POWSTANIE SBC22

A CIGAR TO HONOR THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE POSTANIE POSSIBLE

Brothers Greg and Mike Szczepankiewicz run the Cigar Hustler shop in Deltona, FL and are behind the Powstanie brand.  If you are unfamiliar with the Powstanie brand, the name is a Polish word meaning to Rise. The name of this cigar is an acronym for Surrounded By Champions and is the fourth iteration of the SBC cigar line. The cigar is an homage to all of the people that made Powstanie a possibility.

PRELIGHT

The SBC22 is a 5 ¾  X 46 Corona Gorda with undisclosed tobacco blended by Skip Martin of RoMa Craft fame at his Fábrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua. The cigar weighed in at an even 12g. The SBC22 officially launched at my local cigar lounge, Smoke on the Water in Weston, FL at the end of 2023. I couldn’t attend in person but made sure to pick up some on my next visit. A single cigar was selling for about $20.

The expertly crafted barber pole wrapper, purple band with neon green is very eye catching. The dark chocolate wrapper had a matte, rough texture with a seamless lighter tobacco band spiraling down the body of the cigar. The 46-ring is the perfect size for me, it causes no jaw fatigue and provides an excellent wrapper to filler ratio.

Wrapper aroma brought hay and coffee to mind. Using a perfect cut to snip off the dark colored cap and taking a cold draw reminded me of raisins. The draw was excellent, the perfect amount of resistance.

FIRST THIRD

Toasting the foot of the SBC22, the smoke aroma had a sweet quality to it. The first puff presented lots of pepper spice, a citrus fruity zing, and herbal medicinal tea quality. The smoke was plentiful with each puff and there was no need to draw more than once. The smoke may not have been super heavy and full, but you knew it was in your mouth and it had tons of the flavors described. The finish on the cigar really hangs around on the palate and mellows into that fruity raisin note.

I’m amused because I know that Skip Martin gives no credence to flavor notes, he believes in good, fermented tobacco. The SBC22 blender used good tobaccos that presented a lasting finish leaving no doubt that you had just enjoyed a well sourced and crafted cigar. The retro was a blast of citrus spice and sweet tobacco notes. It burned the nose and sinus but did not cause tearing so I would place the strength as medium-full. There was a lot to pull apart and try to take note of happening on the palate.

SECOND THIRD

As the second third and midpoint of the cigar approached, the strength eased slightly and I got the impression of a powder cocoa along with the citrus, raisin sweetness and pepper. There was also a slight musty flavor and umami that I noted on the retro hale. The smoke output of this cigar was impressive considering the reasonably sized vitola.  The ash had been falling off in regular solid chunks and was a stark white color. I seemed to get to the midpoint of the cigar quickly, about 20 minutes or so, and then the burn slowed down and the last half of this stick took an hour longer to finish.

FINAL THIRD

Burn draw and flavors all carried over to the final third but I did notice a significant drop in strength and an increase in cocoa. Gone was the strong pepper notes, the fruity citrus remained and a medicinal flavor was introduced. I also detected some salt on the roof of my mouth and as the burn inched closer to my fingers a slight char started to come forward. The temperature of the smoke drawing in started to get hotter and that was it for the SBC22.

The SBC22 is not an inexpensive cigar, and it was produced in limited quantities so if you want to experience this cigar you better hurry. I enjoyed the vitola, loved the flavors, didn’t feel bowled over by the cigar strength so it was a positive experience. Not sure that I would smoke these regularly with there being so many other great choices in the Powstanie line. Their Broadleaf is one of my go to cigars and I just got my hands on their new Connecticut, which I’ll cover here soon.

I had two relights while reviewing the SBC22 which affected my scoring. I would have liked to have seen the pepper settled down a little earlier and more of the cocoa notes. If you want a raisin sweet, citrus pepper bomb, then pick up the SBC22, this is your stick.

I rated the Powstanie SBC22 an 87. Cost will keep this one in the humidor and out of the daily rotation. Like the name implies, this cigar should be enjoyed on special occasions, surrounded by good people.