michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 17:03:01 GMT -5
Hello,
I just discovered McClelland's has discontinued operations effective April 2018. This news has reached me late because just ran out of Frog Morton's Cellar.
I am very upset about this. Had I known earlier - I would've purchased 50 large tins. I normally purchase in volume and consume in moderation. Frog Morton's Cellar is one of my top 3 favorite blends. I'm trying to purchase more. However the only options I'm finding are on Ebay at $50.00 each.
I've read this article about the issue:
Quote: "68 percent of the farmers retired about 2016"
It seems like you have a perfect storm: the USDA pulling out. The FDA comes in. And 68% of the farmers retired? How badly is this going to effect quality and selection?
What blends are effected? What must I purchase now in order to stock up. My favorites are:
1) Frog Morton's Cellar 2) Froggy on the town 3) Froggy on the Bayou 4) Froggy Across the Pond 5) McClelland's Fragrant Matured Cake
6) Captain Earls 10 Russians 7) Captain Earls Private Stock 8) Lane 1Q Ltd 9) HM Syrian
10) Officers Club
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Post by papipeguy on Sept 9, 2018 17:08:29 GMT -5
Well, the McClelland blends are all but gone but #6-10 on your list are still available. We'll just have to fall in love with other blends now.
BTW, welcome to the forum.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2018 17:40:25 GMT -5
Welcome to the BriarPatch.......stockpile your favorite tobacco’s now, while they’re still available. Enjoy your time here👍👍
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2018 17:50:42 GMT -5
Try Boswell's Northwoods and Countryside, and Sutliff Aromatic English, Burma Road, and Modern English.
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Post by Legend Lover on Sept 9, 2018 17:57:21 GMT -5
Cellar was a great tobacco. It's a shame it and the others are no more.
And welcome to the forum.
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Post by Darin on Sept 9, 2018 18:02:59 GMT -5
Those blends will be around for sale ... stick around here and keep your eyes on the classifieds. Welcome aboard!  |
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flybypipe
Full Member
Posts: 547
Favorite Pipe: Anything from MM
Favorite Tobacco: SPC Yakima Valley
Location:
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Post by flybypipe on Sept 9, 2018 18:03:35 GMT -5
Welcome Michael! I just went through what you’re experiencing about a month ago when I got back into pipe smoking. You’ve come to the right place, The Briarpatch is a great source of knowledge and advice.
May I recommend Arango Balkan Supreme and Seattle Pipe Club Yakima Valley. Embrace new tobaccos!
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Post by pepesdad1 on Sept 9, 2018 18:08:42 GMT -5
Welcome to the BriarPatch....... stockpile your favorite tobacco’s now, while they’re still available. Enjoy your time here👍👍 Welcome to the Patch. ^^^^^Wise words of wisdom, there. |
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Sept 9, 2018 18:09:29 GMT -5
As far as I know, the McClelland "Frog" series were not really dependent on mature Virginias. I'll bet someone else creates a pretty good match, in time.
What hurts is that the McClelland Virginia-centric products are gone forever. No one can "re-create" Black Woods Flake  |
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sablebrush52
Full Member
Posts: 903
Favorite Pipe: Barling
Favorite Tobacco: whatever is in it
Location:
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Post by sablebrush52 on Sept 9, 2018 18:12:50 GMT -5
You now have an opportunity to try new blends. You will find no substitutes for the FM blends but hopefully you will find others that you will like. Then you will have a few years to stock up before the FDA Deeming rules send another bunch of blends out of production.
With the loss of price supports, a lot of tobacco farmers turned to other crops. And the industry is turning to less labor intensive practices to stay profitable. McClelland stated that they were having trouble finding enough leaf of the level of quality that they needed. That contributed to their decision to shut the doors.
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Post by McWiggins on Sept 9, 2018 20:07:15 GMT -5
Try Boswell's Northwoods and Countryside, and Sutliff Aromatic English, Burma Road, and Modern English. I recently tried Burma Road this week and was pretty happy with it. |
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Post by Dramatwist on Sept 9, 2018 20:11:34 GMT -5
Warm welcome from the San Francisco Bay. The "Frog Mortons" are gone. Get over it and move on.
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Post by LSUTigersFan on Sept 9, 2018 20:13:51 GMT -5
As far as I know, the McClelland "Frog" series were not really dependent on mature Virginias. I'll bet someone else creates a pretty good match, in time.
What hurts is that the McClelland Virginia-centric products are gone forever. No one can "re-create" Black Woods Flake I have one tin left  |
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Post by Darin on Sept 9, 2018 20:14:30 GMT -5
Ahhhh ... but they're not! Lots of folks have these and will be selling along the way.  |
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Post by LSUTigersFan on Sept 9, 2018 20:15:13 GMT -5
Hello,
I just discovered McClelland's has discontinued operations effective April 2018. This news has reached me late because just ran out of Frog Morton's Cellar.
I am very upset about this. Had I known earlier - I would've purchased 50 large tins. I normally purchase in volume and consume in moderation. Frog Morton's Cellar is one of my top 3 favorite blends. I'm trying to purchase more. However the only options I'm finding are on Ebay at $50.00 each.
I've read this article about the issue:
Quote: "68 percent of the farmers retired about 2016"
It seems like you have a perfect storm: the USDA pulling out. The FDA comes in. And 68% of the farmers retired? How badly is this going to effect quality and selection?
What blends are effected? What must I purchase now in order to stock up. My favorites are:
1) Frog Morton's Cellar 2) Froggy on the town 3) Froggy on the Bayou 4) Froggy Across the Pond 5) McClelland's Fragrant Matured Cake
6) Captain Earls 10 Russians 7) Captain Earls Private Stock 8) Lane 1Q Ltd 9) HM Syrian
10) Officers Club
I have one unopened tin of Cellar left. I have some in a jar, but I am hitting that jar less frequently. It sucks, because it appealed to everyone. |
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Post by Dramatwist on Sept 9, 2018 20:17:51 GMT -5
Ahhhh ... but they're not! Lots of folks have these and will be selling along the way. ...yes, for outrageous prices, taking advantage of new pipe smokers who think this or any tobacco is some kind of "holy grail." |
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Post by LSUTigersFan on Sept 9, 2018 20:22:13 GMT -5
Welcome to the BriarPatch.......stockpile your favorite tobacco’s now, while they’re still available. Enjoy your time here👍👍 Once I get all my electronics headaches out of the way, I am going to start stacking DEEP. I am a few little orders in the mail, but I am about drop some major orders at Wilke, The Country Squire, and Milan Tobacconists. I already have the storage boxes and the mason jars ready. I was not aware of the upcoming restrictions, so I am SO glad I joined and read your warnings. If the restrictions do not come to pass, I'll be good for decades. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Sept 9, 2018 22:25:07 GMT -5
Hello,
I just discovered McClelland's has discontinued operations effective April 2018. This news has reached me late because just ran out of Frog Morton's Cellar.
I am very upset about this. Had I known earlier - I would've purchased 50 large tins. I normally purchase in volume and consume in moderation. Frog Morton's Cellar is one of my top 3 favorite blends. I'm trying to purchase more. However the only options I'm finding are on Ebay at $50.00 each.
I've read this article about the issue:
Quote: "68 percent of the farmers retired about 2016"
It seems like you have a perfect storm: the USDA pulling out. The FDA comes in. And 68% of the farmers retired? How badly is this going to effect quality and selection?
What blends are effected? What must I purchase now in order to stock up. My favorites are:
1) Frog Morton's Cellar 2) Froggy on the town 3) Froggy on the Bayou 4) Froggy Across the Pond 5) McClelland's Fragrant Matured Cake
6) Captain Earls 10 Russians 7) Captain Earls Private Stock 8) Lane 1Q Ltd 9) HM Syrian
10) Officers Club
Yer screwed, dude! 🤠😭 |
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Post by Cramptholomew on Sept 9, 2018 22:29:29 GMT -5
Try Boswell's Northwoods and Countryside, and Sutliff Aromatic English, Burma Road, and Modern English. I recently tried Burma Road this week and was pretty happy with it. If you haven't tried the Sutliff Aromatic English, I'd say do so. It's a favorite of mine. I usually smoke it mowing the lawn, but it's something I know I can throw in a pipe and enjoy whenever. I'll order some Burma road on my next order. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2018 22:33:32 GMT -5
Just looking at the Sutliff tins in the P&C $3.50 sale, and saw some reviews of Blend #5 that compare it to FMC. Worth checking out for sure, especially since their other Lat-aros are good.
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sablebrush52
Full Member
Posts: 903
Favorite Pipe: Barling
Favorite Tobacco: whatever is in it
Location:
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Post by sablebrush52 on Sept 9, 2018 22:35:55 GMT -5
Welcome to the BriarPatch.......stockpile your favorite tobacco’s now, while they’re still available. Enjoy your time here👍👍 Once I get all my electronics headaches out of the way, I am going to start stacking DEEP. I am a few little orders in the mail, but I am about drop some major orders at Wilke, The Country Squire, and Milan Tobacconists. I already have the storage boxes and the mason jars ready. I was not aware of the upcoming restrictions, so I am SO glad I joined and read your warnings. If the restrictions do not come to pass, I'll be good for decades. I would not bet on restrictions being lifted. Figure that at least 60% of available blends will get snuffed in a little under 3 years. If you MUST have a popular but extinct blend, be prepared to possibly shed blood for it. Personally I was not a fan of the Mortons, so I still have a few tins that I bought years ago. I'm shocked to see what people are paying for Across The Pond. I'll be happy to sell it for 10 times what I paid for it. |
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michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
Location:
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 22:50:32 GMT -5
Well, the McClelland blends are all but gone but #6-10 on your list are still available. We'll just have to fall in love with other blends now. BTW, welcome to the forum. Thank you.
I'm bidding on E-Bay for Froggies Cellar however the bids are over $50.00 tin. It would be nice if someone had a huge stock they could sell at a discount but I'm not finding anything online. And if they have the patience I supposed it would be better for them to sell one by one E-bay vs. everything at once for a discount.
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Post by Ronv69 on Sept 9, 2018 22:52:52 GMT -5
I have 10 unopened tins of FMC. I bought them to smoke. My wife has instructions to send all leftovers to Pipestud upon my demise.
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michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
Location:
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 22:58:27 GMT -5
Try Boswell's Northwoods and Countryside, and Sutliff Aromatic English, Burma Road, and Modern English.
Thank you. Are any of these similar to Frogs Cellar? I bought everything at once long time ago.. and of course waited until I got down to 2 tins before restocking.
I "assumed" because Pipe smokers made up around 1% of all smokers the FDA would leave pipe alone.
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Post by Dramatwist on Sept 9, 2018 23:01:52 GMT -5
DON'T CHASE THE FROGS or Penzance or any other "scarce" tobacco! NOT worth your time or money. Buy and enjoy what is available now. "Tomorrow" will be "the good old days" before you know it!
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michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
Location:
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 23:18:50 GMT -5
You now have an opportunity to try new blends. You will find no substitutes for the FM blends but hopefully you will find others that you will like. Then you will have a few years to stock up before the FDA Deeming rules send another bunch of blends out of production. With the loss of price supports, a lot of tobacco farmers turned to other crops. And the industry is turning to less labor intensive practices to stay profitable. McClelland stated that they were having trouble finding enough leaf of the level of quality that they needed. That contributed to their decision to shut the doors.
It would be nice they could source from Eastern Europe or another region capable of growing high quality Virginia. They might pay upwards of 350% import tariff + ATF fees + shipping + Customs/FDA/ATF filings and it really adds up. However the product cost will be lower. For quality control they will need to hire an agent or teach the supplier how to make it correctly.
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michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
Location:
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 23:19:43 GMT -5
Warm welcome from the San Francisco Bay. The "Frog Mortons" are gone. Get over it and move on.
I am trying. I just found out about this. It will take some time. I am down to 2 tins of each |
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michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
Location:
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 23:22:29 GMT -5
I have 10 unopened tins of FMC. I bought them to smoke. My wife has instructions to send all leftovers to Pipestud upon my demise.
What size? How much to do you want for all 10 sold at once?
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michael
Junior Member
Posts: 275
Location:
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Post by michael on Sept 9, 2018 23:33:32 GMT -5
DON'T CHASE THE FROGS or Penzance or any other "scarce" tobacco! NOT worth your time or money. Buy and enjoy what is available now. "Tomorrow" will be "the good old days" before you know it!
From what I understand Frogs refused to use alcohol in the production of the items and did everything the old fashioned painstaking hard way. I am not aware of other blends production processes .... but it seems like it would very hard to duplicate.
I will try some of the blends mentioned by another poster. If there was something even remotely similar to Frog Mortons Cellar I suppose I could make do. But maybe not. Because it's just not the same. Also kind of fell in love with the art work on the label from a "psychological" perspective.. The frog sitting in his cellar with the boat. Something about it. Just looks really cool. Like a Disneyland character or something. I'm sending the label off to be duplicated into a large oil painting when I have some time.
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Sept 9, 2018 23:54:31 GMT -5
DON'T CHASE THE FROGS or Penzance or any other "scarce" tobacco! NOT worth your time or money. Buy and enjoy what is available now. "Tomorrow" will be "the good old days" before you know it!
From what I understand Frogs refused to use alcohol in the production of the items and did everything the old fashioned painstaking hard way. I am not aware of other blends production processes .... but it seems like it would very hard to duplicate. I can't speak to the whole "Frog" series, but Frog Morton's Cellar definitely used alcohol. For f**k's sake, it has a bourbon stave in the g-d can. It had a very distinctive bourbon topping on a fairly pleasant English mixture as the base tobacco. Like, that was the point of the thing. It was an aromatic blend. The topping was the greater part of the joy. For the record, I have a few 100g cans of Frog Morton's Cellar. It was my favorite aromatic. And I will smoke them all in this winter and the next. That's why I bought'em. |
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