Is Mold on Cigars Normal?!
So, I want a second opinion. Would you smoke a moldy cigar?
Answers: I bought my dad some high end cigars for Christmas and when I looked at them when I got home they had what looked like white mold growing on them. I tried to take them back to the store and the salesperson said that it is called bloom and that it was normal and actually highly desireable. I asked him if he would like to smoke a moldy cigar, he said it was fine. Needless to say, he wouldn't let me return it.
So, I want a second opinion. Would you smoke a moldy cigar?
Cigar 101
14. What is bloom and what is mold?
Bloom (often called plume) is the slow rising of essential oils to the surface of the cigar. It first appears as tiny crystals and will eventually make the cigar appear dusty. A more advance bloom gives an opaque white look to the entire cigar. Bloom isn't harmful to cigars. It's an indication that the cigar has been maintained at a 70+% RH for a long period of time. Many smokers prefer a cigar in the bloom state.
Mold is a fungus. It appears on the surface of cigars when the relative humidity in your humidor exceeds 80%. It looks like blue/gray fuzzy patches on the surface of the wrapper and will spread by producing spores. If mold appears, you should remove the affected cigars and check for any mold on the wood of your humidor. It's important to separate the affected cigars immediately and to wipe down the interior lining of your humidor with isopropyl or denatured alcohol. This will kill mold and may leave slight stains on your humidor's interior wood. Click here to see photos of mold.
Gently wipe the mold off of your cigars and leave them at room humidity for 36 hours, then place them back into your humidor (obviously after addressing the moisture problem that caused the mold in the first place). Check these cigars every few days to ensure that mold growth has stopped. Some people recommend more drastic measures such as placing your cigars in the freezer to kill the mold. Try our method first before going to such extremes. If your problem continues, you may need a new humidor.
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15. My cigars have whites spots on them. Is that Okay?
The white spots on your cigars may be a very good sign that things are going well. Not all cigars need to be at 70 degrees F. White powder on cigars is called “bloom” and it is a sign of a well-aged cigar. Bloom is what happens when the oils in the tobacco disperse throughout and reach the wrapper. The oils then dry to create a white power on the outside of the cigar. Some avid cigar smokers prefer to smoke only cigars that have aged to bloom.
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16. What about green or gray spots on them?
Green or gray powder could be mold. Mold destroys cigars and indicates that you have too much moisture in the humidor. If your cigars are fat and wet, the humidity is too high. If it is mold, you will need to throw away all cigars affected, and wipe your humidor out with isopropyl or denatured alcohol to kill mold spores. Click here to see photos of mold.
Never heard of that before. Obviously ,there was moisture that seeped through and the cigar was not air tight. It was not properly stored in a humidor.
I heard you are supposed to store cigars in a fridge ,or in a cool "dry" place with little or no moisture.
I think the guy was giving you a line of crap.
I wouldn't smoke it, because I don't smoke anymore, but I would give it as a gift to a cigar smoker - without hesitation.
I would definatley not smoke a modly cigar. Doesn't sound normal to me
It's perfectly normal and happens all the time. Smoke it.
I have seen it on cigars before but it is not desirable high end cigars are moist but not starting to develope cultures.