McClelland Frog Morton's Cellar

My wife, a Frog on the Town lover, and I received our first tin of Frog Morton's Cellar a week ago. It's gone! I have only been a “somewhat” fan of McClelland English and “Englishish” fan. But McClelland has really rung the bell with their new aromatic English Frog Morton's Cellar. The tin scent reminds a bit of smoky eggnog, in a good way. With that said, I think FMC is a very light aromatic and not a full on aromatic. I think it would be described by some as a “crossover” blend. I was pleased to find that FMC arrived a little dryer than many of the other McClelland English blends and became “pipe ready” fairly quickly. The “stave” (a cube from an oak whisky barrel) imparts a wonderful rum flavor that I don't find to be overpowering. But, if you prefer your whiskey in a glass, there may be too much for your liking. FMC burns cleanly and the flavor deepens as each bowl progresses. Even though there is a fair amount of Latakia in the blend, the room note is pleasant. I did take the time to take the stave out for those that are wondering if the weight of the stave ends up leaving less than 50 grams of tobacco in the tin, and there is no need to be concerned. With the stave removed, I weighed the tobacco on a digital scale and as it weighed out with the full 50 grams. In terms of “Lady N,” there isn't much here which is something I find to be a minor negative. All in all, FMC is a winner. Highly Recommended.

I received this blend as a sample and are very impressed. Fresh, the smokiness of the Latakia was evident - immediately won a point from me as I love Latakia. However, the Latakia is definitely not overpowering - just the right mix! Typical English...but then, after awhile you get those notes of Whisky. On the tongue, that same notes are continuing....soft English blend with just the right amount of Latakia for the general smoker; and then that hint of Whisky. A very light hint of fruity sweetness as an afterthought. A definite winner.

Update Oct 2014: I've opened a new tin (the previous review was on a sample), and I just had to do this update because opening the tin was a burst of flavours which could not be picked up fully in a sample. I remember walking through a huge barn of KWV (Cape wine makers) many years ago, where the sherries & ports were aged - thousands of barrels. That same cellary/sherry nose was what was bursting while opening this tin. Keep on smelling, and you'll pick up the whisky infusion with an accompanying sweetness - like a whisky liqueur.

Well, still a winner for me.

I've probably smoked only 3/4ths of my tin of the FM Cellar, but this one is easy to review because the taste never changes, no matter what size pipe or V or U shaped bowl I use. As consistent a blend as I've ever smoked. I compare this favorably to IRC's Gourmet English, but the Frog is more flavorful and the state's misting of a good Whiskey really made the presentation much sweeter than the original FM. In fact, for some reason i found this one to be much different. I think McClelland's made sure that only their finest quality leaf was put in the tins of what will surely one day become a classic. I can't wait to taste this one again once it's gotten 5 or 10 years of age to it (gee, I hope I last that long).

Pipestud

I have been a smoker of Frog in a Pond for some time now--and have cellared quite a bit. For whatever reason, I have been resistant to the other Frogmorton blends--but with the recent P&C sale decided to give this a shot in the 50g tin.

Opening the tin was wonderful! Sweet, smoky, and a rush of bourbon--all promising something completely different from my other English/Balkan tobaccos. For the first bowl, I decided to use a small DG Duke Bent that had just had its monthly alcohol cleaning--and was yet unsmoked.

There is a cube of whiskey barrel in the tin. Thinking I was being punked, I took it out and weighed the baccy. It was the advertised ~50g. The cube is an extra--just don't try to smoke the thing. Or chew on it, as you will get splinters in your tongue. Don't ask me how I know this fact...

Nice taste on a dry pull to check the pack, and then the char light. This tobacco did not rise up that much, and did a nice full burn on the smoking light. It was wonderful. The taste of the bourbon, virginia, and latakia all came through individually--sweet, smoky, tangy with a hint of sour--and a delicious creamy smoke and satisfying mouth aftertaste.

All of it kept this character until about halfway through, when the blend of the sweet virginia and the lat mixed into a solid but defined tobacco experience. The taste of the oak peeked though very identifiably several times--and added to the flavor and charisma. Moving to the last of the bowl, all of it moved in and out of the various flavors, keeping distinction and not a muddle. Nicotine is there, but not so much as to detract from the holistically smooth experience this blend delivers.

No slurpy mess at the bottom or in the stem. The aroma of the smoke is positively delicious. This tobacco meets a solid goal in bridging English and Aro without whoring to either. I am sold--and sorry I did not order the 100g can. This will be remedied several times over on my next cellar purchase. Ummm, I hope that is not considered hoarding.

I think that this is a wonderful tobacco, and a nice treat throughout the day. Unfortunately, there are no subtle notes of rainbows, unicorn farts, spring rain, evening chrysanthemums, or Balkan Sobranie to be found here--just a pleasant, mildly complex and satisfying bowl!

I am blessed with a good pipe mentor who helped guide me to a can of Frog Morton's Cellar as my first smoking experience. I feel like I have now been jaded by not walking my way through the gamut of aromatics. Since that first puff it has become one of my mainstays and I never allow myself to run out.

It is a rich English blend that has retained a hint of the sweetness of the whisky stave. It's not overpowering and is more subtle and goes along nicely with the rest of the experience. There is also a hint of cedar that is noticeable and give the sensation of being in the woods sitting around a camp fire.

It is as perfect of a blend between English and light aromatic as I have found. The refined palette won't be disappointed.

I like Frog Morton’s Cellar because it is mild. I find the taste of whiskey at the forefront followed closely by the smokiness from the Latakia. It leaves a little bit of a nutty taste on the finish that I think comes from the Oriental. There is no bite and find it a little sweet. I would call this an aromatic English. Although I like it, I still prefer Frog Morton on the Town to this blend. I would recommend this and would personally enjoy this on a regular basis.

McClelland - Frog Morton's Cellar.

Another blend from a trade with Gentleman Zombie; thanks Franck, this is another beauty!

I never realized the unique cube of barrel that's in this until I was going through my list of favourite reviewers to see their thoughts and I read SteelCowboy's: a wooden whiskey block; that's a bit different!

The tin contains a predominately black mixture, probably a 75-25% ratio of black to brown. There's a little more to this than the label 'Ribbon Cut' can imply; it does indeed contain ribbons, but it has many different sizes in there, right from slight pieces of shag to chunky fat pieces. It's all of a great hydration, so on with the smoke:

The whiskey comes through as just enough to give flavour to the smoke, yet it doesn't take over.

The tobacco taste is superb: woody Latakia with vibrant Virginia. There's no harshness, it's fairly tame seeing as it contains a lot of Latakia; I find it quite placid for a Lat'.

Frog M' burns well; evenly, quite cool, but it can burn a smidgen too quickly, so I take it steadily.

This hasn't got even the tiniest nip in it, it can be sucked like mad and tongue bite eludes me!

I rate the room note well: it's charismatic, yet it doesn't smog the place!

Thanks Franck, a four star blend!

This is a fantastic blend, I have had Frog Morton regular and On the Bayou and this beats the other two by far. That is really saying something since they were all fantastic blends.

The blend yields a whole lot of virginia sweetness with fair amount of that Latakia smokiness we have all come to expect from the Frog.

However, the time spent aging in a whiskey barrel and the addition of the charred stave really refined this blend and transformed it into something both unique and delicious. I chose the medium rating for flavoring, not because I think this has a thick topping like a traditional aromatic, but because the time spent with that charred oak whiskey barrel really added to the flavor. There is a delicious whiskey, woodsy, flavor and aroma that lasts throughout the smoke.

This blend truly is someting amazing and I recommend it to all!

Try it with an early morning cup of coffee, they go together tremendously!

Wow! This my introduction to Latakia and English blends. I usually smoke aromatics but with all the recommendations I asked my wife to get me a tin for Valentine's day.

Upon opening the tin, I thought that I smelled a faint petroleum scent with a sweet/sour note, catsup like smell. I loaded up the bowl and it was dry with a hint of moisture. The char light I thought to myself, "I don't know about this stuff." However, by the end of the bowl, my mind was made up... "This sh*t is good!" The Latakia is peppery, there is a very faint taste of whiskey, and a nice creamy smoke. This has more vitamin N than I am used to getting in my aromatics, but not too strong. Burns to a nice salt pepper ash. I tend to hit the pipe hard and it started to burn a bit hot, once I started sipping it cooled nicely. No tongue bite.

With all that said, you will have to excuse me, because I have another bowl to pack! I highly recommend it. Glad I decided to branch out of just the aromatics.

Update: I was smoking it the other night and my wife came out to sit with me. We discussed the aroma of this tobacco and she hit the nail on the head! She said that it smelled like the air in Western Ireland where they burn peat in the fireplaces. I still love the taste of this stuff. My wife even took a puff (she's not a pipe smoker but rather a cigar smoker) and she also enthusiastically said that it tasted good too. I just bought 4 more tins for a rainy day ( um, week).