No. 1 Limited Cigar of the Year 2022 – 22 Minutes to Midnight Connecticut Radiante

Unlike the artist formerly known as Prince, Lost & Found Cigars’ 22 Minutes to Midnight Connecticut Radiante is actually better known for its insignia: “23:38”. The cigar’s strange title stems from the timestamp of a text sent from company owners Tony Bellatto to Robert Caldwell, where Bellatto insisted that test blends he’d been smoking were “good enough for a project.” The first half of this project debuted in 2022, representing Robert Caldwell’s take on the concept with both Connecticut and Habano blend styles. These cigars helped to lead Lost & Found’s transition away from one-off releases and into a more traditional release strategy, being the most premium offerings in the company’s portfolio. Both cigars were rolled at the Ventura family’s El Maestro factory in the DR (as opposed to their more prominent Tabacalera William Ventura factory), having a limited/ongoing release strategy of roughly two shipments per year. Each version features an undisclosed recipe, being topped with either Connecticut or Habano wrapper styles. And while each cigar performed quite well in our assessments, it was the Connecticut Radiante that wowed the panel. The cigar performs just under medium in body, with flavor rising to full territory. It doesn’t have the overly smooth or nuanced feel of a traditional Connecticut, coming across as more of a blend between Connecticut and Habano. This includes a fuller smoke texture and zestiness in flavor (especially through the retrohale), with Cubanesque characteristics of buttered toast, coat closet mustiness, aromatic florals, white pepper, and an irresistible Creamsicle flavor quality.

22 Minutes to Midnight Connecticut Radiante Breakdown

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