Being a new guy to pipe smoking I tried some Frog Morton On The Town based on recommendation from some on here. I thought that it was a decent smoke with a sharper more bitter taste than the local blends I got from a tobacco shop in town. I liked it but not as much as the sweeter blends that I have had in which the smoke seems to be thicker or "heavier". I can see where many would really like it but I'm not sure I'll buy more once I finish it
Tried Frog Morton On The Town
- Thread starter bl20
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
Thanks for the review.
I smoked through a tin of this about 7 years ago, and remember it as a decent entry in the FM line. If you like a sweeter blend, give Frog Morton's Cellar a try. I had it for the first time last month, and it blew my socks off with its smokey sweetness.
I smoked through a tin of this about 7 years ago, and remember it as a decent entry in the FM line. If you like a sweeter blend, give Frog Morton's Cellar a try. I had it for the first time last month, and it blew my socks off with its smokey sweetness.
Once your tastes develop a little, you might end up liking it. Put it in a mason jar for a few months, then come back to it. You might find that your tastes have changed a bit.
That said, if you mainly smoke aromatics now, then Gtclark's recommendation of FM Cellar may be more to your liking at the moment.
That said, if you mainly smoke aromatics now, then Gtclark's recommendation of FM Cellar may be more to your liking at the moment.
FMOTT was also my first foray into latakia and oriental blends, glad I made the jump because I love this blend. The tin art is not too shabby either.
The Frog Morton series gets recommended to a lot of smokers here who are new to latakia or moving from aromatics to English blends or who are just starting out. I think that's a mistake. I think the Frogs are best appreciated once a smoker has a general understanding of English blends and some experience with the flavor profile of latakia-based blends. (But I do say that as someone who thinks highly of Frog Morton on the Town.)
I think the OP's inexperience is showing here, and it's robbing him of the chance to really enjoy this blend for what it is -- and what it isn't. It sounds like bl20 is reacting to the fact that it's not an aromatic blend; it's not as "sweet" as what he's used to. But, in fact, FMotT is quite sweet for an English blend, due to the healthy presence of Basma in the blend. That's not something a beginning pipe smoker is going to pick up on or be able to appreciate.
All of that to say, there are some wonderful blends that aren't necessarily wonderful for folks who are new to the pipe. Some blends can only be best appreciated when you come to them with some knowledge and experience of their category and their ingredients.
Finally, I don't mean to sound like I'm talking around you, bl! But my word to you would be to set aside the FMotT in a tight jar, forget about it for a year or two as you try a wide variety of other blends (and I don't mean just a wide variety of aromatics), and then revisit it. I bet you'll be surprised at the difference. It may still not be your cup of tea! But I think you'll have a better handle on why that is after some more time with the pipe.
Bob
I think the OP's inexperience is showing here, and it's robbing him of the chance to really enjoy this blend for what it is -- and what it isn't. It sounds like bl20 is reacting to the fact that it's not an aromatic blend; it's not as "sweet" as what he's used to. But, in fact, FMotT is quite sweet for an English blend, due to the healthy presence of Basma in the blend. That's not something a beginning pipe smoker is going to pick up on or be able to appreciate.
All of that to say, there are some wonderful blends that aren't necessarily wonderful for folks who are new to the pipe. Some blends can only be best appreciated when you come to them with some knowledge and experience of their category and their ingredients.
Finally, I don't mean to sound like I'm talking around you, bl! But my word to you would be to set aside the FMotT in a tight jar, forget about it for a year or two as you try a wide variety of other blends (and I don't mean just a wide variety of aromatics), and then revisit it. I bet you'll be surprised at the difference. It may still not be your cup of tea! But I think you'll have a better handle on why that is after some more time with the pipe.
Bob
Thanks for the advice guys.
In response to coming back to trying it again, I smoked it over the weekend and wrote this review this morning hoping to not only help others out but to hopefully learn more about what I had gotten. I just sat down to give it another try and as you guys said I enjoyed it much more the second time around! I also dedicated a little more time to really appreciating the taste and thinking about what I was smoking. As you said Bob it is much sweeter than the other tobacco I have that is an English blend, although in a different way that I can't quite quantify yet due to my inexperience
In response to coming back to trying it again, I smoked it over the weekend and wrote this review this morning hoping to not only help others out but to hopefully learn more about what I had gotten. I just sat down to give it another try and as you guys said I enjoyed it much more the second time around! I also dedicated a little more time to really appreciating the taste and thinking about what I was smoking. As you said Bob it is much sweeter than the other tobacco I have that is an English blend, although in a different way that I can't quite quantify yet due to my inexperience
bl20:
I hope I didn't offend you by talking about "inexperience." But we were all there at one point. And if you read much on this forum, you'll see that we are ALL learning things, all the time. It's a never-ending journey.
Frog Morton on the Town is sweeter than non-Frog English blends for two reasons: the Frog series features latakia that has been lightly sweetened. As far as I know, the Frogs are the *only* blends in production that feature latakia treated like this. But "...on the Town" also includes a high proportion of an oriental leaf called Basma. Now, orientals can have a wide range of flavors/aromas: acrid, bitter, sour, pungent, soft and smooth, sweet. But Basma is probably the sweetest oriental you can find. So when you combine that with sweetened latakia, it's quite different from what a typical English would deliver. (Basma is also a pretty unusual oriental to find in an English blend; Yenidje is much more common, as are blends of multiple orientals.)
Anyway: No offense intended!
Bob
I hope I didn't offend you by talking about "inexperience." But we were all there at one point. And if you read much on this forum, you'll see that we are ALL learning things, all the time. It's a never-ending journey.
Frog Morton on the Town is sweeter than non-Frog English blends for two reasons: the Frog series features latakia that has been lightly sweetened. As far as I know, the Frogs are the *only* blends in production that feature latakia treated like this. But "...on the Town" also includes a high proportion of an oriental leaf called Basma. Now, orientals can have a wide range of flavors/aromas: acrid, bitter, sour, pungent, soft and smooth, sweet. But Basma is probably the sweetest oriental you can find. So when you combine that with sweetened latakia, it's quite different from what a typical English would deliver. (Basma is also a pretty unusual oriental to find in an English blend; Yenidje is much more common, as are blends of multiple orientals.)
Anyway: No offense intended!
Bob
I agree with Bob that the Frogs are really, really sweet for latakia blends. They're so sweet I can't really smoke them.
I also agree with Bob that probably something big and balanced would be a better introduction to latakia than any of the Frogs. Westminster? Meridian? Something like that would be a better introduction, I'd imagine.
I also agree with Bob that probably something big and balanced would be a better introduction to latakia than any of the Frogs. Westminster? Meridian? Something like that would be a better introduction, I'd imagine.
Remember the taste of the sweet FM...then get yourself a bowl of Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe. That would be a nice way to create the right kind of juxtaposition to get a feel for an easy going English blend (no frills) and the flavoured up FM's. BTW...I am in love with the FM lineup even though I never thought I wound like the flavoured baccys...turns out I do
- Status