“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 designed for smoking in quiet serenity. It is his proudest achievement.” – McClelland It is a bold move to name a tobacco line from a J.R.R. Tolkien creation (a town called Frogmorton located east of the Shire) from Middle Earth. If one dare’s to do so, it better lived up to the expectations of the countless smoking Tolkien fans. The Frog Morton line exceeds all expectations and lives up to the standard set by the most excellent McClelland blends. Before journeying into the more complex blends in the Frog Morton series, such as Across the Pond and Across the Bayou, the straight Frog Morton introduces the smoker to one of the must subtle and excellent English blends currently in production. McClelland has masterfully created a deep English blend that can be smoked and enjoyed all day long.
First Impression
First of all, I have to say something about the Frog Morton artwork. Personally, the entire Frog Morton Craftsbury line is the best tin artwork available. It is absolute wonderful to have displayed on the pipe shelf in your daily rotation. Frog Morton is a ribbon cut tobacco with a mid-level moisture level. It contains, by my estimation, 70% Latakia and 30% Virginia tobacco. The tin note of this blend gives the impression that it will be an intense full flavored blend. The earthy notes so commonly found in Latakia are the first to penetrate the olfactory sense. After, the Virginia seems not to present a note as much as it does soften the Latakia.
Smoke
I was fooled by the Latakia. I thought this was going to be a full flavored blend. However, while the smoke was much lighter than anticipated, I was surprised to find that I really appreciated the easy smoking pure English blend. At the start of the bowl, there is a larger presence of Virginia flavor than I expected. It was quite sweet actually (in a way BBQ sauce can be sweet and smokey at the same time). The sweet flavor stayed consistent through the first 2/3’s of the bowl. In the bottom third, the Latakia kicks in with a sharp and distinct flavor. The strong English finish on this blend is perfect for it reminds us what we are smoking while delivering the flavorful punch we all crave before the bowl is finished. There were no other flavors added to this blend. Frog Morton speaks for itself and doesn’t behind any added flavor.
Room Note
Surprisingly, the room note of Frog Morton is quite pleasant. I by no means think that has an appealing aroma like a high quality aromatic, but can be quite good for those who enjoy the smell of smoke. The smell it leaves is that of a campfire someone has stuck a french vanilla candle in. The overwhelming aroma will be of a small burning fire, but with hints of sweetness that mellow out the smokey notes.
Pairing
Usually I recommend a food or a drink to pair with the tobacco. However, Frog Morton being the standard English that it is, many of you know what to eat and drink with it anyway. What I suggest is smoking whilst reading a classic epic. I enjoyed mine over the last few days while rereading the Odyssey. I feel as though putting yourself in the shoes of a classic Hero will ignite your inner smoker and make the event quite enjoyable.
Strength
As I said above, I expected Frog Morton to be stronger than it was. Frog Morton is a Mild flavored English blend. I doubt that aromatic smokers would consider this mild, it is probably a medium for them. But this is such a mild and pleasant English, I cannot say it is stronger than mild.
Overall Score
Smoking Frog Morton is inspiring. It really puts you into the mindset that all pipe smokers envy. I am a firm believer than tobacco should not only be scored on their flavor, but on its smokability, appeal, and affect it has on the smoker. I give Frog Morton an 8 out of 10. Frog Morton is superb, but trust me, it is only the opening act for a line of tobacco’s that all live equally up to the expectation. Stay Tuned! To purchase Frog Morton at lowest price, visit Tobacco Pipes.
Tobacco provided by Tobacco Pipes for the purpose of an un-bias review. Picture Provided by Tobacco Pipes, McCelland,
Confessions of a Pipe Smoker 