Cigars/Persistant moldy odor in humidor
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Question
I have a large Savinelli humidor (upright, glass door, 5 shelves and room for a couple boxes below). About a year ago, I noticed that the humidor had developed a musty/moldy odor. I read some online suggestions and so I took all the cigars out and left it open for about a month. I reconditioned the humidor and got it back up to around 70%, but the smell came back. I did this 2 other times and the smell is still there...Any tips on how I can get rid of it?
Hi Dean,
A "musty" odor inside your humidor is actually a natural and common occurrence with most humidors. The odor is derived from the internal humidity combining with the natural scent of the cigars. It's completely normal for well-maintained humidors to have this scent but if it is an annoyance for you (many people do hate the smell), what you can do is take a piece of very fine-grade sandpaper and lightly sand the Spanish cedar interior of your humidor. You do not need to sand the cedar too much but instead, just LIGHTLY "rough up" (scuff) the interior cedar. By doing this, you will rejuvenate the Spanish cedar aroma inside your humidor which will mask the musty scent.
Unfortunately, purging the musty odor will not help as it will always return. This musty odor is normal and as long as you maintain your humidor and cigars, the scent will always be present. (If your humidor has this musty odor but cigar mold is NOT present/visible, then there's nothing to worry about.)
Hopes this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I'll be happy to help.
Regards,
James
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James Yee
Expertise
My main area of expertise is Cuban cigars but I can also assist you with cigar etiquette, humidor maintenance and troubleshooting. Unsure of a certain cigar brand? Wondering what a certain cigar tastes like? Have any questions about Cuban cigars? Just let me know! I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. (NOTE: My main focus is on premium, hand-rolled cigars and not cheap, machine made, convenience store cigars.) IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE CIGAR OR CIGAR-RELATED APPRAISALS. If you have a vintage cigar item and you want to know if it's worth something, please contact an antique dealer that specializes in "TOBACCIANA".
Experience
I currently have 19 dedicated years of cigar smoking and counting. I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigars and most reputable non-Cuban cigar brands on a regular basis so I know a fair bit about taste profiles, cigar etiquette and other fine nuances to cigar smoking. For 5 years, I studied with Cuban torcedores (rollers), catadores (taste testers) and revisadores (inspectors) on every aspect involving the production of the Cuban cigar and I am currently writing a book that will help beginners understand everything they need to know about cigars and cigar smoking.
Publications
Maple Leaf Gardens: Memories & Dreams 1931-1999 (1999; ISBN: 0920445616)
50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do (2006; ISBN: 0452286654)
The [London] Times (October 8, 2009)
Education/Credentials
B.A. University of Toronto
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