Powstanie Wojtek 2021

It’s not every day that you see an illustrated, roaring brown bear wearing a sizable necklace on a box of cigars, but when you do, it means that inside that box is Powstanie’s annual limited edition, the Wojtek.

The line debuted in 2019 and has made an appearance in each of the subsequent years, though with some differences in the vitolas. The first year saw a perfecto vitola, the follow up release was a fairly standard toro, while the third installment saw that toro get a box press.

For the 2021 edition, the Wojtek is a 6 x 52 box-pressed toro, with a very subtle barber pole design created from an Ecuadorian habano leaf and a Mexican San Andrés leaf. Under those wrappers are an Indonesian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, the same blend that the Wojtek has used since its debut. If the blend looks familiar, it is because it is a modified version of the Powstanie Habano line, though that line only uses the Ecuadorian habano wrapper as opposed to the two leaves used on the Wojtek.

Production is limited to 500 boxes of 21 cigars, with each stick having an MSRP of $13.40.

As for that bear, it is a reference to a Syrian brown bear that was purchased by the Polish soldiers at a railway station in Hamadan, Iran. The bear was trained to help move crates of ammunition during World War II, and even enlisted as a soldier to arrange for his food and transportation. The bear was eventually promoted to the rank of corporal, and after the war, became a bit of a celebrity.

• Cigar Reviewed: Powstanie Wojtek 2021
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos NicaSueño S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano) & Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Indonesia
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $13.40 (Box of 21, $281.40)
• Release Date: November 2021
• Number of Cigars Released: 500 Boxes of 21 Cigars (10,500 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Having reviewed a few box-pressed cigars lately, I go right into inspecting the firmness of the Powstanie Wojtek 2021, and find that it’s pretty inline with the norms for the vitola. It’s not quite as consistent, but none of the spots are overly soft or firm. The wrapper has a slightly oily, slightly textured feel to my fingers, the latter almost like sausage as opposed to having a fine grit or velvety texture. It’s only then that I notice the darker stripe of cigar that makes its way up the cigar in barber pole fashion. It’s easy to see when looking right at the cigar, but if you pull the cigar out of its cellophane without paying close attention to it, the two shades are so close that it’s somewhat easy to overlook. Those dark brown colors also set the stage for the red, silver and white of the bands really contrast with the leaf. Construction appears good overall, though one sample’s head and cap has the appearance of a ball cap being a size or two to big, as some parts of the tobacco don’t touch the rest of the cigar. The foot of the cigar offers an impressively complex aroma, mixing the meatiness of cured salami with mixed nuts and a bit of light pepper, with the first two seemingly contributing a bit of oiliness as well. It’s an interesting contrast to the wrapper on its own, which is dry and offers a light bit of earth. While air moves well on the cold draw, the flavor isn’t quite as complex as the aroma. There’s still some salami, and now a bit more black pepper as well as some dry earth, but the oiliness and nuttiness aren’t present.

The Powstanie Wojtek 2021 starts off with a lip and tongue-tingling flavor that is a mix of dry tobacco and mixed black and white pepper. Retrohales have more white pepper, and deliver a quick tingle to the nostrils, with some black pepper finishing off the experience. The cigar then works its way into a fairly earthy profile within the first inch, a profile that is on the drier side of the spectrum and the midway point of how heavy the earthiness is on my palate. There is some jockeying for the secondary flavors, as a rich but dry wood and black pepper are accents, with the pepper notably moving out of the role of driving the flavor as it had at the start. Flavor is an earthy medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium-minus. Construction and combustion are both good, although the burn line is getting a bit uneven and may need attention before long.

While the Powstanie Wojtek 2021 is still quite earthy as the second third gets underway, I begin to pick up the flavor of peanuts, the first sign that the profile is lightening up a bit without completely giving up its earthy beginning. There’s a bit of cedar and just a touch of related sweetness begins to come through the profile as well. As the cigar hits its midway point, there’s a bit of creaminess beginning to come out, and the pepper gives way to a bit of spiciness, a light version of a red chili pepper sauce. Retrohales, meanwhile, are still delivering a good amount of more straightforward pepper that accents and brightens up the flavor. The burn line does get a bit more problematic in the second third, in one cigar I get a peninsula of unburnt tobacco sticking out into a sea of dark grey ash, while another does just the opposite. Otherwise, the Wojtek 2021 performs pretty well with regular puffs, producing plenty of smoke and offering an easy draw. Flavor has dialed back to medium-plus, body has filled out to medium-full, and strength is now a bit over medium.

The final third of the Powstanie Wojtek 2021 sees the flavor turn its most complex, though in this case I don’t think it’s a great development. There’s still the spicy flavor from the second third, and while it feels like the earthiness from the first third is returning, it’s either taken a funky turn or the two things just aren’t in harmony. As the spiciness begins to fall away, the earth takes the lead in the profile and the flavor improves, though it is now a pretty hearty, rocky earth flavor with a bit of black pepper accent that cranks up the robustness of the profile. With the conclusion of the cigar approaching, a big, bright flavor that reminds me of a cross between wheat bread and pencil wood enters the profile, while the finish gets just a bit funky, not necessarily harsh or bitter, but the earth is leaving an interesting taste in my mouth. The technical aspects aren’t perfect but they are manageable. Smoke production is consistently solid, the burn line is easy to touch up and straighten, and the combustion hiccups are sporadic and avoided with an adjusted puffing rate. Flavor finishes medium-full if not outright full, body is medium-full, and strength has crept up to medium-plus.

Final Notes

• While complexity in cigars is rightly to be praised in most cases, the start of the final third shows that complexity isn’t always a great thing. Just like there are likely some foods in your refrigerator that you like on their own but wouldn’t be great together, that describes the situation I found here.
• Wojtek the bear might not have smoked cigars, but there are stories of him smoking or eating cigarettes both during the war and following it during his time in the Edinburgh Zoo. He also had a fondness for coffee, apparently.
• Wojtek died in December 1963 at the age of 21.
• Someone needs to update the Wojtek Wikipedia page to make reference of this cigar as part of his legacy.
• I can’t be certain that I’ve smoked either of the two previous Wojtek releases, so I’ll abstain on making comparisons to them.
• The nicotine strength of the Powstanie Wojtek 2021 does get into medium-plus territory, but it didn’t leave me with feeling any ill effects.
• Site sponsor Cigar Hustler is owned by the same family as Powstanie.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 40 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Cigar Hustler and Famous Smoke Shop carry the Powstanie Wojtek 2021.