Cigar Review: Powstanie Broadleaf Toro

Like many of you, I’m sure, I’ve been a huge fan of RoMa Craft Tobac for years. In my estimation, the entire RoMa portfolio is well-made, expertly blended, and relatively easy on the wallet. The Intemperance BA XXI A.W.S. IV, especially, has long been a favorite of mine.

I tend to think of the RoMa Craft Tobac family extending beyond the core RoMa blends (Intemperance, CroMagnon, Neanderthal) to all cigars made at Fabrica de Tabacos NicaSueño S.A. in Estelí. While technically inaccurate, this frame of mind is not wholly inappropriate since, in my experience, I’ve yet to run across a NicaSueño cigar that wasn’t satisfying, tasty, and well-constructed.

Fable is one non-RoMa cigar made at NicaSueño. Powstanie is another. It is made for Pospiech Cigars, a distributor owned by CigarHustler.com owners Mike and Greg Szczepankiewicz. The name (pronounced poh-stahn-ya) honors the Warsaw Uprising—a 1944 underground operation aimed at liberating the city from German control. It comes in three blends: Habano, SBC16 (barber pole), and Broadleaf.

The Powstanie Broadleaf is available in four vitolas: Toro (6 x 52), Perfecto (5 x 50), Robusto (5 x 50), and Belicoso (5.5 x 54). In addition to a Broadleaf wrapper, these cigars feature Indonesian binders and a filler blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos (Estelí Ligero, Jalapa, and Pueblo Nuevo).

The Toro retails for about $10 and is packaged in boxes of 21. It is an oily, firm cigar with zero soft spots and attractive dual bands of red, white, and silver. The logo and colors are clearly a nod to the “anchor emblem” of the Polish resistance. The thickness of the Broadleaf wrapper results in noticeable seams and a few prominent veins.

The cold draw is slightly stiff with a pre-light flavor of dried apricot. At the foot, there is surprisingly little aroma, save for molasses and an earthy mustiness.

It’s amazing how quickly the draw opens right up as soon as an even light is established. The ensuing smoke production, which is voluminous, has a medium- to full-bodied profile of cereals, roast cashew, green raisin, and some warm tobacco sweetness on the finish. The texture is bready. As the finish lingers, I notice black pepper spice on the tip of the tongue.

As the Toro progresses, the spice remains somewhat muted, yet the body swings more decidedly towards the full-bodied spectrum. The fundamental flavors remain unchanged. Throughout, the combustion properties are solid. I would only add that the ash tends to fall off a bit prematurely, and the burn line does require a touch-up here and there to stay even.

Whatever minor shortcomings the Powstanie Broadleaf Toro has in the physical department, though, are more than made up for in flavor. This cigar has balance and complexity, and—despite the 90-minute plus smoke time—does not overstay its welcome. And here’s the kicker: For over a decade I’ve said the highest compliment I can pay a cigar is wanting to smoke another once I finish it. I feel that way about this one, which is ultimately why I’m awarding it four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys