In the shop I often get asked what are those white dots on cigars? Is it mold? The simple answer is no. What you are seeing is in fact plume also known as bloom. Plume is a powdery white dust found on cigars which have been perfectly aged, it will then release oils from the filler, binder and wrapper. These oils crystalise on the wrapper creating the white dust which shows perfect aging. Plume can take a long time to form and some cigars will never get plume.
Plume is an amazing thing to find on your cigars, it indicates a perfect cigar in a well maintained humidor. When your cigars gather plume this is the best time to relax and enjoy a smoke. The plume will not improve the taste of your cigar but it feels great to smoke a cigar knowing its at its optimal condition.
Cigars in cellophane can still gather plume. The cellophane tends to be porous which allows the humidity of the humidor in which will keep it nice and fresh and in turn ages your cigar just as well as those without cellophane. The plume will look foggy in the cellophane due to the cellophane not letting as much air out as naked cigars.
Not all cigars are capable of developing plume. So if you’ve been aging a cigar for a while and haven’t got plume there is no need to worry, plume tends to be more common on cigars with oily wrappers like maduros.
If you do have plume on your cigars all you have to do is wipe it off gently (we usually use a shaving brush to carefully wipe off cigars with plume).
Cigar mold is no different from the common mold that grows on anything warm and moist. It again is white but more splotchy than dotty and unlike plume it will cover the entire cigar.
To be certain that your cigar has mold and not plume you’ll need to examine it closely. Mold is a fungus that constantly grows and spreads throughout the cigar. A closer look will reveal stringy stalks growing in batches. If you’re still unsure you can smell the cigar, mold always has a quite pungent musty odor which you would notice upon closer inspection. While the plume is smooth and hazy, mold is bumpy. Plume can be wiped away and leave you cigar spotless meanwhile mold can be difficult to wipe and cause permanent stains on the wrapper.
Rest assured that we at C.Gars Ltd are constantly on the look out for plume and mold to ensure that the cigars that you have purchased are sent in the perfect conditions and sometimes already with plume to show how well it has been looked after. However if you are still unsure please don't hesitate to contact our customer care team who will advise you further.
Written by Oliver Partington
Part of the Dominique London Group
