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Local B&M mold

wildcatboy

wildcatboy

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2010
Messages
52
Ok, so I know mold/plume is a hot topic, so I come here for advise/info.
I have(2) local shops that I frequent in my area. One of them is larger then the other and has a wide variety from lower-end clear up to sticks out of my price range.
The shop is not as fancy or well kept as some shops I have seen, but has a huge selection and the staff are very helpful.
The other shop is smaller but has quality over quantity. I have been going to this shop more lately, as I am trying to expand my cigar pallet and try new things.

The other day, I returned to cigar shop #1 (the larger of the two) an noticed that not only did many of their cigars have what I could deem a mold on them (white fuzzy spots), but so did many of the insides of the display cases. Almost 25% of of their cases had white fuzzy stuff covering the glass. The glass was foggy in spots, and some areas white fuzzys. It really worried me. I actually didn't purchase anythings in fear of getting sick.

Has anyone ever seen this? Am I incorrectly identifying mold?
I am relatively young to the cigar world so I don't want to offend anyone, especially my local shop owner. Do I say something or just shop elsewhere?
 
Sure sounds like mold. If 25% of the stuff is covered in mold, I wouldn't bother shopping there anymore.
 
Yup...I've seen it.

Saw a shop in Fla that had a hygro at 78rh and 87temp...oh yea...those sticks were squishy!!

I would mention something to them...if not directly, then send them a note. It's worth them knowing that someone is paying attention.
 
Did you make any references to the employees, if anything just to see what their responsive answers are? "The white spots I'm seeing, what are those?"
 
It's a great sign for the shop when even their glass starts to show ploom.
wink.gif
 
The Black Cloud said:
They'll find a way to rationalize it. Stupidity always finds a way.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.



100% sure its mold. I would stay away from that place. There is no excuse for a cigar shop to not do daily walkthroughs to check the entire inventory for that kind of thing. Whats the RH and temp in the cases? My guess would be pretty high. I've seen this once in a shop in myrtle beach. Obviously mold covering the cigars and splotches of the white fuzzy stuff of the glass. When I confronted the staff about it, they said it was simply frosting from the christmas decorations left on the glass, and that the sticks where "so well aged they are covered in plume!" I walked right out.
 
Just walk out and never return. There are only two possibilities;

- They are complete idiots and have no clue how to care for fine cigars.
- They know damn good and well that they have a mold problem, and choose to do nothing about it. They figure the customer is stupid, and won't know the difference.

Either way isn't a good sign. There are too many really great B&M's to put up with this kind of crap. There's no way to have a battle of wits with someone that's out of ammo.....;)

B.B.S.
 
BlindedByScience said:
Just walk out and never return. There are only two possibilities;

- They are complete idiots and have no clue how to care for fine cigars.
- They know damn good and well that they have a mold problem, and choose to do nothing about it. They figure the customer is stupid, and won't know the difference.

Either way isn't a good sign. There are too many really great B&M's to put up with this kind of crap. There's no way to have a battle of wits with someone that's out of ammo.....;)

B.B.S.
Click to expand...

This^...I generally presume that cigar smokers are educated enough to know the difference. There must be enough idiots out there buying this crap to keep shops like this open.



Ken
 
I went to Vegas and there was a cigar shop on Paradise Road where a friend got me a Dona Flor on a previous trip. I figured I would swoop in and buy the rest to take home, the shop had a decent lounge and good selection of sticks. As soon as I went into their humi, I could see the active humidifier spewing mist into the air. Okay, must be normal since this is a desert town. Went to the end and saw mold on the sticks, in the inside of the cigar boxes, and to make matters worse, this was the Ashton side so seeing white mold on boxes of open VSG's made me sick to know how much money was going to go to waste soon.

I went without buying anything nor saying anything to the owner/employee (not sure). I'm on vacation and for a tourist to get into a heavy discussion about their humidifier setting was not something I wanted to deal with in the morning. Went to the Paiute Smoke Shop and bought a shitload of sticks to bring him since their humi was what I expect to see in a smokeshop.

Maybe since you are a regular local, you mentioning something may prompt them to look into their humidification. Just walk inside every now and then and see if you can see how fast the mold grows. But buy your stuff from the smaller shop. My .02
 
I prefer the other shop anyways as the owner is in there regularly and loves to interact with the customers.
He travels to cigar events and is always bringing back new things for the shop.

It is just disappointing because, even though most B&M are a little higher priced then internet shops, I enjoy being there in person.
I am willing to pay a little more for the experience. I don't think I will be going back any time soon.
The particular case in this shop that was 'molded' was the CAO selection. :(
 
Classic, hopefully after mentioning it, it's handled professionally, acknowledged and corrected, but let's just say I've been on the opposite side of that fence. Don't hold your expectations too high.
 
Bwahaha. I would love to see a picture of this. Frosted humidor glass...MMM! The bestest!
 
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