Cigar:            RyJ Vintage III

Size:             50 x 5.0

Country:          DR

Wrapper:          ECCT, N

Binder:           Mex

Filler:           DR

Flavor Strength:  Mild-Med

NicotineStength:  Mild-Med

Date Received:    2004-08-02 from Cigar Magazine

Suspected Age:    Not old enough

Vendor/Price:     JR / $130/box

Beverage(s):      Water

Smoke time:       45 minutes

Date:             2005-02-23

Posted to ASC:    2005-02-27

Overall:    Yuck.  Generally bitter and harsh.  Not worth smoking.

Ambience:   Lit up for the de-planing after a 4 hour flight to bag three new airports, YKM, 1S5, and S40.  Smoked in hangar and car on the way home.

Construction:     Very nice, light colored wrapper with few small veins.  Even construction with no obvious flaws. 

Cut & Prelight:   Cut well, good draw.  Mild aroma and draw flavor.  At first I thought there was some barnyard in the aroma, but then noticed I was passing the Marsh Road Dairy.

First third:      First peppery, some wood, then - gack!  Prefect burn with a snow white, very firm, compact ash.  Smoke voluminous.  Flavor bitter.  Finish mild.

Second third:     Harsh as well as bitter, though there is an occasional mildly pleasurable note.  I would have thrown it out the window before the halfway point, but I was on a busy highway.

Third third:      Never got here.  Abandoned at 2".