Cigar Review: 15 Minutes of Fame

March 9, 2023 by Gabriel Bass in Cigar Certified

Cigar Review: Lost & Found-15 Minutes of Fame

Originally produced in collaboration with Privada Cigar Club as the Cookie Monster, the blend that composes the 15 Minutes of Fame Lancero has proven remarkably popular, and remarkably long-lived for a limited-run cigar. All the better for us as — spoiler alert — it's a very nice blend.

The stick was commissioned by Lost and Found and made in an undisclosed factory in the Dominican Republic. It's comprised of a Dominican Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Dominican fillers, and offered in a single 7" by 40 ring gauge Lancero vitola. Lost and Found is a unique project in the world of premium cigars: Founded by Robert Caldewell of Caldwell cigars, Tony Belatto of La Barba, and Jaclyn Sears, the company doesn't make its cigars — rather, they commission high quality blends rolled in some of the finest factories in the industry, as well as offering cigars that have remained unsold from adept tabacaleras, creating a varied and unique portfolio.

The 15 Minutes of Fame is a well-constructed cigar, with a smooth, oily wrapper that admirably maintains its integrity through the cutting process. The band is a soft blue with understated artwork consisting of the cigar's name and a tasteful crest design. I used a Toscano guillotine cutter, which left me with a clean, even foot. The cold draw is clear, but appropriately tight, with sweet notes of hay and cedar. The light was easy, as is often the case with smaller ring gauge vitolas like the Lancero.

The Lonsdale and Lancero sizes are my personal favorites thanks to their easy light-ability, especially since I use only cheap gas-station lighters. After the first light, the cigar offers a smooth, medium-bodied smoke with rich cedar notes and a pleasant, un-cloying sweetness. The flavor profile is consistent throughout the first third, developing notes of cream, nutmeg, and leather. I can only describe the smoke itself as somewhat fluffy and particularly pleasant.

Moving into the cigar's second third, 15 Minutes of Fame remains mostly consistent with the first. The flavors are engagingly complex and reward close attention without being overly demanding, which makes it a great choice for a work-day smoke. As a Habano, it's among the lighter cigars of its kind, with a more medium strength than others. The mid-smoke is richer in cedar notes, with increased hints of nutmeg and allspice. The burn is mostly even, with a bit of canoeing that evens out with time in the four cigars that I smoked for this review.

The third portion of this cigar is where it becomes most engaging, with the excellent Habano wrapper dominating the flavor profile. Overall, the flavor darkens significantly, with rich mocha notes blending seamlessly with the delicate creaminess of the early smoke. Later, these flavors meld with bready notes, with the earlier sweetness ebbing into a deep, earthy background.

The retrohale is rich with black pepper and cedar, with a pleasantly bracing bitterness that would pair excellently with coffee or pu-erh tea. As the cigar winds down, the hay notes evolve into flavors of fresh bread, while the consistent touches of cedar are joined by rich mocha and allspice. Occupying a sparce niche in cigars, 15 Minutes of Fame offers a mellow-bodied, sweeter style of Habano experience. It's a terrific choice for smokers wanting an excellent cigar that doesn't monopolize one's full attention to appreciate it.

The smoking experience offered by Lost and Found's 15 Minutes of Fame is highly rewarding. The cigar is well constructed and burns nicely, providing a clean, even draw from head to foot. The flavors start strong from the light, creating rich, creamy smoke that tends toward the lighter ends of the Habano spectrum, redolent with dark leather and rich cedar notes that are well-balanced by traces of hay and sweet cream.

The second half of the cigar doesn't develop a much wider array of flavors; however, the consistency of the cedar notes as they mix with subtle touches of nutmeg and allspice provides an excellent and straightforward smoke. It's at its best at the finish, where it opens up to dark mocha notes that meld perfectly with bready flavors and just the right hint of bitterness. For anyone in search of a cigar to smoke three of over the course of an afternoon, 15 Minutes of Fame is an excellent choice that maintains interest without distracting from important tasks at hand.