Please tell me this is what I hope it is,not what I think is

[asc]

Received these maybe two weeks back. Looked at the top row of the box when it came in, took a good whiff etc... I was doing some organizing today and pulled all of the cigars out to find this.

Both in the same box, but on opposite sides of the box, bottom row. Nothing else in the box looks like this or has any coating of 'dust'. Haven't tried wiping it off yet...and the feet look like they have nothing on them...only up near the cap as pictured.

The ThermoElectric cooler had already been set up and stabilized at 63º and 61-64% rH when they came in.

Please tell me this is good news (hoping)

and not bad news (thinking).

[BigSlick]

Looks like bad news to me bro.

Wipe em off and smoke em

[GP012]

Mold, albeit wipeable.

If it was in the foot it'd be big trouble.

[ucla695]

Looks like mold to me. I experienced this with the Anejos I purchased several years ago. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's white mold and can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth (as long as the feet of the sticks haven't been affected). I suggest that you wipe them clean, isolate them from the rest of your cigars and you'll be fine. Just remember that the best solution to this problem is to make sure that they meet a firey death. :-D

[shrink]

I always wipe the mold off with a little alcohol-soaked swab. It evaporates immediately and doesn't affect the flavor, but I think it helps prevent recurrence. Wouldn't hurt to freeze 'em for a few days either.

But the guys are right, best solution is to burn 'em.

Oh, and don't forget to either toss or swab the box thoroughly with alcohol, too. Gotta destroy the spores.

[Vinny]

don't worry guys.

I was afraid the first time I opened a box like that, but my sister (who's a chemist) gave me the reason and the real nature of this mold.

It is called "Tobacco flower" and is in fact a sign of really good health from the leafs. It is a natural reaction, the leafs are style living and maturing, and this is (sometimes) the result of this.

It is not rot or anything bad for our puros, just a sign that the tobacco is "alive" and doin' it's job.

Just wipe it with a smooth brush and smoke it ;-)

But please don't freeze or do anything else! this is not contagious as it is very specific to every leaf. And it is definitely not bad for the cig but a good sign ;-)

Hope I helped, enjoy now mate :-D

[sje]

with that amount and colour it will smoke perfectly, you wont notice any difference.

s

[anacostiakat]

Wipe and burn. . .

[gostgost]

It's a bloom wipe, smoke and enjoy....

It's actually a good sign.

[tigger]

From what I see there, and from my understanding, is that what's on your Bolis is a (relatively) innocuous form of mold.

White mild doesn't seem to me damaging. Wipe it off and smoke 'em. Green mold is far more serious.

Plume, or bloom is more crystalline, than the fuzzy spots you're showing.

Or that's how it's been explained to me in the past.

[GP012]

» It's a bloom wipe, smoke and enjoy....

»

» It's actually a good sign.

Not even close to bloom & definitely not a good sign. Bloom (or plume) is a uniform dusting across the entire cigar. Bloom is NOT random spores.

[Jay Hemingway]

»

» Not even close to bloom & definitely not a good sign. Bloom (or plume) is

» a uniform dusting across the entire cigar. Bloom is NOT random spores.

looks like PLUME to me my friend. i have been told if it's white = it's in the clear, if it's green = it's el' MOLDO!

i used to be a big sucker for zino platinum scepter chubby tubos (save the "sorry to hear that's" for later.lol), 9 out of 10 of them had the same exact splotches of white dust. identical to those boli's. i just fire them up, don't really care or find the need to wipe it off, but ya can.

the b&m owner i purchased the zino's off of informed me that it was a natural thing that tobacco leaves get on em, when they are doing their thing. some of the better tobacco's get the plume, and this guy has been in the cigar industry for almost 50 years! (OMFG that makes me the coolest guy in the universe because i learned that from him!!! i am so cool, i don't know what to do with myself!!! that must make me smarter than you pugs! he he he)

:-P

[zuma]

IMHO, it looks like fluffy mould...

This question of mould or plume (or bloom) has been raised before... Here is one of my favourite FoH threads on the subject:

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/board_entry.php?id=53709

[greenpimp]

Plume does not have noticeable volume on the leaf. That is definitely mold, but as has been mentioned, fairly innocuous.

[GP012]

» looks like PLUME to me my friend. i have been told if it's white = it's in

» the clear, if it's green = it's el' MOLDO!

Sorry mate, it doesn't have to be green to be mold.

I wouldn't be surprised if your 50 year old veteran kept his stuff at 70-80%++ RH (like most B&M's do), which would explain the rampant mold.

Here is mold:

Here is PLUME/BLOOM:

Here is mold:

Here is PLUME/BLOOM:

Capische!?

(Images from: http://home.alltel.net/jbperry/cig.htm)

[Ryan]

White mold. As others have said, it's harmless. Funny how often it shows near the head of the cigar first, the part most touched by fingertips during construction. Is it rollers not washing Candida Albicans off their hands?

I may well be wrong but the white stuff on the cohiba above looks like white mold too. Shouldn't plume/bloom "sparkle"?

[Ginseng]

» From what I see there, and from my understanding, is that what's on your

» Bolis is a (relatively) innocuous form of mold.

»

» White mild doesn't seem to me damaging. Wipe it off and smoke 'em. Green

» mold is far more serious.

»

» Plume, or bloom is more crystalline, than the fuzzy spots you're showing.

»

» Or that's how it's been explained to me in the past.

Tigger is right on. This is fluffy white mold. Exact variety unknown but this type has not been known to affect the flavor or aroma of a cigar.

Wilkey

[Jay Hemingway]

what is this?

this isn't mold...this looks like a bump of special "K" someone tried to give me at a rave a few years back. yea it was that small. that's why i looked at him and said " you better hook it up a little bit better than that for $10 freakin bucks my man!"

:-D

[CIGARHead]

» White mold. As others have said, it's harmless. Funny how often it shows

» near the head of the cigar first, the part most touched by fingertips

» during construction. Is it rollers not washing Candida Albicans off their

» hands?

» I may well be wrong but the white stuff on the cohiba above looks like

» white mold too. Shouldn't plume/bloom "sparkle"?

Ryan, the pic doesn't show the crystaline sparkle, but believe you me it was shinin'.

The whole cigar, as well as a few others in the box are dusted with this plume from head to toe.

[asc]

Thanks for all of the replies.

Glad to know a.) it's not wide spread b.) it's not blue or green.

I was pretty sure it was mold...but wasn't sure much else.

SO...like I mentioned...my rH has not been any where in the 70% range at all. Does mold only grow when humidity is higher up (above 70's)? If so...is it possible this just sprouted during transit? Aside from keeping a close eye on the stash, is there anything else I should be doing preventatively?

Thanks in advance!!!

[Ryan]

» Ryan, the pic doesn't show the crystaline sparkle, but believe you me it

» was shinin'.

» The whole cigar, as well as a few others in the box are dusted with this

» plume from head to toe.

Fair enough, photographs often don't show the whole story.

I didn't mean to doubt you, it looks like a great cigar.

[CIGARHead]

» Plume does not have noticeable volume on the leaf. That is definitely

» mold, but as has been mentioned, fairly innocuous.

Definitely mold - Its not bad though, just wipe it off and keep an eye out for any signs of it reappearing.

Just for referance, here is a pic of a Siglo V with plume: