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Cigars/Uneven color of wrapper

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Expert: - 8/12/2009


Question
Dear James,
Recently I got a box of Montecristo 5 produced in 2008. Putting them into the humidor for storage I inspected the cigars and found that some (not all) of them have greenish spots on the wrapper. Other than that the wrapper looks ok (no punctures, no fuzzy things like mould etc). My guess was that this is the result of poor fermentation of the wrapper, however I would not expect something like this on a top cigar like Monte. Can you please let me know your opinion on this.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Vladimir.

Answer
Hi Vladimir,

Green spots on cigars can be from poor fermentation (water/liquid droplets comes in contact with the tobacco leaf during cultivation/fermentation and that spot on the leaf doesn't change colour properly) or the tobacco may have had mold and was cleaned.  Cleaning a moldy cigar will remove the mold but leave a permanent green stain on the tobacco leaf.  Having green spots on Cuban cigars is common and can even be found on high-end Cuban brands (including Montecristo).  These green spots can appear on premimum cigar sizes (double corona, piramide, robusto, churchill, etc.) but from personal experience, I commonly find them on smaller cigar sizes (Montecristo #5, Partagas Mille Fleur, Romeo y Julieta Tubos, etc.).  These green spots can be found on both handmade Cuban cigars and machine-made Cuban cigars.

As long as there are no holes in the cigar or fuzzy mold, your cigars are fine. :)

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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