Welp since the McClelland craze is over :rofl: does anyone know some close matches of the frog series line?
McClelland Frog Matches?
- Thread starter skeeter456
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This is a tough one to match. The closest from what I can tell is Esoterica's Pembroke. I also hear Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream is kinda similar, though I haven't tried yet.
Would anyone care to wager as to if another manufacturer may try to put out a match of this? Would be awesome if McClelland sold the recipes of some of their better blends like this one.
Would anyone care to wager as to if another manufacturer may try to put out a match of this? Would be awesome if McClelland sold the recipes of some of their better blends like this one.
Do you really need to start with McClelland's processed components to make a matching blend? That's the point of a match, isn't it? Creating a similar tasting tobacco using what's available to another manufacturer.
I like Brian Levine's suggestion in the latest Pipes Magazine Pipe Show. Don't look for a match. Experiment with some new tobaccos that are readily available, look for something to fill the void rather than trying to match a dead tobacco. It's a cool idea and excuse to throw some money at current blenders.
That's kind of the point to my response. McClelland processing created a flavor in it's blends that was distinct to McClelland, and nobody else does it their way. Even if it made any kind of financial sense to develop a match given the current regulatory environment, the components available aren't going to have that processing, unique to McClelland, that would be needed to create a match. It's not quite as simple as pouring acetic acid and cider vinegar on the leaf and voila!
McClelland is over, done, finito, kaput, sayonara, hasta la bye bye baby!
I haven't tried it yet, but I am thinking a conservative pinch of Lane BCA in a milder English blend might deliver a similar experience. Any thoughts on that idea?
I haven't had Mississippi River in four years, and many people have complained that the mixture has changed since then, but I would also imagine that a pinch of blending Latakia added to some Mississippi River might come close as well.
I like Brian Levine's line of thought. Don't go hunting for something similar to the beloved discontinued blend. McClellands fussied over their product like parents with a child, and no one is going to do those blends that way again. If someone does a nice "match," that's wonderful, but not to be expected. I don't know how close Russ O. got to Walnut with his Chestnut blend, since I never smoked Walnut, but I know I like Chestnut a lot. So look around with an open mind. Don't stick to one genre. Especially sample blends that have stood the test of time and will likely be around in the future, and that make an effort to remain available at relatively stable prices within the pipe tobacco market. Some of the bulk, pouch, and bagged tobaccos are surprisingly good. Read the reviews. Jim Inks has recently revived interest in D&R tobaccos, just for one example, as he rediscovered Edward G. Robinson and Iwan Ries Three Star Blue. These blends, and many others, are likely to stay around, be available, and not be overpriced by future market standards.
I've never regretted adding BCA to anything, and I've added it to a lot of things. That's not to say it's always better, but it certainly doesn't make things worse.
If you like a sweeter English "crossover" a la the Frog, give Stokkebye's English Luxury a whirl. Cheap as you like and every bit as good.
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