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2013 | Strong | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
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!!
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!!
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