Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the box pressed Powstanie Catastrophic Failure is light brown with some darker splotches and has some raised veins that carry a lighter color to them. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, with the primary being silver red and black, with the initials of the line on front and the company logo on back. The foot has a black ribbon. The aroma from the wrapper is earth and cedar, while the foot brings earth, cedar and construction paper. The pre-light draw brings lightly sweet cedar and some floral notes along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Powstanie Catastrophic Failure is finished with a silky wrapper that is between Natural and Colorado in coloring. It is firm in hand and nicely pressed. There are small veins present throughout, and it has a classic natural brown coloring. The wrapper has an aroma of soft spices, leather, tobacco and wood, while the foot is giving off rich earth notes with spices and tobacco.
John: The Powstanie Catastrophic Failure comes in cellophane, and it has a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear space. It has a primary band with a red symbol on matte silver background and there is also a black ribbon foot band. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a soft box press shape to it. I weighed the cigar at 14.3 grams. For aromas, there is light barnyard, sweet tobacco and hay coming off the wrapper. From the foot, there is sweet tobacco, and tobacco that reminds me of a pilon, as well as earth and aged wood.
Jiunn: The Powstanie Catastrophic Failure has a velvety smooth texture to the overall Colorado wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas indicate ample cedar, hay and subtle dried nuts.

Powstanie Catastrophic Failure

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with heavily toasted cedar and some bold baking spice. At a quarter inch, some earth becomes present as the baking spice mellows slightly. The retrohale is heavily toasted cedar, zingy baking spice and some earth. At an inch in, the earth is now just behind the cedar, with the baking spice mellowing a bit more. As the third comes to a close, the heavily toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with the baking spice in the middle of the profile. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third of the cigar starts out with a fairly dryer flavor profile. There are some earth and wood notes that are paired with some white peppery spices. Some toasty qualities are present as well, with a finish of strong tobacco and coffee grinds. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third starts out with mild spices and sweet tobacco as wood follows at light-plus strength, finishing and lingering in the post draw. There is also a delayed red pepper flake on the post draw that immediately builds in strength from light-plus all the way up to medium. As the first third continues, creamy tobacco leads off on the retrohale with medium-minus strength baking spices in the center of the profile. The spices join with lingering wood through the finish and on the post draw. The first third settles in with baking spices that have now receded back to light-plus strength, becoming a supporting note. Bread joins the retrohale as the cigar moves to the halfway point. Through the bottom half, black pepper is joining the post draw combining with sweet tobacco.
Jiunn: The first third does a good job of giving a balance of sweetness and spice. Good levels of dried red pepper spice and naturally sweet dried nuts. Retrohaling provides increased intensities of both the spice and nuts. The finish is interestingly hollow and short. Strength is reaching towards medium-full, and body is medium.

Powstanie Catastrophic Failure

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the heavily toasted cedar is now carrying a light bitterness with it. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth becomes even with the heavily toasted cedar. The retrohale is now heavily toasted cedar and earth with very mild baking spice. At an inch in, some walnut shell joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the heavily toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with walnut shell in the middle of the profile and the baking spice a bit behind. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. White pepper and toasted wood notes up front. Dry earth with some additional spices, coffee grinds and tobacco as well. Bits of hay and charred wood on the finish. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy bread as black pepper joins the finish, lingering through the post draw at light-plus strength. As the second third settles in, the pepper is fading to a background note with baking spices coming into the center of the profile. I find the profile to be consistent to the halfway point where some nuttiness is joining the finish. Creamy tobacco leads through the bottom half, with baking spices in the center of the profile carrying into the finish and on the post draw where the nuts join in.
Jiunn: The second third shows deeper dried red pepper spice and cedar. There’s less dried nuts influence, losing out on the creamy sweetness the first third was providing. The finish is also less hollow, giving a longer lingering cedar. Strength and body remains medium.

Powstanie Catastrophic Failure

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the walnut shell is now not that far behind the toasted cedar and earth. The retrohale is now heavily toasted cedar, earth, walnut shell with very mild baking spice. At three quarters of an inch in, the cedar transitions to a light char. As the cigar wraps up, the lightly charred cedar and earth are even up front, with walnut shell and its bitterness just behind and some baking spice in the back half of the profile. The strength bumped up to medium-full.
Seth: The final third delivers a white pepper and charred flavor profile. Some mineral notes are present as well, and it has that dry earth, toast, wood, coffee grinds and tobacco profile. Medium-full in strength and body, the cigar delivers a stronger and somewhat harsher profile.
John: The last third greets me with creamy tobacco, wood in the center, and mild pepper to finish. As the last third settles in, the pepper is ramping back up to medium strength. The profile remains stable as it moves towards the halfway point, where earth joins the finish at medium strength. Tannic wood moves into the finish and carries into the post draw as the cigar progresses through the bottom half.
Jiunn: The final third is the same as second third such that it’s a profile filled with spice and wood, with the sweet and creaminess left off the profile. Strength ramps to medium-full, while body remains medium.

Powstanie Catastrophic Failure

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: The burn was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn had some mild waviness to start the first third, but it quickly self corrected. I found the burn to be almost entirely straight for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: Burn performance was overall solid aside from a complete re-light needed within the second third.

Powstanie Catastrophic Failure

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was great throughout the entire smoking experience.
John: I measured the draw with the CigarMedics draw tester machine to 38 inches of water. My subjective impression is that the draw was perfectly between the point of open and resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was perfect, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with heavily toasted cedar and some bold baking spice. Some earth joined in fairly quickly and built up through the third. The second third saw the cedar gain a light bitterness and later the earth became even with the cedar up front. Later some walnut shell joined the profile. The final third saw the walnut shell increase and show some bitterness while the cedar transitioned to a light char. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Powstanie Catastrophic Failure had an average flavor profile throughout, focused on the heavily toasted cedar and earth. The walnut shell was nice, but kept the profile in a dry state. Overall, the profile just didn’t do it for me as there needed to be some sweetness or creaminess to break up the dry components. Not sure I’d come back to this one.
Seth: I would not consider this Powstanie Catastrophic Failure a catastrophic failure, but it was a disappointment. There’s a good amount of tobacco regions present in the blend from the wrapper to the fillers, but nothing making the cigar pop. It’s not the worst Ecuadorian Sumatra I have had recently, but it’s in line with so many modern releases using the wrapper. Not what the wrapper once was. It’s on the dryer, spicier and harsher side of things and lacks refining qualities. I have never been that high on Powstanie releases, but the cigar appears to deliver those Powstanie qualities that their fanbase enjoys.
John: I thought the Powstanie Catastrophic Failure overall delivered rich flavors through the first and second third, with the profile at medium-plus richness throughout. The cigar intensified through the bottom half becoming more earth forward. Both the draw and burn were perfect. Based on the flavor performance alone, this is a cigar I would seek out again, if it were still available. Factoring in the price point, which is below average for the 2025 market, I think this is an easy choice for anyone looking for a fuller bodied cigar, or anyone already a fan of the Powstanie offerings. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 47 minutes.
Jiunn: This Powstanie Catastrophic Failure started off good with a great balance of spice and sweetness/creaminess. But this combination was short lived, as past the first third, the profile became more linear and not as engaging, with spice and wood. I wouldn’t call this a catastrophic failure, just an average failure.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.09

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$2.14

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.76

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$2.03

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Powstanie Catastrophic Failure