White Spots

**Paschendale** · 06-02-2005, 05:07 PM

I received a cigar as a gift today but when I looked at it it had some small white spots on it. Is this mold? It came from a friend who says he maintains his humidor well so I am not sure if that is it. I am new to cigars so I apologize if I am asking an obvious question but will it be safe to smoke?

**ggiese** · 06-02-2005, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Paschendale

I received a cigar as a gift today but when I looked at it it had some small white spots on it. Is this mold? It came from a friend who says he maintains his humidor well so I am not sure if that is it. I am new to cigars so I apologize if I am asking an obvious question but will it be safe to smoke?

It could be mold (bad):

Mold -- A potentially damaging fungus that forms on a cigar when it is stored at too high a temperature.

...but it could also be plume (good):

Plume (also called Bloom)-- A naturally occurring phenomenon in the cigar aging process, also called plume, caused by the oils that exude from the tobacco. It appears as a fine white powder and can be brushed off. Not to be confused with mold, which is bluish and stains the wrapper.

If it is Plume, then you know you have a well aged cigar!!! I've found the ones I've smoked that had plume are a much smoother, nicer cigar. Hopefully that is your experience!!!

**Roham** · 06-02-2005, 06:13 PM

It's probably blooming. Which is a good thing

Here is a link with a brief explanation: http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/#7.1

**Hambo** · 06-02-2005, 06:22 PM

Mold is usually green. If the cigar was well kept and the person who gave it to you had it for a while it is probably bloom.

**CoventryCat86** · 06-02-2005, 06:37 PM

This is actually a very good question and you got very good answers. I highly doubt it's mold. I have had mold on cigars in the past but I just brush it off and it has never ruined the taste of the cigar.

**Paschendale** · 06-03-2005, 12:09 AM

Hey thanks guys, learn something new everyday eh. I smoked and it was good but not like out of the ordinary good. I just haven't develped my palate enough I guess.

**MMAB** · 06-03-2005, 04:43 PM

The best way to tell if it is mold is to simply take a magnifying glass or loupe and get a close look at the white spots.

If it gllistens and/or looks likes a light dusting of powdered sugar, it's bloom and as the others have pointed out, that's a good thing. It's the oils of the tobacco crystalized on the wrapper surface.

If it's fuzzy or thread-like it's definitely mold. Mold can be white, green or blue among other colors but these three are the usual for tobacco.

If you determine that what you have is mold, be sure to inspect the foot (the end you light) of the cigar. If you see any mold there, chances are it has run through the cigar and you probably won't want to smoke it. If it's just on the surface of the wrapper, as CC pointed out, brush it off and light up!

One time I mailordered a box of Fonseca Cameroons only to be disappointed when I discovered that every one in the box was riddled with mold. Damned thing is, is that I was already half way down on one when I discovered the mold.

**basil** · 12-23-2005, 01:04 PM

Looked for threads about the subject in order to post my thoughts - this one seemed as good as any.

Information I've read on mold usually holds that once it's discovered, a quarantine of the affected stock is in immediate order. I've also read that if it has gone undiscovered too long, mold can even ruin a cigar(s), hence the need to separate them from unaffected cigars.

I've received cigars, boxes and singles, that have had mold on them. First time i saw this I freaked and sent a box back. This was appropriate for the most part because, as it was a new box, I felt the cigars should be in pristine condition, and, they were about 30% affected. Later, I received a box that had 3-4 cigars that were very lightly moldy, 2-5 small spots on each, and rather than send them back, I brushed the mold off and separated them from the rest. I smoked one, and it was perfectly unaffected in taste from all I could tell.

What I found interesting was that measuring the rh in this box found it to be around 87%. Over a period of about two weeks, I brought it down to 70, where they have remained - both the quarantined cigars and the remaining clean ones. Neither bunch has ever since shown any sign of mold. Now mold does its thing via spores, and spores are invisible and everywhere. Spores were certainly in the box of "clean" cigars from which I had removed the moldy ones, just like they're in a sack of bread, your frig, etc.

This leads me to the conclusion that mold is not solely the result of the presence of spores; rh must be high as well. (I checked the rh in a 1/2 sack of bread where mold always grows given enough time, and it was 96%.)

Personally, I'm relieved for this degree of certainty because now the discovery of mold which can be seen, and the presence of spores which there ain't no gettin' around, is no longer a reason for the pounding of desks and gnashing of teeth. Once the rh is brought down, the mold is checked, period, and the sticks are sound.

Probably several of you reading this are thinking, "no shit, sherlock", BUT, I thought those with little experience with mold or newbs might be interested. It'll give me something to bitch at newbies for when they ask related questions before useing search.

ok. Merry Christmas.