AF Chateau & Mold

[SandPiper]

I recently tried the AF Chateaus (not for the first time...but for the first time in a long time) and found that I liked them quite a bit. So, I've picked up a few here and there. I was in Tallahassee earlier this week, and stopped by a B&M. I picked up several cigars, and decided to fire up one of the Chateaus (Sun Grown) that afternoon. I opened it to find several spots of mold underneath the cedar wrap (no, it wasn't bloom). No big deal, it wasn't that much...just several small fuzzy spots. I just cleaned it off and smoked it anyway. Earlier today, I was in St. Pete and picked up a couple more (this time in the maduro wrapper). I opened one up, and found mold on this one, too! Is this the nature of the beast with these cedar wraps? I have had cigars with cedar sleeves for the past decade, and never had this happen. Is it a recent bad run? The cigars were purchased at two different B&Ms over 200 miles apart, and in two different wrappers. Anybody else have any ideas here? I guess I'll just be sure to open any future ones up before placing them in the humidor, but I'm wondering if I need to do the same with all the other cigars with these sleeves on them. What is the consensus?

After I got home, I pulled the 9 other Chateaus I had from the humidor, and opened them up to find 4 out of 9 with mold. Granted, they are all minor cases, but I don't want the rest of my cigars to pick up the problem.

[guado]

I recently tried the AF Chateaus (not for the first time...but for the first time in a long time) and found that I liked them quite a bit. So, I've picked up a few here and there. I was in Tallahassee earlier this week, and stopped by a B&M. I picked up several cigars, and decided to fire up one of the Chateaus (Sun Grown) that afternoon. I opened it to find several spots of mold underneath the cedar wrap (no, it wasn't bloom). No big deal, it wasn't that much...just several small fuzzy spots. I just cleaned it off and smoked it anyway. Earlier today, I was in St. Pete and picked up a couple more (this time in the maduro wrapper). I opened one up, and found mold on this one, too! Is this the nature of the beast with these cedar wraps? I have had cigars with cedar sleeves for the past decade, and never had this happen. Is it a recent bad run? The cigars were purchased at two different B&Ms over 200 miles apart, and in two different wrappers. Anybody else have any ideas here? I guess I'll just be sure to open any future ones up before placing them in the humidor, but I'm wondering if I need to do the same with all the other cigars with these sleeves on them. What is the consensus?

After I got home, I pulled the 9 other Chateaus I had from the humidor, and opened them up to find 4 out of 9 with mold. Granted, they are all minor cases, but I don't want the rest of my cigars to pick up the problem.

This is not the first time I have heard of cedar wrapped fuente's growing mold. It concerns me also but it seems to be a recurring theme. You are not alone. I wish I had more info but figured I would at least tell you that.

[kevin7]

Never had a problem with Fuente Cedar wrapped cigars and mold . I wouls guess that most locals keep their humidors like a freakin sauna and that causes mold

[SandPiper]

Never had a problem with Fuente Cedar wrapped cigars and mold . I wouls guess that most locals keep their humidors like a freakin sauna and that causes mold

That was my guess to start with, but I looked through the rest of my cedar-wrapped Fuentes that predominantly came from the shop in St. Pete (SG Cuban belicosos, King Bs, Perfecxion X, etc.), and nothing even resembling mold is on them. The B&M in Tallahassee is new to me, but didn't seem to be out of the ordinary while I was there. The other in St. Pete is a regular stop for me, and I've never had any problems with anything I've bought from him in the past. The fact that it was only on the Chateaus (even though in different wrapper) made me think maybe a bad batch made it out of the Fuentes' hands. Hopefully, this is pretty isolated, because I'm a pretty big AF fan...