Today’s cigar is named after Art Kalasho, who was referred to as “The Best” by people who knew him. In addition to his admirable traits Art was also a dedicated philanthropist and as a result, a portion of the proceeds from each cigar will be donated by the manufacturer to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital as well as Art’s wife, and their children.
Cigar: Spirit of Art
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Not Disclosed
Filler: Not Disclosed
Length: 4.75
Ring: 52
Size: SOA 52 (Robusto)
The Look: Packaged in 10 count boxes, the Spirit of Art is adorned by a matte band that has a portrait of Art Kalasho. As for the cigar, the Connecticut shade wrapper has a couple of ultra thin veins and a pig tail cap. There are some subtle oils and the cigar is firm to the touch with no voids of tobacco and a well packed foot.
The Notes: Once the cap is clipped there are earthy notes with a touch of sunflower seeds, specifically the unsalted variety. The foot of the cigar serves up some earthy components and the slightest hint of spice. Once the cigar is carefully toasted and lit, the first draw reveals a creamy note of vanilla that reminds me of cream soda.
As we move into the first half of the Spirt of Art the vanilla note fades, but the cigar remains buttery smooth until you get to the retorhale which serves up a nice blast of black pepper. As we progress toward the halfway point the pepper experienced on the retrohale begins to tone down as the cigar develops a butterscotch note and a hint of earth.
The second half of the cigar sees the earth become dominant with touches of nuts and a syrup like sweetness that reminds me of a high end sipping rum. As the cigar comes to a close some of the vanilla notes of the first half make a come back providing a smooth sweet finish.
The Finish: The price of the cigar usually keeps me away due to the fact for a few extra dollars I could smoke a different Costa Rican made masterpiece. However every time I light up a Spirit of Art I am impressed. It’s a very good smoke, that I would say is worth a 5 pack, however with the discounted 10 count box, it’s worth it splurging for the 10.
Score: 91
Price: $15.49 / $129.99
Spirt of Art 52
Spirt of Art 52 Foot
Spirt of Art 52 Burn
