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Expert: - 5/25/2009


Question
For some reason I tried to air seal a box of my cohibas and after opening them after a couple months they had become covered im white mold.  This had worked for me in the past with cigars from the Caymans but I guess the Cubin cigars were to moist still.
Anyway my question is if there was a slight bit of mold starting at the base and they were cleaned with alcohol and I cut like an inch off the foot would they be ok to smoke.
I took one apart and could not see any traces of mold in the wrapper, casing or core.
Since that my girlfriend bought me a humidor box.

Answer
Hi Justin,

If the mold was caught and treated early, your cigars can indeed be saved.  Because the mold has reached the foot of your cigars, cutting the cigars to remove the mold is your best option of saving them but there is NO GUARANTEE that the cigars are 100% mold free.  Once the mold has reached the foot of the cigar, it's impossible to totally purge all the microscopic mold particles from the multiple layers of tobacco and mold can grow deep within the filler tobacco's gaps and cracks.

If you wish to save your cigars, cutting the feet is best but if mold reappears on the cigars' feet, it's best to throw the cigars away.

Also, now that you have a humidor, be sure to store your cigars in that instead of air-sealing your cigars.  As you mentioned, properly air sealing your cigars can cause mold to appear and put all your cigars at risk.

Hopes this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask 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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