Cigars/yellow spots
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Question
hI James,
my cuban montes&romeos have developed some tiny dark yellowish spots about 1mm in diameter,my humidor is at 70/70 and they smoke and taste ok,is this tobacco beetle or nothing to worry about.
Hi Graham,
Dark yellow spots doesn't sound like tobacco beetles but it may be either plume/bloom or cigar mold. Cigar mold is typically fuzzy and thick in appearance and will grow in random patches. It's usually green, blue, greenish-blue and white in colour but yellow forms of tobacco mold have been known to exist. Cigar mold will look exactly like mold you would find on spoiled food so if your yellow spots resembles this, you have mold. (When wiped away, cigar mold will leave a discolorated stain.)
Cigar plume/bloom however, will appear similar to mold but be "dust-like" in appearance instead of being thick and fuzzy. It is usually grey and off-white in colour but can be a transparent light brown (yellowy tan?) colour as well. Unlike mold, plume/bloom will appear all over a cigar instead of appearing in random patches. When wiped away, cigar plume will not leave any stains.
If however, these dark yellow spots move, then they are tobacco mites (which are harmless) and not tobacco beetles. Tobacco mites have a short lifespan and will thrive on moisture (such as a dish of distilled water inside a humidor) and not cigars. Tobacco beetles however, are darker and larger in size. And unlike tobacco mites, tobacco beetles are born INSIDE the cigar and when they incubate and hatch, they will chew and dig their way out of the cigar; ruining your cigar collection.
If you have plume or tobacco mites, don't worry as they're harmless. (Simply brush them off before you smoke the cigar.) If however, you have cigar mold or tobacco beetles, you will need to thoroughly clean your cigars of mold and discard cigars that have already been damaged by beetles.
If you need instructions of eliminating cigar mold and/or tobacco beetles, please let me know and I will 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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