McClelland Frog Morton on the Town

This is some pretty mild stuff. The orientals stand out the most, you can barely notice the latakia (at least when I smoke it, but...) I was a complete newbie when I first tried this blend, so it wasn't necessarily to my liking right off the bat. I sort of ho-hummed it. As I had it again, I appreciated it very much, having a newfound understanding of these blends.

This one is pretty good. Not to mention cool-smoking, and something you can have as your constant companion throughout the day if you were so inclined.

A fine tobacco from a fine company. What more can I say?

I got this tobacco from a friend of mine who got it from the actually blender. She also did the artwork on the tin. It came highly recommended and I could not resist.

The tobacco is a fine one. It's lack of strength might encourage some smokers to take it in a little too quickly. Frog Morton on the Town must be smoked slowly. If you like this tobacco, you are one for subtleties.

There is a pronounced complexity to this mixture that is, at least, interesting. But as a fan of English blends -- especially Dunhill's Durbar Mixture -- I can't see Latakia lovers enjoying this product. Instead of adding something to the mixture, I find the Basma leave to greatly interfere with the smoke. It burns decently, but the rich Latakia in this mixture should be enjoyed more fully. It carries a robust sweetness. The addition of these oriental leaves makes the mixture border on aromatic.

That said, this is fine mixture. It is especially great for a morning smoke. For those who like subtle sweetness, OTT is a fine achievement. The taste is not overpowering and, for what it is, the mixture is well done.

Since I very much enjoyed Frog Morton, I expected to like this blend as well. I did; in fact, immediately out of a freshly open tin, I liked it even more, since it was much drier then its counterpart. On popping the lid, I at once smell the Latakia, as with Frog Morton. The aroma for this tobacco, however, is far lighter than that of FM; unlike a freshly opened tin of Frog, the Latakia here is not overpowering. The appearance differs greatly, too. Frog On the Town is only about 50% black leaf; the rest is mixed dark and light browns, giving a much more varied look than the nearly all-black Frog. The tobacco also appears much drier, though still not dry by any stretch, and it isn't sticky to the touch like FM is. A medium cut, the tobacco packs and lights easily, and burns with perhaps slightly more than the average number of relights required. I selected a Stanwell poker for the initial try of this blend. For the first 1/3 of the bowl, I get the impression that this is a mellowed-out version of Frog Morton. The strong Latakia flavor is there, but not as overwhelming and forceful as with FM; I can taste other tobaccos as well, more so than I can in FM. On the other hand, this blend appears to be just as smooth and gentle as its big brother; I'm getting no hint of bite thus far. Moving on with the second third, the flavors are becoming slightly more complex. Latakia is still the biggest influence, but I'm getting a nice mix of other tobaccos as well. There's a bit of a spicy flavor, and I'm even getting hints of sweetness now and then. Still no bite, and no gurgling like I experienced with its wetter cousin. The flavor is perhaps not as rich and full as FM, but it is somewhat more complex and varied. Getting down to the last third of the bowl, and we're still bite-free! This is clearly related to FM, if for no other reason than its mellowness. The bottom of the bowl is somewhat richer in flavor, though still not as much so as FM. There is some moisture at the very bottom; I've never met a McClelland blend where that wasn't true. It isn't excessive, however, and I don't believe I'll need to leave this tin open to dry more. Overall, this is a very good Latakia blend. Not as rich and dark as Frog Morton, it nevertheless is very satisfying and is among the most bite-free of all tobaccos I've tried. The room odor is not as heavy, so I may prefer this to FM in mixed company, or anytime I want a good, mellow English without super-strong Latakia. Not having to dry it for two weeks helps, too. A very good blend!