Mike Lindsey Tribute Cigar Review Weekend

[MoeFOH]

While we're all still reeling from Mike's sudden and tragic passing we also know that he'd want us to continue celebrating the reason he loved this place and why it loved him back so dearly. While many tributes are flowing in on the thread that announced this terrible news, we also thought it would be a lovely idea (as suggested by @La_Tigre - thank you) to have a tribute thread where anyone can grab a cigar, raise a glass, and tell us your stories of Mike...

Whether you knew Mike well or not it doesn't matter... on this thread, post up your pictures of what you're smoking and include your stories and memories of Mike or if you didn't know him well you might just light up something special in tribute... we leave that up to you. 

So, this weekend, grab a cigar and raise a glass to the memory of a genuinely wonderful character, friend to many here, and an FOH legend who will be sorely missed. RIP Mike. ❤️ 🙏

 

[benfica_77]

Just finished smoking this PSP - Trini Reyes Box Code RAG JUL 19 . 

Got Toasted notes with a hint of sweetness. 89 rating...would have been 91+ if it wasn't for a tight draw and uneven burn at times. Overall pleasant spoke and a great one for the Canadian spring. 

Spent more time thinking about Mike during my smoke than I was expecting. I had the pleasure of chatting with him on my first and only Zoom FOH chat....not only was he polite and inviting he shared a lot of great knowledge. He mentioned how he had enough cigars to last several lifetimes....hope that he's having them wherever he is. 

I'm planning on dipping into my "Special Cigars" soon just didn't have time today. Pardon my language but this is a reminder to be grateful that we woke up today and f$ck sweating the small stuff. 

Cheers Mike! 

 

[gustavehenne]

Had a few chats with Mike and he was always a very pleasant, decent chap. Never met him nor established a deep friendship although I could see he was a stand-up guy and contributed to this forum very positively.

I'll toast him this evening with a cigar - not a Cuban one, but one of my favourites. The Opus X Double Corona (c2-3 years age on it).

RIP Mike...

[OrangePaw]

I didn’t know Mike but it’s apparently clear that he was loved and will be missed deeply.

I’m having a Ramon Allones Gigantes in his honor tonight, my first one ever from a 1/4 box purchased months ago.  It’s such a fantastic cigar and perfect honor of his memory.

My condolences to his family and many friends from FOH.

[Kaptain Karl]

Grabbed a unicorn to honor Mike paired with an incredibly delicious mezcal.
 
 

[LLC]

I also posted this in No Time Like The Present but going into a bit more detail on this post. 

Trying to decide what to enjoy in Mike’s honor, I decided on a custom from Cuba. I picked a Monsdale rolled by Mons himself that I got in 2012. It was a special anniversary Monsdale rolled at the time with aged tobacco. 
much like Mike, this cigar was all class. 

I’ve had many Monsdales rolled by Jorge or more recent ones but the quality of this Monsdale is what made them so famous. Smooth, complex with a great depth of flavor. Interesting that the ash held strong where other Monsdales I’ve had the ash is very weak. 
 

I spent some time with Mike in Havana at events and on the back patio of the Hotel National. I didn’t know him really well but the time we spent talking was very enjoyable and it was easy to see why this outpouring from this community has been so strong. 
 

He is and will continue to be missed. 

[Drguano]

Mike and I were brothers from different mothers. This photo was taken at Santy's in 2018  Mike was always trying to get me to commit to playing Santa and help him out at Christmas but I was committed to the Hemingway look. Those Cuban trips... We would run into each other mid day, get lost in the shuffle and then wind up drinking until the wee hours.  One of my many fond memories was closing down Tocorora, crossing the street to the next bar in the middle of nowhere and continuing the evening until it was time to go to the pre dawn bar that was open until breakfast. Kelley wanted to continue on for just one more drink and Mike patiently explained they had a morning flight in a few hours and they still had to pack. Andy Ryan was there as well as Stuart and maybe Rob Fox and perhaps can fill in the blanks as to the various bars. My wife Agnes remembers the conversation but not where we were. It is St. Patrick's Day and certain libations have clouded my mind of the details.

Mike told me a story in one of those bars that I never heard clearly but have my version that goes like this: Mike was either doing Beta testing or the subject of a Beta test that was trying to get the bugs out of the system on the space shuttle that allows the astronauts to reclaim the water in their urine. Periodically, Mike would take a sample for someone to taste or someone brought him a sample (this is one of the parts I never got straight) and see how the fix was working. The taster invariably said "It still tastes like piss!" Eventually (if I got the story right), Mike or the actual taster realized that there was no Beta testing going on and someone was just literally taking the piss of of someone by giving them dilute whiz to drink. Now I will never get the story straight and this is one of the 10 million reasons I will miss Mike.

Last night I smoked a cigar he gave me, a Puntilla rolled by Alex. But Mike didn't just send me one Puntilla, he sent 4 from an experiment he asked Alex to do. Mike sent me a regular Puntilla, one with a Maduro wrapper with double liguero, one with a Colorado wrapper with double seco and one with a Claro wrapper with double volado. Last night I smoked the Maduro and what can I tell you? I liked it a lot. Beyond that I can give no details. I was too caught up in the emotions of the day.

Mike, we'll see you in the next life.

[SofaKing]

Had the privilege of meeting Mike in NYC a couple times while he was on business. One of the finest you will ever meet, trade with, or be a recipient of one of his bombs. 

La Escepcion- Don Jose from a box split we did a few years back.

RIP good sir 

 

[riderpride]

Monte G.E. SEP NOV 10
Purchased Feb 2011 in Holguin
I took flyer on these and rescued from an over humidified vendor. No obvious water damage except for some minor cracked feet on two - just a couple mm.

Relatively good looking- slight box press that didn't round again after the humidity.
Pre light draw - not much other than typical Monte flavors.
Initial draw after lighting - blast of milk chocolate and wafer cookies
1/3 sweet chocolate mousse, a hint of coffee with a pleasant bitter aftertaste. Burn was askew after sleeping for so long without a proper dry-box to even the humidity,  but it didn't stray for long.
2/3 chocolate became more of a bitter bakers chocolate and a hearty Guinness-like flavour entersas does a suble grassyness. Burn is near even.
3/3 full on chocolate stout with heavy nuts and a hint of citrus. Nicotine has come to say 'hello'. Total burn time was approx 80 minutes.
Final thoughts - as mentioned in Mike's 'No Time Like The Present' thread, I was inspired to crack open and enjoy some boxes over the last few years that I was saving for no particular reason. This box was purchased on our honeymoon and I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on the wedding,  my wife , and our family. The stick performed well, construction was flawless and the flavors were true to memory. It's been 5 or 6 years since I last lit one up, so it's hard to recall how much they have evolved in that time. It's hard to score it fairly with all of the nostalgia attached to it,  but I'll give it a solid 93/94.

Cheers all, and a giant thanks to Mike!

[Perla]

Mike had created the thread „ no time like the present „ as we all know. 
during the period of time Mike decided to bomb me with cigars because he thought I own him something. 
i was blown away by his generosity. 
 

The afternoon cigar was from a trade of @CanuckSARTech ( brother where are you) many moons ago. 
One of my white whales PL Encantos. 
A great dark chocolate 🍫 bomb 💣. 
very enjoyable for the first spring afternoon in the garden. 
Mike until we meet again. 

[Bijan]

Saw Mike many times on Zoom. And he was kind enough to send me a large batch of plugged cigars, in response to my claiming on the forum that I rarely got plugged cigars. Except for one box of partagas mille fleurs and a quarter box of Ramon allones gigantes, I have been lucky not to deal with too many plugs.

Mike's batch helped me better figure out what works and what doesn't. The best technique is to drill into the head about 1/2 deep, as much as necessary.

I smoked a plugged Bolivar gold medal he had sent me when I heard the sad news. And managed to finish it. It was good mainly leather/tobacco and fruit, though bitter at times.

But for this review I tried not to pick a plugged cigar.

2020 Sir Winston.

Chocolate tobacco barnyard aroma at cold.

Wood, leather, tobacco, upmann flavour but a bit bitter and quite tangy, some spice on the retrohale.

Had a bit of spice/incense at times.

I feel these some time for some sweetness to come in.

[Nevrknow]

Did not know him to long since I’m “ new” here. Loved talking to him. And the poker games. Last of my Siglo IV from 2017. To new to have anything aged except what I can grab off 24:24. So, here’s to you Mike. This and some Zacapa 23.

If I can be here for any length of time and make half as many friends as you have I would call it a success.

 

[La_Tigre]

We met Mike and Kelly in Havana at the Encuentros de Amigos de Partagas. It was our first festival and we met so many people at the Divina Pastura. The better halves met each other late in the evening at the lady’s room (as happens so often) and hit it off.  They had a good time like old friends and we all chatted for a brief time prior to us heading back to our casa (and being greased out of our big bill change by the ‘taxi’ with the sponge bob stickers on the boot…another story entirely). The better halves exchanged email info which was promptly lost in the fog of HC Union followed by too much HC 15…(found in a random note after scouring the ‘Cuba phone’ for hours).

It took a while to piece together that Habana Mike from FOH was the same Mike from that night. Enter the pandemic… no travel and meetings. We were in the ‘world’s longest box pass’ and our turn provided some snags. A couple of the cigars were MIA from the list. One was not updated and one was not in the box. Mike being the generous guy he always was on the forum said don’t worry about it; we’ll have one when we meet up down the road. We put in some extras we thought he’d like; we didn’t want him to bear the brunt of the missing stick. We talked about meeting up in Atlanta someday as we travel there quite frequently. Every time we were over they were out of town or we were only in town for a hot Atlanta minute. Of course, there was the hesitation of what do you bring to share with the man who figuratively has JFK’s remaining smokes 😆 (as they ribbed him about in the thread.. 😂) but Mike would’ve made you feel like your brought Quinteros were as good as any Cohiba EL for a smoke and chat…. Just didn’t make it happen and they soon shipped off to the new digs.

You think you’ve got time… “once this pandemic clears up..,” “once we can get a week off and head down that way…”

Looked at the thread for some inspiration and would’ve loved to share a ‘Prince of Wales’

R&J Prince of Wales 1996 BMOCSA

 

Warm and dry day here in North Texas. Slight wind and peaceful in the low 70’s. Ibrahim Ferrer for the music selection. Squirreled away Santero 11 and bottled Topo Chico for the pairing. Wasn’t a fan of the method and reminded of the Pres ribbing Ken about his lighting methods but…Kitchen Torch at the ready.

Sweet and sourdough. Still has oomph, kick and tingle. Challenging the Santero for sweetness…

Enjoying the calm and reflection. Missing the Better Half at work a thousand miles away.

 

 

Our deepest condolences. May we meet again on the other side.

Rest In Peace Habana Mike. 

[Chas.Alpha]

I did not know Mike at all, save some Zoom sessions and a loosely tentative plan to meet up at a local cigar pub next time he was up my way. It was assumed that we would respectfully buy a cheap stick at their shop and smoke some of ours!  A few weeks back he and his wife were up in Jax picking up furniture and I suggested we meet up. He was to let me know when it was a better time, since this round was drive up, get furniture, drive back. 

This afternoon, Debbie and I went down to Island Girl Cigar on Atlantic Beach, where I had intended for Mike and I to meet. Nice pub, good mix of people. I brought a few smokes with me, never knowing what mood I’d be in when I arrived. I brought a M2, JL2, M1, D4 and a VR Unicos. Debbie asked if I was intending to meet new friends. I am rarely interested in such pursuits...

Lighting my Monte #1 in honor of my fallen FOH brother, I found myself in a conversation with Ken, a local defense attorney and his friend Chris, a former defensive end from FSU. Chris is now coaching a local high school football team. Ken doesn’t agree with my “hang all offenders” approach to law, but generally agree on most other things. I offered the JL2. He gladly accepts, but insists I try one of his favorites. I smoke it and display pleasure on my face. It’s a lie. Sorry. Once you are a FOH you can never go back.

I ended up giving my M2 and D4 to him after Ashley the waitress informed us that Ken had paid our bar tab. Ken and I exchanged information and will have another smoke together. This time I will bring a P Culebra, so he cannot refuse my offering.

Regrets to having never met Mike face to face. I’m certain we would have been fast friends...

[Fuzz]

23 hours ago, riderpride said:

Monte G.E. SEP NOV 10
Purchased Feb 2011 in Holguin
I took flyer on these and rescued from an over humidified vendor. No obvious water damage except for some minor cracked feet on two - just a couple mm.

Relatively good looking- slight box press that didn't round again after the humidity.
Pre light draw - not much other than typical Monte flavors.
Initial draw after lighting - blast of milk chocolate and wafer cookies
1/3 sweet chocolate mousse, a hint of coffee with a pleasant bitter aftertaste. Burn was askew after sleeping for so long without a proper dry-box to even the humidity,  but it didn't stray for long.
2/3 chocolate became more of a bitter bakers chocolate and a hearty Guinness-like flavour entersas does a suble grassyness. Burn is near even.
3/3 full on chocolate stout with heavy nuts and a hint of citrus. Nicotine has come to say 'hello'. Total burn time was approx 80 minutes.
Final thoughts - as mentioned in Mike's 'No Time Like The Present' thread, I was inspired to crack open and enjoy some boxes over the last few years that I was saving for no particular reason. This box was purchased on our honeymoon and I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on the wedding,  my wife , and our family. The stick performed well, construction was flawless and the flavors were true to memory. It's been 5 or 6 years since I last lit one up, so it's hard to recall how much they have evolved in that time. It's hard to score it fairly with all of the nostalgia attached to it,  but I'll give it a solid 93/94.

Cheers all, and a giant thanks to Mike!

Jinx! I lit up my Monte 2010 LE last night too!

[Philc2001]

Partagas Lonsdale 1999

This is one I was saving for a special occasion and this is it; in honor of Habana Mike.

I’m pairing this with a 2018 old vine Zinfandel, aptly called CIGAR, produced by one of favorite wineries; Lodi, in California. The back label reads; “My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them.” — by Winston Churchill.

The exact origin of this gorgeous Partagas Lonsdale is lost somewhere in my notes. It’s been in my collection for over a decade. It is well rolled, a little tight near the head, but it draws just the way I like, with a bit of resistance. The milk chocolate colored wrapper is nearly flawless, with only tiny veins throughout. The lovely balance in the hand, and the dimensions of the Lonsdale make it my favorite of all CC formats, such a shame the Cubans abandoned it.

The burn aroma of the first third is breathtaking, mild barnyard twang, cooking spices, earth, and a hint of cedar and nuts. The burn is perfect, even, and the ash hung on for over 2 inches before it broke off. This is a heavenly smoke, a rare breed.

The elegance of this Lonsdale is beyond description. The smooth blend of spices, earth, baked bread, leather and aged tobacco melds beautifully with the wine, leaving a subtle and complex aftertaste that lingers for several seconds. I am transported to another realm. The astringent quality of the wine perfectly cleanses the palate every few minutes, making the cigar flavors renewed and fresh.

There is a very delicate, complex, and highly enjoyable essence to this beautiful cigar. The aroma is intoxicating, it evokes memories of baking, roasting chestnuts and soft woods on a campfire. The taste is perfectly balanced with subtle, changing flavors, sometimes cooking spices, sometimes baking goods, a bit of leather here and there, just impossible to describe them all. There are ample volumes of smoke, and the lingering aftertaste is like velvet. Unlike more recent production of Partagas vitolas, there is not a single hint of pepper to this smoke, it is smooth and medium bodied, never harsh or bitter. The mid section passed by quietly and elegantly, holding me transfixed in the moment.

At the start of the final third I did a light touch up as the burn line was wavering slightly, and I did not want to risk letting it get too far off course. The aroma shifted slightly, producing more wood and less baked bread, but equally enjoyable. The flavors remained complex and perfectly balanced, with hints of fried mushrooms sneaking in periodically. Pure smoking bliss.

Nubbed at the last inch. This was a truly moving experience, as close to perfection as a cigar can be, I am giving this a perfect 10/10. There are few cigars of this pedigree that I have ever been fortunate enough to enjoy, I can only compare it to the handful of ERDM Tainos I smoked a few years go, and some distant memories of Punch Super Selection from decades ago. A truly memorable cigar. I am glad I got to experience this wonderful cigar in honor of our dear departed friend Mike.

 

My venue for this review:

[riderpride]

On 3/20/2022 at 2:04 PM, Fuzz said:

Jinx! I lit up my Monte 2010 LE last night too!

Okay  I owe you a coke, but you need to get to Calgary...

Cheers

[havanaclub]

Wanted to smoke something special in Mike’s honour. RIP

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chucko8]

Smoked a beautiful example of an SLR Lonsdale from ‘98 which Mike had gifted to me. Outstanding!

[Zaxeiler]

Didn't know Mike - but am blown away by his legacy as it shows through you all and your words/memories. As many others have said, reflecting made me realize there's no reason to be stockpiling for another day; instead choosing to live in the present.

While my war chest isn't as deep as your alls, I did elevate above my majority PCs and dipped into a Mag 46. It delighted me with sourdough, brown sugar, and stronger leather and black pepper. Very enjoyable. To Mike.

[Corylax18]

Mike's Passing hit me hard, it took me a day or so to even process the news. He and I had been in regular contact the last few months. Discussing Cuba travel plans, planning to meet up here in CO (if only he hadn't hurt himself skiing), the normal stuff. We met up several times around the states, but the majority of the time I spent with Him was in Cuba. 

Fortunately my last memory of Mike is a good one. We where able to Facetime while I was in Cuba, I was holding his 1 month old God Daughter and breaking bread with his "Cuban Family." Kelly was with him, it was late, we'd all been drinking, It was wonderful, all smiles and love, a perfect memory. They are as devastated as any of us that Mike is gone. 

I picked out a couple Cigars to smoke over the weekend with Mike in Mind. First in the spirit of his "no time like the present" thread I started my Birthday Saturday off with a Diplomaticos Bushido that I grabbed from Mike during one of the many box passes he organized. It was a wonderful 2 hours, great construction, very tasty and a perfect cigar for the occasion. 

I also pulled an H. Upmann Noella from a Jar that I purchased in April 2019, during a fishing trip with @Habana Mike and @madandana. We smoked through about half the Jar during the long weekend of fishing and cigars shopping. They where fresh and ballsy on that trip, perfect for the last cigar of a long day. I spent several late hours with Mike on that trip smoking Noellas and drinking Santiago 11. The cigars have lost a lot of their edge in the last few years but the spine of black coffee is still there, construction on this example was perfect and I'll think of Mike as I smoke the last few cigars. 

 

[HuffnPuffff]

I recently left Hong Kong for several months for the USA and didn’t bring any smokes with me. Had I been in Hong Kong I would have fired up the 1 remaining Lusi I have from a 1999 box I picked up with my Dad in Havana. I didn't know Mike well but did enjoy the interactions I did have with him, and very much respected his demeanour.
So I found a 1964 Padron Maduro at a local store, a couple of milk stout beers, and went for a hike with an audio book - The Next 100 Years. It was during working hours, but thinking about the future counts as work for me, so off I went.
I didn't think about the cigar too much as was too busy on the next 100 years, but I enjoyed it and being outside on a decent mountain with some sun and some beer. A couple of squirrels and chipmunks hoped in and out of site, and some sort of dramatic looking hawk wafted overhead. They seem to like circling overhead when I'm smoking in Hong Kong - I've always thought they are birds of good taste.
Here's to our fallen friend and the contribution so many make to this thoughtful community. Best wishes all






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Fuzz]

4 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

They where fresh and ballsy on that trip....

 

Yep, that sounds like the two Mikes.

[MossybackR]

6 hours ago, HuffnPuffff said:

1964 Padron Maduro at a local store, a couple of milk stout beers,

The Left Hand stout on nitro is a great pairing with a lot of cigars. My current favorite.