Problems with cigars

As a rule, white or yellowish deposits on a cigar are known as ‘cigar bloom’ or ‘plume’. These are harmless and do not affect the cigar’s flavour, but should be wiped off before lighting the cigar.

Cigar mold only appears at a relative humidity of over 80% and for this to happen, the cigar must be exposed to this level of humidity for several weeks.

Here’s how to deal with deposits/ efflorescence: Take a brush and gently wipe the affected areas on the cigar. If it is cigar bloom, the efflorescence can be removed without discolouring the tobacco leaf underneath. If, however, it is mold, the tobacco leaf will be damaged when it is removed and will be noticeably discolored.

In our humidor, the relative humidity is set between 69 and 72% relative humidity. This is recorded and monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can find a detailed description here: Our Cigar Storage.

In summary, it can be said that:

• In almost all cases, this is not mould, but harmless cigar bloom.
• Cigar bloom can simply be wiped off.
• If the cigar bloom is wiped off before smoking, it has no effect on the flavour.
• Mould develops at over 80% relative humidity over several weeks.

You need to act quickly! In principle, this shouldn’t happen if the cigars were purchased from an official specialist retailer in Switzerland. When imported, all cigars are frozen to kill any tobacco worms or larvae. The problem often arises when cigars are brought back from holidays. If you find tobacco worms in your humidor, the cigars should be frozen as quickly as possible for a few days at a temperature below 20° Celsius. The humidor should be thoroughly cleaned during this time.