I was part of a historic stock market crash, and so were you. You see how people still talk about “The Great Depression” and people jumping out of windows? Well that’s what our next generation will say 20 years from now about today, except we no longer jump out of windows when things don’t go our way. Instead we drink wine and smoke cigars. With an over 777 point drop in the Dow Industrial Average and about one trillion dollars in market value disappearing into thin air, I decided to drink a 2002 Vintage Crianza from Spain. Crianza wines are kept in oak barrels for over a year before being bottled. I let it sit out for about 30 minutes and wanted to air it for an additional 15 minutes but the market kept dropping so I just had to start drinking. It went well with a Don Kiki Brown Label Toro. It probably was not the best wine match for this cigar. The Brown Label Toro is a must for anyone who enjoys a rich and smooth tobacco taste. It has a dark and shiny Criollo wrapper and is extremely well made. For the price, it’s one of the best deals out there.
The first half was very good and extremely smooth. Rich in chocolate notes and earthy tones with a naturally sweet tobacco taste. The second half was incredible and highlighted the chocolate but with an extremely smooth leathery tobacco taste surrounded by cream. I just couldn’t put it down, except to drink the Crianza wine that had by now properly aired its 6 years of aging.
Now I know why the Don Kiki Brown Label got a 9.4 rating by Smoke Magazines’ tasting panel. I’m not sure if the Crianza was the perfect wine for this medium to full bodied cigar. A Merlot may have been better as it felt that I was missing those berry tones that Merlot wines have. It would have complemented the Brown Label better, but that could just be in my mind. Next time I smoke a Don Kiki Brown Toro, I’ll try it with a nice Merlot and report back. Hopefully it’ll be a celebration cause the stock market bounced back and the economy is back on track.