Bloom-ing marvelous

[spacemonkey_no9]

Was picking out a couple of sticks for tomorrows fishing trip and noticed these Boli CG singles .They have been left sitting happlily in the bottom drawer of this humidor cabinet for a good while. I took a pic middle of last year of the early bloom top left, the top right pic shows current condition. The cigars are from 98 or 99, cant remember exactly and the bloom has a lovely oily feel to it. Have packed one in the Csonka...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/philMbrown/BolivarBloomNov2009.jpg (http://photobucket.com) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/philMbrown/BolivarBloomJan2011.jpg (http://photobucket.com) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/philMbrown/BolivarBloomJan20112.jpg (http://photobucket.com)

[shooting-glasses]

looks like these
http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=8155

confused now
bloom or mould?

[JimJamYaHa]

looks like these
http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=8155

confused now
bloom or mould?

From my limited knowledge if you brush it off and it doesn't leave any marks on the cigar such as a green spot its bloom if it does your as they say fooked

[Smallclub]

This is not bloom, but MOLD.

You seriously think these white spores are crystallized oils?

Again, bloom is very rare, and when it happens it comes in a very thin layer…

[spacemonkey_no9]

looks like these
http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=8155

confused now
bloom or mould?

Lovely, oily bloom. Mould, usually, occurs with high humidity, bloom from stable humidity for a long time. This humidor sits mid 60%, has for years. The inmensas sitting on the right are oblivious and mould would have spread.

I will confirm tomorrow when it gets smoked:smoke:

[Smallclub]

The inmensas sitting on the right are oblivious and mould would have spread.Sorry, but you're 100% wrong. I've seen boxes with 5 or 6 cigars covered with mold, almost nothing on the cigars next to them, and nothing at all on the other cigars.


I will confirm tomorrow when it gets smokedSmoking will not confirm anything, as you will brush that mold prior to lighting the cigar…

Examine the white stuff with a magnifying glass, you will find that it's a fungus, not crystals…

from cubancigarwebsite.com:
Bloom can be distinguished from mould by shining a UV black-light on it in a dark-room.... bloom is reflective, mould is not.

[JimJamYaHa]

I think it is bloom look how it has formed along the seam on the wrapper.

If he doesn't post tomorrow he's dead and we're both wrong

[Aussiewaz]

Mold. :eek:

[El Catador]

The bad news?

It's 'mould'. (Without any doubt - Sorry)

The Good news?

I've seen worse.
Remove, clean and smoke the worst affected asap.
Take remedial action to prevent further spreading (Lots of info both in here and on google).
Don't panic - these things happen.

[shooting-glasses]

will it harm you smokeing a mouldy cigar ,spores in the loungs ?
or will it just change the flavour or enhance if you like that sort of thing.

[mb55317]

Sorry dude but that is mould for sure

[EugeneSax]

Yes, definitely mould - you can clearly see it sticks out from the surface of the cigar whereas bloom is just a coating on the surface. Even a low-powered magnifying glass should show it's made up of strands (the fungal mycelia) & not a crystalline powder . It will also feel very slightly damp & sticky when wiped off with fingers. Bloom is not oily - it's dry & powedery crystals.

More than once I bought boxes of cigars in Tenerife that had a bit of mould on the odd stick. Just wiped it off & the sticks were none-the-worse & it never spread to other sticks in the box or other boxes in my humi.

[tippexx]

Mould. And I don't like the way it's traveling down the wrapper spiral of one and is in the foot of another.

The one with the mould in the foot I would toss. The others I would clean off immediately and then make a decision on smoking them.

Mould spores, fungus spores are all in the air, we all of us, breath in millions of them every day.

[monkey66]

100% mould, bloom simply doesn't look like that, no doubt at all.

Make sure your humi is getting enough fresh air.

[Moon Dancer]

You're lungs are to important to risk a few mouldy cigars, however cleaned.
To cut a long storey short- My friend contacted "Farmers Lung" from dealing with only one batch of mouldy wheat spores. Despite antibiotics etc, sadly 18 months on, it's now turned into the start of emphysema!!! And this guy has never smoked!

[daverave999]

I'm going with the mould diagnosis too I'm afraid...

[Flying Cigar]

Mould.

Toss in bin.

Throrough cleansing of humidor.