Bloom/Plume vs. Mold

[moki]

People seem to get confused about whether what is on their cigars is bloom/plume or mold. Here are a few images with info that may help you:

This is plume/bloom

This is white mold, NOT plume/bloom

Mold characteristic of some maduro-wrapped cigars

Cigar wrapper blisters NOT tooth

 

[The Volusianator]

Very interesting and clear pics Andrew, thanks for the links. Are these pics new to your site or have they been there a while.

 

[Ginseng]

Very helpful, A. Bloom is very hard to photograph. I had an OpusX from 2000 and in the sunlight I could see sparkling all over the wrapper and this I attributed to bloom. For the life of me, I could not get a decent photograph of the twinkling effect.

Here are two supermacro closeups of white mold on an ERdM Cafe AuLait. They illustrate the filamentous nature of the mold stalks and the clublike/ball-like nature of the sporing heads. You may used these on your website if you wish.

BTW, "restive" means restless or uneasy.

Wilkey

 

[moki]

BTW, "restive" means restless or uneasy.

heh -- typo -- meant to say "rested" but that doesn't read very well either. "undisturbed" it is....

 

[Jack Straw]

Enjoyed the "Chuckie the Beetle" thread. Too bad you didn't show the s.o.b. going up in flames!!

 

[moki]

Very interesting and clear pics Andrew, thanks for the links. Are these pics new to your site or have they been there a while.

Some are old, and have been there for some time, others are new.

 

[Smoking Mex]

With that being said moki, what is to be said if in fact it turns out to be mold? Hurray for Vitolas.net.....

 

[The Black Cloud]

BTW, "restive" means restless or uneasy.

heh -- typo -- meant to say "rested" but that doesn't read very well either. "undisturbed" it is....

Many have argued that while I am disturbed, I'm also well rested. Just thought I'd share.

 

[moki]

With that being said moki, what is to be said if in fact it turns out to be mold? Hurray for Vitolas.net.....

If it is just surface mold, wipe it off and smoke it. Odds are good you'll live.

 

[Smoking Mex]

With that being said moki, what is to be said if in fact it turns out to be mold? Hurray for Vitolas.net.....

If it is just surface mold, wipe it off and smoke it. Odds are good you'll live.

Thanks for clarifying that.

 

[theorangeman]

Great info, Moki, and very nice pictures. Wilkey, that pic looks like a hairy mole on an old woman's face (pretty nasty).

I was in a shop a couple of weeks ago (when I was down in Tampa) and saw what was definitely mold on a box of Don Pepin Garcias. I mentioned to the guy working there that he has a case of mold with one of his boxes and he told me "ah no, that's just plume" and walked away. Rather than getting into it with him, I just laughed and said, right. The unfortunate thing is I doubt they will have any problem selling those moldy cigars because they'll find guys who will swallow his "plume story".

 

[moki]

Great info, Moki, and very nice pictures. Wilkey, that pic looks like a hairy mole on an old woman's face (pretty nasty).

I was in a shop a couple of weeks ago (when I was down in Tampa) and saw what was definitely mold on a box of Don Pepin Garcias. I mentioned to the guy working there that he has a case of mold with one of his boxes and he told me "ah no, that's just plume" and walked away. Rather than getting into it with him, I just laughed and said, right. The unfortunate thing is I doubt they will have any problem selling those moldy cigars because they'll find guys who will swallow his "plume story".

I would not be surprised if much of the confusion regarding the plume vs. mold issue stems from retailers knowingly or unknowingly telling their customers that mold is plume in order to make the sale.

 

[Ginseng]

Great info, Moki, and very nice pictures. Wilkey, that pic looks like a hairy mole on an old woman's face (pretty nasty).

I was in a shop a couple of weeks ago (when I was down in Tampa) and saw what was definitely mold on a box of Don Pepin Garcias. I mentioned to the guy working there that he has a case of mold with one of his boxes and he told me "ah no, that's just plume" and walked away. Rather than getting into it with him, I just laughed and said, right. The unfortunate thing is I doubt they will have any problem selling those moldy cigars because they'll find guys who will swallow his "plume story".

I would not be surprised if much of the confusion regarding the plume vs. mold issue stems from retailers knowingly or unknowingly telling their customers that mold is plume in order to make the sale.

That is right on the button. Three salesmen at three of my local B&M's told me things were bloom when they were clearly mold. I think that there must be a mixture of self-delusion and non-critical ignorance at play in addition to the push to sell.

Wilkey