McClelland Frog Morton
(3.24)
An exceptionally dark, rich and full Latakia Mixture designed for those who desire really satisfying Latakia flavor but want a pipe tobacco soft enough to smoke anytime. It took Frog Morton four years to perfect this unique blend designed for smoking in quiet serenity. It is his proudest achievement.
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 Frogmorton its name, which means "frog marsh".
Details
| Brand | McClelland |
| Series | Craftsbury Series |
| Blended By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Manufactured By | McClelland Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Latakia |
| Contents | Latakia, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin, 100 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.24 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 23 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 04, 2004 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Unnoticeable |
With all this fuss about Frog Morton on this site I had to go out and get a tin last night. Frankly, I was very frightened by the results.
My first thought when I got to look at the label was, "Geez,..did somebody find this drawing at a craft fair?" I mean--take a look at the label close up. This DOES NOT look like it was drawn by a professional illustrator for the label of a major pipe tobacco manufacturer. It looks more like something you might find hanging in your Grandma's kitchen. Even the type is messed up--I've seen secretaries make better layouts in PowerPoint. In fact, the label is so unbelievably silly looking that after staring at it for a few minutes at Tinderbox I actually felt a little foolish purchasing a tin.
An awkward transaction took place:
"Um, pardon me sales person, but I'll pass on the nice Dunhill tobaccos you've been showing me, instead I'll take the tobacco in the shitty label that looks like it was drawn by a third grader."
"Uh huh yes, the one with the retarded frog on it"
"No, I'm not into Lord of the Rings, Hobbits, or wizards or anything like that. I just want to try the tobacco in the painfully ugly can"
"No, I don't need a Churchwarden pipe to go with it! Please, just put the tin in the bag before somebody sees me."
After rushing from the store, finally free of what was becoming a horrifying exercise in bad taste, I went to my car and relaxed for a few moments. I tentatively poked and sniffed at the innards of the can.
"Hmmm,.. smells like latikia and virginia. Allright, that seems safe enough--can't be too bad I suppose".
Feeling a bit reassured, I packed a pipeful of Frog Morton. It was then that the true inner evil revealed itself. After smoking but half a bowl, I immediately felt the urge to play D&D. Please Lord, help me!
Even worse, I had to fight off the unholy desire to return to Tinderbox and purchase a knobby cane and one of those God-forsaken Danish pipes carved freehand from a hunk of drift wood.
I went home and lay on the couch until the urge passed. Thankfully it did pass, however I know there are many others who get caught up in the Frog Morton web, unable to break free.
Yes, pipes are treacherous business--never doubt it. Those with questionable taste should just stay away. You could end up like one of those crusty old coots polluting the atmosphere with Prince Albert Cherry Vanilla. Or worse, you could end up with the insane desire to place Boris Vallejo "Lady Demon" posters on the wall, watch reruns of Doctor Who, and attend renaissance fairs while dressed as a druid--all while smoking a clay pipe full of Frog Morton and thinking of yourself as "colorfull." (Shudder)
My first thought when I got to look at the label was, "Geez,..did somebody find this drawing at a craft fair?" I mean--take a look at the label close up. This DOES NOT look like it was drawn by a professional illustrator for the label of a major pipe tobacco manufacturer. It looks more like something you might find hanging in your Grandma's kitchen. Even the type is messed up--I've seen secretaries make better layouts in PowerPoint. In fact, the label is so unbelievably silly looking that after staring at it for a few minutes at Tinderbox I actually felt a little foolish purchasing a tin.
An awkward transaction took place:
"Um, pardon me sales person, but I'll pass on the nice Dunhill tobaccos you've been showing me, instead I'll take the tobacco in the shitty label that looks like it was drawn by a third grader."
"Uh huh yes, the one with the retarded frog on it"
"No, I'm not into Lord of the Rings, Hobbits, or wizards or anything like that. I just want to try the tobacco in the painfully ugly can"
"No, I don't need a Churchwarden pipe to go with it! Please, just put the tin in the bag before somebody sees me."
After rushing from the store, finally free of what was becoming a horrifying exercise in bad taste, I went to my car and relaxed for a few moments. I tentatively poked and sniffed at the innards of the can.
"Hmmm,.. smells like latikia and virginia. Allright, that seems safe enough--can't be too bad I suppose".
Feeling a bit reassured, I packed a pipeful of Frog Morton. It was then that the true inner evil revealed itself. After smoking but half a bowl, I immediately felt the urge to play D&D. Please Lord, help me!
Even worse, I had to fight off the unholy desire to return to Tinderbox and purchase a knobby cane and one of those God-forsaken Danish pipes carved freehand from a hunk of drift wood.
I went home and lay on the couch until the urge passed. Thankfully it did pass, however I know there are many others who get caught up in the Frog Morton web, unable to break free.
Yes, pipes are treacherous business--never doubt it. Those with questionable taste should just stay away. You could end up like one of those crusty old coots polluting the atmosphere with Prince Albert Cherry Vanilla. Or worse, you could end up with the insane desire to place Boris Vallejo "Lady Demon" posters on the wall, watch reruns of Doctor Who, and attend renaissance fairs while dressed as a druid--all while smoking a clay pipe full of Frog Morton and thinking of yourself as "colorfull." (Shudder)
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 02, 2017 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
This tobacco is utterly nasty!
Actually, it's the flavoring I find intolerable, I might actually like it without the topping. I've always heard great things about this tobacco, so together with that the description and LOTR references I was really excited about trying it.
The first thing I noticed was a sweet and salty taste, along with a swampy sort of flavor which could really lead me to believe I had a frog stuffed down there in the bowl. Hmm, interesting I thought, and puffed on. But it kept not growing on me. The whiffs of actual tobacco I got from it kept leading me back into thinking that I'd eventually like it, so I smoked on for half a large bowl.
But what really turned me off completely was that after I put down the pipe I kept smelling this sort of pink bubble gum smell in my clothes. And it wouldn't go away. And the more I smelled it the more I just couldn't stand it. The smell just seemed more and more cloying and sickeningly fake and sweet. In an effort to wash clean of the smell I decided to wallow in some Mississippi mud, which helped, but that nasty smell just seems to keep hanging around.
I used to smoke flavored tobacco a long time ago, then I spent several years smoking cigars exclusively. Now I'm back into the pipe, and I am really not interested in flavored tobaccos at this time. But even when I did smoke flavored tobaccos I don't think I'd ever want anything that smelled like this.
With tobaccos I don't take a liking to I usually keep them around a while to see if later I end up liking them, or blend them together with something else to come up with something I like well enough. But I have no idea what I'm going to do with this. If I stow it away for a few years, will the nasty topping go away to the point where I can stand this?
Actually, it's the flavoring I find intolerable, I might actually like it without the topping. I've always heard great things about this tobacco, so together with that the description and LOTR references I was really excited about trying it.
The first thing I noticed was a sweet and salty taste, along with a swampy sort of flavor which could really lead me to believe I had a frog stuffed down there in the bowl. Hmm, interesting I thought, and puffed on. But it kept not growing on me. The whiffs of actual tobacco I got from it kept leading me back into thinking that I'd eventually like it, so I smoked on for half a large bowl.
But what really turned me off completely was that after I put down the pipe I kept smelling this sort of pink bubble gum smell in my clothes. And it wouldn't go away. And the more I smelled it the more I just couldn't stand it. The smell just seemed more and more cloying and sickeningly fake and sweet. In an effort to wash clean of the smell I decided to wallow in some Mississippi mud, which helped, but that nasty smell just seems to keep hanging around.
I used to smoke flavored tobacco a long time ago, then I spent several years smoking cigars exclusively. Now I'm back into the pipe, and I am really not interested in flavored tobaccos at this time. But even when I did smoke flavored tobaccos I don't think I'd ever want anything that smelled like this.
With tobaccos I don't take a liking to I usually keep them around a while to see if later I end up liking them, or blend them together with something else to come up with something I like well enough. But I have no idea what I'm going to do with this. If I stow it away for a few years, will the nasty topping go away to the point where I can stand this?
Pipe Used:
Large bowl, full curve briar
PurchasedFrom:
JRCigars
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 09, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
I have been curious about this one for a long time. So many smokers swear by it and give it high reviews I really was expecting a solid addition to my cellar and a blend to smoke for years to come. I must say in my opinion this is a very overated tobacco. I found the smoke to be average at best. The top note is not something I like and the tobaccos never seem to really stand out or make themselves known, it was a bit boring in my opinion. I would compare the "sameness" of the bowl to be like a codger blend such as sir Walter Raleigh or Velvet. I like codger blends, I know they will be one dimensional and sweet. The difference is that I can get a tub of velvet for less than two tins of Frog. Now to each their own, what I love in my pipe others would hate-it isn't like there is a right or wrong on a blend, simply the smokers opinion and in my opinion this is a blend I will not buy again
Pipe Used:
savinelli 606ks
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2004 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
I think pipestud's description works for me. This is not my cup of tea, but it certainly seems to be very popular.
Have you ever noticed that this tobacco never dries out? I wonder why that is?
Have you ever noticed that this tobacco never dries out? I wonder why that is?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 29, 2004 | Extremely Mild | Medium | Very Mild | Tolerable |
I bought Frog Morton to try on the strength of some of the reviews above. Many people whose taste has guided me to very pleasant tobaccos have said that they like this blend. I do not. I am actually shocked at the divergence of opinion on this tobacco. De gustibus non disputandum, I guess.
On opening the tin, the tobacco is faintly damp and quite sticky. After it dries a little, it lights easily and smokes evenly. There is no bite at all, no matter how hard you puff. These are the good things about Frog Morton.
The taste has been called monochromatic by other reviewers and that is fair. But, I have seen many monochrome photos that I admire and enjoy looking at. Not so this stuff. The taste of Frog Morton is boring. It is like a latakia-spiked candy bar, sweet and sticky to the end. I will spend my time in the future with tobaccos that taste like tobacco, not with this stuff. If you enjoy Frog Morton, please go ahead. I won't be competing with you for the last tin of this on the shelf, that's for sure.
May 2010: I can only say that my opinion of this blend has not changed. It is heavily treated with things that make it burn steadily and taste syrupy sweet. I note that many of the positive reviews of this blend begin with "Well, I have never smoked a pipe before but I really like this one!" Nuff said. I am glad that someone enjoys this stuff. I don't.
On opening the tin, the tobacco is faintly damp and quite sticky. After it dries a little, it lights easily and smokes evenly. There is no bite at all, no matter how hard you puff. These are the good things about Frog Morton.
The taste has been called monochromatic by other reviewers and that is fair. But, I have seen many monochrome photos that I admire and enjoy looking at. Not so this stuff. The taste of Frog Morton is boring. It is like a latakia-spiked candy bar, sweet and sticky to the end. I will spend my time in the future with tobaccos that taste like tobacco, not with this stuff. If you enjoy Frog Morton, please go ahead. I won't be competing with you for the last tin of this on the shelf, that's for sure.
May 2010: I can only say that my opinion of this blend has not changed. It is heavily treated with things that make it burn steadily and taste syrupy sweet. I note that many of the positive reviews of this blend begin with "Well, I have never smoked a pipe before but I really like this one!" Nuff said. I am glad that someone enjoys this stuff. I don't.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 20, 2004 | Very Mild | Very Mild | Full | Tolerable |
Upon opening the tin I noticed the smell of vinegar. Then when I put my nose closer, I smelled latakia, and not much else. The tobacco is in long strands, so it was a bit of trouble to pack. Nothing terrible however. It was a bit moist, but it fired up just fine. It has a strong, smokey,slightly sweet flavor, with hints of chocolate. No bite whatsoever. It has a very mild nicotine strength. The flavor is a bit monochromatic to me. Towards the end of the bowl I notice the vinegar smell in the room note, as well as the smoke. I will finish the tin I have, but this stuff is just too plain for me.
Addendum: I have smoked this one a while now, and it has all the charm of vinegar soaked charcoal. Smoking it is a bit like kissing the bottom of my barbeque grill...
Addendum: I have smoked this one a while now, and it has all the charm of vinegar soaked charcoal. Smoking it is a bit like kissing the bottom of my barbeque grill...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 27, 2002 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Appearance: Very dark leaf throughout, with little variation from dark brown to almost dead black. Looks like Black Cavendish and Latakia, nothing else. Right from the can, it was more moist than I like. It showed no tendency to dry out in the air.
Aroma: Very smoky and somewhat sweet. I could not determine what aroma what present, but it is definitely an aromatic crossover.
Packing: Best done with a light touch, or it will not burn.
Lighting: Took flame well enough when packed properly, nohing unusual.
Initial flavor: Just like the aroma, the Latakia predominates, with a sweet background. Because of the flavoring, I don?t taste any Virginia or Turkish.
Mid-bowl: The flavor does not vary as I progress hrough the bowl. Monochromatic is one word word for it, BORING is another. It does smoke dry and cool, though.
Finish: Still boring, leaves a dry ash but also leaves its aoma in the pipe.
Summary: If you are looking for a crossover, then it would be worth a try. The quality is there, but it is just not my style.
Aroma: Very smoky and somewhat sweet. I could not determine what aroma what present, but it is definitely an aromatic crossover.
Packing: Best done with a light touch, or it will not burn.
Lighting: Took flame well enough when packed properly, nohing unusual.
Initial flavor: Just like the aroma, the Latakia predominates, with a sweet background. Because of the flavoring, I don?t taste any Virginia or Turkish.
Mid-bowl: The flavor does not vary as I progress hrough the bowl. Monochromatic is one word word for it, BORING is another. It does smoke dry and cool, though.
Finish: Still boring, leaves a dry ash but also leaves its aoma in the pipe.
Summary: If you are looking for a crossover, then it would be worth a try. The quality is there, but it is just not my style.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 18, 2017 | Mild | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
was my first English blend. I really liked it. Coming from aromatics it was a change of pace and very alluring as I'd never had Latakia which turns out I actually love the stuff ( Latakia that is) fog morton original was , at that time , my favorite blend. But now having been around the block a few times in the neighborhood of true English tobacco , i just can not smoke the stuff anymore. I have a big ol jar that basically never gets dipped into. I have the entire craftsbury series and I gave away the fm cellar because I am not a fan of it. They all have the basic fm taste / baseline. And trust me, Aging doesn't do anything for this tobacco. Humectants / chemicals definitely at play. A Very monotone smoke. The flavoring must be added because it is so sweet that it turns sour to me. It just can't be all natural tobacco. I feel like it sours your pipe too. I once thought this was a 4 star tobacco. But to me I think it was a rookie mistake. Somebody else said they get the shivers when thinking about the chemicals and humectants in this. Your not alone man.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 21, 2012 | Mild | Strong | Medium | Tolerable |
I was always a big fan of the Frog,,but that has changed.After purhasing several tins and enjoying this very tasty blend,I was slapped in the taste buds with a nasty tin of I dont know what it was,,but it wasnt the frog. The only way to describe the flavor was a rancid.soggy mix of 1Q and old socks. No latakia taste to speak of at all. So, good by old frog,,your not on my tad list any more.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 09, 2011 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Over promised and under delivered again. Like smoking hot air with a whisper of latakia. There are much better English blends out there to waste much time with this stuff.
I am a heretic I'm sure. Everyone seems to love this stuff, but I am convinced that it rates highly from pure peer pressure than anything else. Cheers!
I am a heretic I'm sure. Everyone seems to love this stuff, but I am convinced that it rates highly from pure peer pressure than anything else. Cheers!
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