I had recently stopped an a b/m to check their wares. With all of the "cigar" signs in the windows I expected a decent selection. Their humidor was about 6' high and 3' wide with sliding doors. As soon as I opened the door I was hit with a wave of musty, moldy air. Upon closer inspection there was mold/mildew on the shelves and the first box I noticed was full of moldy sticks. I mentioned to the shopkeeper that something isn't right with their humidor......he told me that was how you a supposed to keep cigars...... Needless to say, I didn't buy anything:)
I had recently stopped an a b/m to check their wares. With all of the "cigar" signs in the windows I expected a decent selection. Their humidor was about 6' high and 3' wide with sliding doors. As soon as I opened the door I was hit with a wave of musty, moldy air. Upon closer inspection there was mold/mildew on the shelves and the first box I noticed was full of moldy sticks. I mentioned to the shopkeeper that something isn't right with their humidor......he told me that was how you a supposed to keep cigars...... Needless to say, I didn't buy anything:)
Reminds me of an experience I had in a little shop in Lexington Park, MD right outside of NAS Patuxent River. I got the same sorta line from the shop keeper/store owner. They say smell is the most permanent memory. I can still smell that place when I think about it.
Another cigar forum is taking a scientific approach to the "mold vs plume" debate, and has approached a Mycologist to help with this project.
I encourage everyone to follow the project as it progresses. It looks like they have a solid approach and hopefully they get some good information & data and are able to draw some solid conclusions at the end of the project.
The results are in, and guess what....it's all mold.
Now, I looked at the "sample photos" and they looked pretty suspect to me, pretty splotchy and fuzzy, but they still ran the scientific tests on them and the results came back with varying types of mold.
If you think you have a cigar with plume, and are willing to part with it.....they site that's hosting the project has "put up a store credit of $250 USD $350 AUD for any member
who provides a cigar for testing that proves to be of crystalline
substance and not mould."
Maybe they could tell the vendors to read the test results. Every cigar I have had shipped with mold and complain about to the them, I get the same reply every time. "It is plume"
At some point and time your gonna get mold. It just a matter of catching it before it gets in the foot. Cuban's are the worst for mold from what I have seen.
Interesting read and thx for posting. I see one that I thought could be plume. I wonder what the Opus's were though? I think that was dust.
Free Cuba "I ain't got no Opus's" LLA - Lancero Lovers of America 2016 Gang War (South) May I assss u a ?
I just got off the phone with the store and they assure me that this is "NORMAL" and it is indeed "plume".. I don't buy it.. They said mold cannot be white and checked other cigars in tubes and they are ALSO covered with same stuff.. LOL...Guess I won't buying any tube cigar from this place in winnipeg, Canada.
Very disappointed.
That's typical for a lot of shops. They either have no real knowledge and think they know all or they don't care. I've smoked about 6 years now and I've only seen plume once. It takes years for plume to develop. And it's not fuzzy. The guy at that shop is either a liar or doesn't know anything about cigars. Either way I would not return.
Tons of videos and opinions online one way or the other about whether plume can form in spots or not, and since I don't have a microscope I took some closeups of a questionable cigar with white "stuff" on it. Nothing in the foot, but a hazy appearance and some more concentrated spots. Is this mold or is it plume? (I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but want to make sure I'm right...)
Tons of videos and opinions online one way or the other about whether plume can form in spots or not, and since I don't have a microscope I took some closeups of a questionable cigar with white "stuff" on it. Nothing in the foot, but a hazy appearance and some more concentrated spots. Is this mold or is it plume? (I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but want to make sure I'm right...)
Notice the strands. It's mold. Plume when looked at up close like that will have an almost sugary look to it. Very fine crystals with no, I repeat, no strands or fuzz. This is from one of the pictures posted above.
In Fumo Pax Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
That's what I was afraid of... cigar from a buddy of mine who said every time he gets one of these (montecristo no 2 habana) the get plume in his humidor. It didn't look like plume to me, but I figured I'd take the gift and give it a closer look. Then I saw what looked like little strands/stalks with bigger "heads" on the end and hoped I just didn't know what crystals would look like on the cigar. Good news is I think I can brush this stuff off (none on the foot) and probably still get a good smoke out of it... and its in a bag not in my humidor. Bad news is my buddy isn't gonna believe me when I tell him "it's not plume, it's mold."
As we learned on another thread today there is always the possibility that it is neither mold or plumb, but @Bob_Luken has been there sniffing cigars and got his boogers allover them, lol
I know its not plume, but was hoping to get some feedback on whether or not I have a mold situation here and if you think these guys need to be tossed. I did see some white fuzz on a few caps that brushed right off but after going through this thread I saw these spots and figured I'd ask the experts here. Is it mold? If so, toss them?
“According to my research, green spots are genetic to all Cuban-seed tobaccos, especially tobaccos that are “shade grown.” They're also often caused by water spots that occurred on the plant during the curing process. They may not be pretty, but the blemishes will generally not affect the flavor of the cigar”
“Green stains are not mold, as is often wrongly assumed, but are due to chlorophyll, the substance that give plants their colour. If the tobacco is dried at too high a temperature and too low a humidity, the drying process is too quick and the chlorophyll is not broken down completely.”
The Davidoff documentary From Seed To Cigar also talks about that as well...... I think it was the Davidoff doc.....pretty sure.
“According to my research, green spots are genetic to all Cuban-seed tobaccos, especially tobaccos that are “shade grown.” They're also often caused by water spots that occurred on the plant during the curing process. They may not be pretty, but the blemishes will generally not affect the flavor of the cigar”
“Green stains are not mold, as is often wrongly assumed, but are due to chlorophyll, the substance that give plants their colour. If the tobacco is dried at too high a temperature and too low a humidity, the drying process is too quick and the chlorophyll is not broken down completely.”
The Davidoff documentary From Seed To Cigar also talks about that as well...... I think it was the Davidoff doc.....pretty sure.
That's great and reassuring, thanks for the response!
@Vision said:
I’ve purchased dozens of those 5pk for the winter months. Not a pretty cigar usually but smokes fine.
Totally agree.
Jose Piedra cigars sometimes do have "water spots".
It's a $3 cigar and their quality reflects that.
Not uncommon. That being said, smoke them up.
Great little cigars.
In Fumo Pax Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
Comments
Roland
Now, I looked at the "sample photos" and they looked pretty suspect to me, pretty splotchy and fuzzy, but they still ran the scientific tests on them and the results came back with varying types of mold.
If you think you have a cigar with plume, and are willing to part with it.....they site that's hosting the project has "put up a store credit of $250 USD $350 AUD for any member who provides a cigar for testing that proves to be of crystalline substance and not mould."
You can view the test results, and if you'd like to participate here and send them your "plume cigars," info can be found here:
http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/topic/131757-final-mould-report/
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
At some point and time your gonna get mold. It just a matter of catching it before it gets in the foot. Cuban's are the worst for mold from what I have seen.
Interesting read and thx for posting. I see one that I thought could be plume. I wonder what the Opus's were though? I think that was dust.
"I ain't got no Opus's"
LLA - Lancero Lovers of America
2016 Gang War (South)
May I assss u a ?
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
If your selling them it is always Plume. Everyone's humidor is 65/65 24/7 365 days a year. Only if your selling them though and full of plume.
"I ain't got no Opus's"
LLA - Lancero Lovers of America
2016 Gang War (South)
May I assss u a ?
Plume when looked at up close like that will have an almost sugary look to it.
Very fine crystals with no, I repeat, no strands or fuzz.
This is from one of the pictures posted above.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
I know its not plume, but was hoping to get some feedback on whether or not I have a mold situation here and if you think these guys need to be tossed. I did see some white fuzz on a few caps that brushed right off but after going through this thread I saw these spots and figured I'd ask the experts here. Is it mold? If so, toss them?
As long as it’s not in the foot of the cigar and just on the wrapper, wipe it off and smokem
These are not my quotes .....
“According to my research, green spots are genetic to all Cuban-seed tobaccos, especially tobaccos that are “shade grown.” They're also often caused by water spots that occurred on the plant during the curing process. They may not be pretty, but the blemishes will generally not affect the flavor of the cigar”
“Green stains are not mold, as is often wrongly assumed, but are due to chlorophyll, the substance that give plants their colour. If the tobacco is dried at too high a temperature and too low a humidity, the drying process is too quick and the chlorophyll is not broken down completely.”
The Davidoff documentary From Seed To Cigar also talks about that as well...... I think it was the Davidoff doc.....pretty sure.
That's great and reassuring, thanks for the response!
I’ve purchased dozens of those 5pk for the winter months. Not a pretty cigar usually but smokes fine.
Totally agree.
Jose Piedra cigars sometimes do have "water spots".
It's a $3 cigar and their quality reflects that.
Not uncommon. That being said, smoke them up.
Great little cigars.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.