Frequently Asked Questions

The white spots on your cigars may be a very good sign that things are going well. Not all cigars need to be at 70 degrees F. White powder on cigars is called “bloom” and it is a sign of a well-aged cigar. Bloom is what happens when the oils in the tobacco disperse throughout and reach the wrapper. The oils then dry to create a white power on the outside of the cigar. Some avid cigar smokers prefer to smoke only cigars that have aged to bloom.

Bloom (often called plume) is the slow rising of essential oils to the surface of the cigar. It first appears as tiny crystals and will eventually make the cigar appear dusty. A more advance bloom gives an opaque white look to the entire cigar. Bloom isn’t harmful to cigars. It’s an indication that the cigar has been maintained at a 70+% RH for a long period of time. Many smokers prefer a cigar in the bloom state. Mold is a fungus. It appears on the surface of cigars when the relative humidity in your humidor exceeds 80%. It looks like blue/gray fuzzy patches on the surface of the wrapper and will spread by producing spores. If mold appears, you should remove the affected cigars and check for any mold on the wood of your humidor. It’s important to separate the affected cigars immediately and to wipe down the interior lining of your humidor with isopropyl or denatured alcohol. This will kill mold and may leave slight stains on your humidor’s interior wood. Click here to see photos of mold. Gently wipe the mold off of your cigars and leave them at room humidity for 36 hours, then place them back into your humidor (obviously after addressing the moisture problem that caused the mold in the first place). Check these cigars every few days to ensure that mold growth has stopped. Some people recommend more drastic measures such as placing your cigars in the freezer to kill the mold. Try our method first before going to such extremes. If your problem continues, you may need a new humidor.

Better known to entomologists as Lasiodorma Serricorne, the tobacco beetle strikes fear in the hearts of cigar smokers. Beetle infestation happens when cigars are rolled. While cigar manufacturers have made tremendous strides in fighting the tobacco beetle with pesticides and other organic methods, there’s a chance that your cigar, especially if it’s Cuban, will have beetle larvae rolled into it. The larvae remain dormant and are undetectable until they become active and decide to eat their way out of your cigar. Exposing your cigars to temperatures of 80 degrees F for extended periods of time (more than a week or two) at 70% RH can create the conditions for the larvae to hatch. The beetle usually makes its appearance known by the destruction it leaves behind, but it’s rare to actually see these little critters. When the 1/16″ larvae hatch, they’ll eat continuously and grow to three times their original size. The carnage may be tiny pinholes in the wrapper or visible channels along the exterior of the cigar or small pieces of tobacco littering the area. If you recognize beetle infestation, you must act quickly and decisively. You’ll need to freeze your cigars immediately or risk losing your entire collection. Determine how extensively the beetles have infested your humidor. If the infestation appears to be isolated to a single box of cigars, then you can take a risk to freeze only those smokes. We recommend that you treat all the cigars in the humidor. There is a chance, however, that some of your cigar wrappers may burst when the moisture expands in your cigars as they freeze. Here’s how to do it: Take all your cigars and place them in airtight containers to keep in the moisture of the cigars. Ziploc bags and Tupperware work well. Leave them in the freezer for 48 hours. The cold will kill the beetles and make the larvae dormant again. Next, wipe your humidor down thoroughly with rubbing alcohol (which is safe on wood), to kill any remaining beetle larvae. After 48 hours, take out the unopened containers of frozen cigars and let the containers and the contents return to room temperature. Once they are warm again, return the cigars to your humidor.

Some people even repair the damaged cigars by grafting wrapper leaf from other cigars. If you decide to go this route, you’ll need an Exact-o-knife, a vegetable-based adhesive and lots of patience. If you collect Cuban cigars, the country from where these beetles generally originate, the key to preventing beetle infestation is: Buy from a reputable source Eliminate temperature extremes by protecting your cigars in a temperature-controlled humidor Check you cigars regularly for signs of beetles to prevent their growth