Cheese and cigars are both fermented products. It's not a stretch to think that some of the same microorganisms may at work in both. That may be the similarity you're smelling.


A more likely explanation. It could also be that the cigars were shipped in a trailer that was also transporting cheese or cheese flavored products. A broken jar of cheese spread in a hot truck trailer will probably taint everything nearby with it's stink. I worked as a grocery stock clerk as a teen. Jars get broken all the time in transport.