McClelland Frog Morton on the Town

Frog Morton on the Town is McClelland?s second addition to the Frog Morton pipe tobacco series. Although sharing similarities with the original Frog Morton blend, Frog Morton on the Town is distinctively different and is a welcome addition to McClelland?s Craftsbury Collection.

The aroma of Frog Morton on the Town is smoky yet quite sweet. This blend is certainly liter than the original Frog Morton and along with the added sweetness follows a somewhat peppery dimension in the background. The aroma of Frog Morton on the Town almost seems to be a sweetened version of the British Woods blend. This tobacco blend is a mixture of Matured Virginia, Cypian Latakia, Basma (mixture of various Grecian tobaccos), and other Turkish tobaccos. Half of this blend consists of black colors while most of the rest is brown with small amounts of added orange/yellow.

Frog Morton on the Town is dominated by a short velvety ribbon cut but is interspersed with small dark splinters of the matured Virginia flake. This pipe tobacco blend smokes well without any rubbing. Frog Morton on the Town packs well and arrives with a close to proper moisture content.

Frog Morton on the Town takes to the flame with no real hesitancy. For the most part, the burn is even and complete but does need the rare relight from time to time to finish the bowl. Although being quite similar in respects to the contents of the English type blends, Frog Morton on the Town?s room note is quite enjoyable and pleasingly fragrant.

The flavor of Frog Morton on the Town can be described as wonderfully creamy with the slightest amount of spice. This blend shares the similarity of having a woodsy, smoky/sweet taste with the original Frog Morton, but it is less rich and perhaps more complex. The Latakia, although present in a considerable amount, still allows for the sweet Virginia and sour Oriental tobaccos to create an interesting interplay. A slight topping adds to the sweetness of this tobacco blend. Frog Morton on the Town is very smooth, harmonious, gentle, and has little or no bite even when smoked with rapid draws. A thick white smoke follows each puff of this blend.

Frog Morton on the Town is well rounded, smooth and creamy, and has a slight degree of spice, which creates an interesting complexity. Frog Morton on the Town seems to share the beneficial characteristics of the original Frog Morton such as being a remarkably cool smoke but is a unique smoke in it own right. With all characteristics considered, this is a subtly sweet Latakia blend with an added touch of spice.

The reviews on this one are less enthusiastic, most of the contributors here seeming to favor Across the Pond or the original Frog Morton. I don?t understand why, because this one truly impressed me. My pipe-smoking buddy brought some by the other day and as soon as the match grazed the tobacco, it was love at first puff. This is by far the grandest offering of the Frog Morton line and easily one of the best tobaccos I?ve ever tried. Though I love Across the Pond, this is in a class by itself. This is the sort of complexity I was looking for in Nightcap, and since Dunhill represents my standard when it comes to English mixtures, On the Town gives them a run for their money and then some.

This is so unlike Across the Pond or anything I?ve ever tried from McClelland. It?s rich in Oriental, Basma specifically, which I had never experienced before. The Cyprian latakia takes on a more reserved tone than its Syrian sister. While I find the venerable Nightcap to be too full of tar and nicotine, On the Town is a truly more balanced, multi-dimensional blend. The tin aroma is nutty, spicy and fruity with hints of brandy, though my friend tells me there is no casing in this blend, the Orientals providing the sweet aroma. The room note and taste are wonderful. Characteristically McClelland, the cut is thick and generous, lighting easily and smoking grandly to the bottom of the bowl. Even the Don Giovanni operatic tin art with its charming old Londontown décor is the most fun of the Frog series.

This is a tobacco that can be smoked all day, and I plan on running out to my tobacconist as soon as possible to lay on a supply. This is one of my new favorites.

Five of five stars

UPDATE:

The more I smoke this, the better it suits me. This is not a classical English/Balkan mixture but I think it's destined to become a classic oriental. The McClelland blenders are true artisans and I think this, quite frankly, is one of their most inspired creations. Updating from 3 to a hearty 4 stars. Well done, McClellands!

ORIGINAL REVIEW

Reliance on reviews is always dangerous, particularly if the writers biases are unknown in advance. Readers should note that while I think McClellands virginias are without peer in the tobacco world, I find their orientals rather ordinary. Until now, none of their oriental blends would find their way into my Top 20 of english/balkan style tobaccos.

But this one is very interesting indeed! I'm not at all familiar with Basma tobacco so I can't say if that's the kicker here but there is a particular sweetness and creaminess in this blend that, while unusual for my English tastes, is a nice change of pace. My tastes run towards Dunhill 965, SG Squadron Leader and Rattrays Red Rapparee; this tastes nothing like those. More aromatic oriental than latakia-laden, this would be a nice all day smoke... or at least until after dinner when a headier brew might be desired. McClellands has produced a very distinct and tasty blend with this one, and by far more to my taste than the other Frogmortons, all the while being so far away from my normal taste in balkan blends. Weird. In a good way. I'm going to keep this around the tobacco bar.

This is a perfect crossover tobacco to get current Aromatic smokers to cross into English blends. It has a mild and spicy taste to it that will appeal to new and seasoned smokers alike. Don't fear the Latakia, its barely discernible and adds to the overall complexity of the tobacco.

This review seems almost unfair. 1) This blend is no longer available for 99% of smokers. 2) The small amount I was given is 5 years old, which has only improved its already wonderful flavor.

A truly wonderful English blend. The Basma truly does bring forth a vanilla note. The blend is well balanced, offering more sweetness than typical mild-med English blends. The age has obviously attributed to the melding of the notes, as it is very consistent all the way through the smoke. Much more can be said but peak through the reviews and you'll glean enough.

A greatly missed blend but I am glad I can say that I had a chance to smoke it before its departure. 9.5/10

I have had a few Frogs in my day but not this one until a good friend of mine brought some in to the club. This jarred tobacco was from a tin dated June 2017. I just really do not have the words to adequately describe this other than it has a wonderful English/Balkan smell that you could just about tell even blindfolded that it was from McClelland. An expertly blended and tasteful blend with the Basma adding just a hint of sweetness. As with just about all of McClelland’s blends if you can get some and it is in your budget I would do so. Gone but not Forgotten.

Well, at first when you open the tin, you are welcomed with a strong aroma of Latakia and Orientals.. Quite strong and inviting. It has a large ribbon cut, and perfect moisture. It packs well and lights easily. Requires a few relights at first then it is a smooth sail. The star here is the orientals. It is after all an oriental blend, the latakia here is just a sidekick that provides smokiness and probably some nicotine as well. It isn't overly complex but certainly interesting and keeps switching the taste profile from Orientals to mild Virginia sweetness and back

A dark brown tobacco with a pleasant smoky sweet tin note. Dark, rich, earthy with a touch of sweetness. Has a mellow sweet campfire flavour. This is an exceedingly well balanced tobacco with a nice level of complexity. Overall very smooth. Notes of raison, vanilla, burning leaves, charcoal, mustiness, nuttiness and maybe a touch of citrus at times. One of my favourites.

This is one great tobacco!!! I have this problem with misplacing tins of tobacco and not finding them for a long time and this is a perfect example of one such tin.The tin was found in the bottom of my gun cabinet and was dated from 2001! I opened it and when the aroma hit my nose my eyes started to glaze over and my knees went weak..WOW! After 14 plus years of aging the tobacco turned almost all black and the tobacco itself had the aroma of something smokey..almost like smoked almonds. Once lit the tobacco burned very well without any relights and reminded me someone burning well aged hickory in their fireplace a few houses down the street. Not one bad thing can be said about this except I will soon be out of this treasure and I will have to once again wait over 14 years to experience this again!