Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut River Valley stalk-cut and stalk-cured sun-grown Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan: Extensively-aged ligero from the Nueva Segovia region along the Nicaraguan border of Honduras
Size: 5 x 54 Robusto Box Pressed
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $11.20

I bought a couple of singles from Atlantic Cigar two months ago. The reason I am reviewing it a bit early is that these are limited editions…but no quantities have been disclosed. If this is a great cigar or shows great potential…you have an opportunity to snag some before they are gone, baby, gone.

BACKGROUND:
Released October 2021
Limited Production (No info on quantities)
From Drew Estate:
“Drew Estate released the first Undercrown Dojo Dogma to celebrate Cigar Dojo’s first anniversary in 2014 to massive acclaim. The first Undercrown Dojo Dogma Sun Grown appeared three years later after the Cigar Dojo team named Drew Estate’s Undercrown Sun Grown its “Cigar of the Year.” Since then, the annual release of Undercrown Dojo Dogma has become highly anticipated for cigar connoisseurs who quickly snatch up the limited-edition box-pressed cigars.”

APPEARANCE:
I find the Dogma a very attractive cigar. The box press is crisp. The cigar is devoid, mostly, of veins. Seams are invisible like my profit and loss statement to the IRS. The triple cap is done nicely. The hue of the wrapper is merely a brown bag color. The wrapper is smooth as ice…no tooth. And now the cigar bands. You talkin’ to me? Are you talkin’ to me? (Brain spasm). Three large bands cover up 52.17% of the cigar. Lastly, the cigar is very heavy in the hand. A bad mamma jamma.

SMELL THE GLOVE:
Fat perfumy floral notes enlighten and give hope. Beautifully dark chocolate, almonds and Brazil nuts, creamy vanilla, fruity taffy, malt, espresso, charred steak, cedar, plus notes that are very secretive.

The cold draw presents flavors of corn flakes, chocolate, espresso, creaminess, red pepper, nut butter, oakiness, vanilla, lemon rind, and black beans.

The cigar enjoys excellent construction as the draw is right on…just the way l like it, uh-huh, uh-huh. I use my tongs, which are normally used to stuff my winkie back into my jeans, to grab the PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool and place it on my holy designated arc of the covenant…the back of the refrigerator…next to the cheese that shriveled and died a year ago.

FIRST THIRD:
I kneel and genuflect to the Cosmic Muffin asking that this cigar knock it out of the park. I’m not in the mood to write a bummer review. Lack of sleep has erased my sense of humor…such that it is.

Before I forget, Oh Great Cosmic Muffin…please no issues with the burn as you know that box pressed cigars hate me with a white-hot passion. I sprinkle some water on my face and put lighter to foot.

Starts out great. My first note of flavor is a piquant sweet orange. Must be all those orange cigar bands. In lockstep, red pepper that seems to want to grow up to be black pepper, a slight touch of caramel, there are those corn flakes again, espresso, licorice, malt, no chocolate…wonder where that went?

The start signals an oncoming rush of complexity and character. Make me proud my good little Dogma. Who loves you? C’mon…who’s your daddy?

I always thought that dogma meant a female dog that is a mommy. But then I wondered why isn’t there a dogpa? This is discrimination. I figured it out when I was 51.

I admit I am a fan of Sun Grown tobacco.

The cigar is going to be a winner. I just started and Pandora is playing “Badge” by Cream. A bass player’s dream in a club. Everyone always got excited when they heard the opening riff…and rushed to the dance floor.

Strength starts out medium.

The citrus is potent, yet it seems to have picked up lemon and lime as well as the orange flavor. My cheeks are puckered.

The sweet outweighs the savory at this early stage.

Shhhhh…the char line is a thing of beauty. I am whispering this.
I can taste the super aged Nicaraguan ligero. Yet, because it is extensively aged, it has put a lid on its potency.

“Your Time Is Gonna Come” by Led Zep is now playing. A message from the gods that this will be a fun cigar.

A very slow roll. This will be at least a 90-minute Robusto.
Savory appears in nut meats, charred steak, and malt.
Balance is now on the money.

This is a very surprising blend. The mish mosh of mostly exotic tobacco is making a dent. I tire easily of the usual Nic heavy blends. After a while, they begin to taste the same.

The complexity is off and running. Transitions begin. The finish is heavy on citrus and black pepper.

I taste a fruity cereal. Or maybe it’s just lox and bagels. Not sure.

This cigar is going to be a killer with a few more months of humidor time. I checked and the Maduro version is selling faster than this Sun Grown. And some online stores have been wiped out. I believe my decision to review this cigar early was the right thing to do.
I paid just over $10 for this cigar at Atlantic. I’m amazed at the humility that sometimes appears out of the brains of cigar manufacturers. I am equally amazed at the idiocy of other cigar manufacturers when they put out a piece of shit for $20.

This cigar is a good buy for a sawbuck.

There will be a nice, sweet spot in the second half showing me what the cigar will taste like with more humidor time.
The Dogma still retains an easy-going medium strength.
Now it reminds me of an orange Creamsicle.
The complexity continues to dig its heels in.

SECOND THIRD:
I like this stick. I chose this over the Maduro because I smoke a lot of Maduro blends. As this blend is disappearing quickly, many other smokers share the same habit.

Some pretzel attends the banquet.

At the moment, while flavors do pop up, it appears that this blend was designed so that the sum exceeds its parts. Flavors are actually nuances and subtleties. While the main push is the taste of a myriad of tobaccos and the influence of its aging.

I was going through a box of old photos and found this one below. It was taken in 1979. This was my Australian girlfriend with that gorgeous natural red hair. Can’t remember her name. And the stupid tee shirt? My buddy Doug who ventured unwisely with me as a skydiving companion had the shirts made for us. I thought it was pretty stupid and that’s why I hid the shirt underneath a sweater. This was when I could have sex for more than 6 minutes. If I’m with Charlotte, the mean average goes up to 8.5 minutes.

The depth of the tobacco runs the show. The transitions that dart by create nice accents. I like the uniqueness of this blend. And I shall reward it handsomely.

As I approach the halfway point, the character of the cigar jumps exponentially.
Now, I dig a pony.

The balance should be proud of itself.
I plan on buying some more so I can let them hibernate.
This is a healing and soothing cigar…like Lourdes.
My hump begins to disappear. A miracle. If only these cigars were available to Marty Feldman when he was Igor.

Nothing linear happening. Damn the torpedoes.
Halfway point has landed.

It makes me wonder which of the tobaccos provides this orange Creamsicle series of bursts. Or it might be as simple as the interaction of all the tobaccos at full speed ahead.

The unique quality of this blend makes it a must try.
Strength reaches medium/full.
It has taken 45 minutes to get here.

More flavor points: cinnamon graham cracker, malt and hops, beef jerky, and coconut.

A lot of lip smacking is going on. I am sucking up all the intensity the cigar offers.

Yesterday, I wrote that I thought I had stepped on my own dick by sending the Humane Society boss lady a copy of my gopher story. She didn’t get back to me for 3 days. I just knew I stupidly lost the gig. I did receive an email from her right after my review yesterday and all is kosher. I start Feb.1. They will ease me into the position by participating in cutting off the nads of both dogs and cats. Not looking forward to that. I really hope she was kidding. Read me once and you turn into a smart ass.

The Dogma is cruising along. Increasing its potential in milestones along the way.

The cigar is super complex now as flavors meld into a fast-moving carousel.
When I worked at Knott’s Berry Farm in high school and part of college, I was the steamboat captain. But I also needed to know how to run the carousel. Getting on and off the thing while it is moving is a trick of physics. By making it look so easy, too many parents thought they wanted to get on or off while the thing was moving. Every single one went into splat mode. The liability laws were lax back then. I loved watching a father step off the moving merry go round and doing it wrong and displayed Olympic style tumbling. Good times.

The best part of that job was when some kid who had consumed too much crap food would vomit in the boat. The floor of the boat had rubber mats with ribbing on them. Any idea what it was like to clean vomit from the deep recesses of these mats? Gagging was a regular ritual.

But there were girl employees by the hundreds, and I made it my mission to date them all. Naturally, at one point, the girls all talked about me behind my back, and I got hateful looks regularly. I stopped buying Cokes for fear of a girl spitting into it.
Where was I?

LAST THIRD:
Sweet spot galore.
No new flavors. But then none of them have disappeared.

A bit of nicotine makes its play. The laptop screen becomes fuzzy.

I reviewed the Undercrown Dogma Maduro in 2014. I liked it but did not love it.
But oddly, some of the same characteristics were at play. They myriad of oddball flavors took front and center.

The sweet flavors now overwhelm the savory points. That’s OK as I love these notes due to their eccentricity.

The Sumatra wrapper has always shown issues on any cigar I’ve smoked. It is a delicate thing. And as the cigar finds its way to the finish line, I am observing similar problems.
But it is not un-smokeable.

Sips of water emphasize the sweet factors.

When I was 19, my band had a drummer who drove an ice cream truck. We found out that he was selling weed to the regulars. Not the kids, the parents. Can you imagine that today? But then I have not seen an ice cream truck in decades.

The citrus influence is up front and center stage.
Chocolate and espresso notes are barely there.
Overall, this was a mighty fine experience.

Atlantic Cigar is running low on the Sun Grown blend. Should you heed my advice, please mention it was me that sent you.
If they are out by the time, you are ready to make a purchase, there are plenty of online stores selling them. But prices are not as low as Atlantic.

RATING: 94

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS