Powstanie’s War Bear 2026 Arrives on Veterans Day as the Most Limited War Bear Yet
Powstanie is bringing back its War Bear for Veterans Day, and this year’s edition is the smallest one yet. The company announced on Nov. 4 that War Bear 2026, the newest release in its annual Wojtek Series, is scheduled to come out on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with production limited to just 390 boxes of 21 cigars. Powstanie calls it the most limited War Bear offering to date.
Retailer orders opened with the announcement, ahead of the Veterans Day release date.
The Bear Behind the Cigar
If you’ve never heard the story of Wojtek, it’s one of the great ones from World War II. Wojtek was a bear who served with the Polish II Corps, and according to Powstanie he was far more than a mascot. He became an enlisted soldier and helped carry ammunition during the Battle of Monte Cassino.
That mix of courage, loyalty and service is what the War Bear series is built to honor, and it’s why the cigar lands on Veterans Day every year. It’s a nice reminder that the stories behind a cigar can be every bit as interesting as the leaf itself, and that a smoke can carry a little history with it.
A Box-Pressed Churchill With a Barber-Pole Look
War Bear 2026 comes in a 7 x 48 box-pressed Churchill, a long, elegant format that gives a blend plenty of room to develop over a slow smoke. It uses Powstanie’s Wojtek blend, which is known for its distinctive barber-pole appearance.
That striped look comes from two wrappers spiraled together around the cigar: an Ecuadorian habano and a Mexican San Andrés. Underneath is an Indonesian binder, and the filler combines tobacco from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Barber-pole cigars are always fun to look at, and they’re a neat way to put two different wrapper leaves to work in a single smoke. Pairing an Ecuadorian leaf with a Mexican one, then wrapping it around Indonesian and Latin American tobacco, makes the War Bear a true multi-country blend. How those components come together over a full 7-inch Churchill is a big part of what makes a release like this worth paying attention to, especially for fans who enjoy a long, unhurried evening cigar.
Made in Estelí, Continuing a Tradition Started in 2019
The cigar is produced at Fábrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua. Powstanie says the 2026 release continues its annual limited-edition Wojtek tradition, which began in 2019.
Annual limited editions have become a big part of the boutique cigar world, and they give collectors a reason to mark the calendar. With only 390 boxes made this year, War Bear 2026 is a small production run by any measure. If you’re curious about everything else hitting shelves this year, check out our roundup of new cigars releasing in 2026.
War Bear 2026 at a Glance
- Release date: Nov. 11, 2026 (Veterans Day)
- Series: Wojtek Series (annual since 2019)
- Size: 7 x 48
- Format: Box-pressed Churchill
- Wrappers: Ecuadorian habano and Mexican San Andrés (barber pole)
- Binder: Indonesia
- Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
- Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua
- Packaging: Boxes of 21
- Production: 390 boxes
Our Take
We love when a cigar comes with a real story, and few stories in the cigar world are as memorable as a bear who carried ammunition alongside Polish soldiers at Monte Cassino. Releasing it on Veterans Day makes the tribute land even better, and it’s a good excuse to raise a glass, and maybe light up, for the folks who served.
Limited, story-driven releases like this one are a big part of what keeps the boutique side of the hobby exciting, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for War Bear 2026 once it arrives on Nov. 11. For more on the brand and its lineup, visit Powstanie Cigars.
Have you smoked a past War Bear? Let us know what you thought in the comments, and keep it locked to The Cigar Guys Podcast for more cigar news every week.
