If you’ve spent any time amassing a collection of cigars in your humidor, the thought of cigar mold has undoubtedly crossed your mind, and rightfully so. As cigar smokers know, there are few scenarios more terrifying than an entire stash of expensive smokes ruined by the forces of nature, leaving the owner of the furry mess devastated — not to mention smokeless.

As critical a facet of the hobby as it is, cigar mold is one of the more ambiguous topics in the realm of the homegrown tobacco enthusiast, which may have something to do with the cornucopia of opinions that the subject conjures. A cursory search through any cigar forum will illustrate that it is a topic wrought with confusion and debate.

In this article, we’ll look at common talking points surrounding the matter — the causes of mold and how one should avoid it. Finally, we’ll ponder the toxicity of cigar mold and the potential for saving a moldy cigar.

What is Cigar Mold?

As the ‘A students’ will have probably guessed by now, cigar mold is a fungus that grows on cigars subjected to specific environmental conditions. But, if we’re getting technical, mold is more of a catch-all for the wide varieties of fungi that thrive in the oxygen-rich, moist home that a subpar approach to humidor husbandry can inadvertently provide.

Candida parapsilosis and Penicillium ascomycetous are two common fungal names provided by a cigar mold study performed by an Australian biotech laboratory. Cigar mold feeds on natural sugars secreted from the tobacco leaves. It can appear in many colors — white, red, green, blue, or yellow. The fungi reproduce at an alarming rate, sending millions of airborne spores to dance the Maduro mambo all over your precious cargo, so vigilance is vital.

How to Prevent Cigar Mold

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; that’s how the argument goes, anyway. And there’s no exception when we’re talking about cigar mold. Avoid the avoidable. Whether your cigar stash is worth a couple of hundred dollars or several thousand, a quality collection is an investment. Nobody wants to toss their investment in the garbage over something easily avoidable. Attention to detail in the following categories will pay dividends and help you save your smokes.

Prevent Mold with Digital Humidity Control

Number one on the list is — you guessed it — humidity. An adequately controlled humidity level is critical to preventing cigar mold from growing inside your humidor. Of course, this assumes that you’ve invested in a quality humidor and taken the time to season it.

To avoid moldy cigars, carefully maintain your humidor between 65% and 70% relative humidity. The most precise way to do this is to use a digital hygrometer. Think precision — while an analog hygrometer might suffice in the early stages of a collector’s journey, there’s just no comparison to the accuracy of its digital successor. They’re also pretty inexpensive, ya cheap-o.

You Used What in Your Humidor?

When you’re in a pinch, it might seem tempting to use tap or bottled water in our humidity reservoirs. Yet, you may be pouring that water over the cigars themselves. Using these liquids is equivalent to setting up a tiny neon vacancy sign for mold. The mold spores might already live in the water. Alternatively, distilled water or propylene glycol significantly reduces cigar mold risk in your humidor. Humidity pouches also make a convenient alternative if you’re looking for a little plug-and-play action. The best part is you don’t need to refill them.

Know Your Cigar Source

Would you allow someone you didn’t know to enter your home, roll on your bed, make a sandwich, or take the Cadillac for a spin? Of course not! Try to think of your humidor similarly. Limit your suppliers to trustworthy vendors to minimize the risk of introducing mold into your stable of healthy sticks. You might find killer deals from poorly established, less-than-reputable online sources. But, ask yourself, is it worth the potential of contaminating your entire collection with even one contaminated cigar?

Is Cigar Mold Dangerous?

To address mold dangers precisely, you need to know what mold is growing on your cigar. Many of the molds that we encounter are harmless. But, many are nothing more than an aesthetically unpleasant nuisance. Unsurprisingly, there are also no shortages of toxic mold variants waiting to do lasting damage. So, how do you know the difference?

Ask any cigar aficionado, and you’ll likely hear different opinions. However, the general rule is if it’s white, brush it off and smoke away. However, if it’s blue or green, toss the stick.

For many, any mold on the foot of the cigar is the point of no return; this also shows that the cigar mold has gone deeper than the wrapper. Ultimately, it boils down to a subjective risk assessment. However, an important point to consider is the mitigations to avoid humans ingesting mold within the confines of a home or a building.

Can You Save Your Cigar?

Remove the contaminated sticks from the humidor if you plan on salvaging and smoking a moldy cigar. Then inspect your remaining cigars like a hungry Capuchin monkey looking for fleas. Remember, cigar mold spreads quickly. So quarantine your contaminated smokes fast to prevent more significant problems later.

You can then brush the mold from the cigar with a soft paintbrush, taking care not to damage the wrapper. If the mold brushes right off, you’re in the clear. If it doesn’t, you can dip a Q-Tip in some 151-proof rum or the like and spot-treat the stick like a civil war field surgeon. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the taste of victory over nature.

Photo credit: Unsplash | Sandy Millar

For decades, there has been a market for counterfeit Cuban cigars. People can easily get duped as, on the outside, many of these Cubans look quite convincing. Some of them even smoke okay—although, if you know what you are doing, you can certainly tell the difference. Thankfully, there are ways to tell if your Cuban is legit. Here’s our guide to how to spot a fake Cuban cigar.

The Fake Cuban Cigar

One of the easiest ways to tell if you are dealing with a fake Cuban cigar is if it’s unbanded. If your Cuban doesn’t have a band on it, odds are, it’s a fake. Un-banded cigars are often sold on street corners in Cuba to unsuspecting tourists. These, obviously fake, Cubans are hardly the main problem, as some fake Cubans come with counterfeit bands and even in counterfeit boxes. That is when it gets a bit more difficult to tell what you’re dealing with before you buy.

Signs of a Fake Cuban Cigar

The first thing to realize is that you are always more at risk for buying a fake Cuban if the cigar you are buying is expensive, and not actually purchased in Cuba. That’s not to say you can’t buy a legitimate Cuban cigar in the U.S. or online, you simply need to be more careful.

Habanos Seal

All real Cuban cigars are packed in boxes with what is called the Habanos Seal.

The Habanos Seal should always be present on the upper left-hand side of your cigar box, approximately 3 to 6 mm from the edge. It should also usually bend up to the front right over the center of the Cote d´Arms. The only time the seal won’t bend up like this and go over the Cote d’Arms is on very large cigar boxes.

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/verificacion-de-autenticidad/

Size, Shape, and Symmetry

This is a common-sense tip that says your cigar box should look and feel sturdy and official. Also, inside the box, the Cubans should all be the same length and color. If the box looks flimsy or the cigars inside are different sizes or colors, you are probably dealing with a fake Cuban cigar.

The ‘Made in Cuba’ Stamp

All Cuban cigar boxes should have a ‘Made in Cuba’ stamp on their left. As of 2010 all of these stamps include a hologram. The hologram is an important thing to check for because they are hard and expensive to copy. Do not buy Cubans that are in a box without a hologram.

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/

Bottom of the Cigar Box

Starting in the 60s, another change was made to distinguish real Habano Cuban cigars from imitators. To ensure authenticity, all you need to do is check the bottom of the Habano Cuban cigar box. Each box of legit sticks contains the hot-stamped words: Hecho en Cuba.

Then, in 1994, another stamp made its way to the cigar boxes. This new stamp read: Habanos s. a. Of course, the name of the cigar company was stamped after this. Before this, namely between 1985 and 1994, the name was simply Cubatabaco. Today, however, you’ll see the boxes marked as Totalmente a Mano.

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/

Finally, the stamp on the bottom of the cigar box should also include two ink marks. Think of it as a kind of secret code. These marks tell industry-insiders which of the country’s factories made the cigars. And the other number shows is the month and the year when the cigars were boxed (see below).

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/

Beware of ‘Barber Pole’ Cigars

Some counterfeit sellers will try to sell cigars with more multiple multi-colored bands. This is a clear indicator the person you are dealing with is selling you a fake, as no real Cubans come with more than one band.

Beware of Edición Limitada

If you are going to buy one of the highly priced and rare Edición Limitada cigars, be careful! They are among the most counterfeited cigars. Keep in mind that Edición Limitada cigars are exceedingly rare. The Cuban government only allows three of them to be made and issued every year. So, unless you are dealing with a legitimate vendor, odds are, the person if not selling you a legit Edición Limitada.

Aside from the specific Edición Limitada cigar, you should be wary of any kind of special edition cigar that is not sold to be a legitimate vendor. And, remember, the only way you can really tell if you are dealing with a legitimate vendor is if all of his Cuban cigars have all the already described markings! Don’t assume simply because a vendor has a nice shop or looks the part the Cubans he is selling you are authentic.

Know What a Real Cuban Costs

Fake cigars sometimes trick people by being too expensive or too cheap. In the latter case, sellers tell people they got a great deal for “X” reason and that is why their prices are so low. With overpriced Cuban cigars, potential buyers will basically sell themselves on the fake cigars by thinking that “well, it’s so expensive. How can it be a fake?”

You can do online research or talk to an expert to find out roughly what the different real Cuban cigars should cost. If, for example, you see a Montecristo No. 2 going for way less or way more than you know they should go for — don’t buy.

Know-How a Real Cuban Ashes

Unfortunately, you can’t do the ash test while your Cuban is still in the box, but if you can light and try at least one cigar before buying you should pay careful attention to how the cigar ashes. A true Cuban cigar should have grey or salt-and-pepper ash. If the cigar burns white ash, that’s a bad sign.

Do Not Buy Cubans in a Glass or Plastic Box

Cuban cigars should come in an all-wood box. If you see Cuban cigars sold in a partial glass or plastic box, they are probably fake.

Final Word of Advice: Try Doing a Taste Test

The final difficulty with fake Cuban cigars is that some of the better counterfeits come in authentic boxes but are not actual Cuban cigars. Therefore, it’s always better to smoke at least one cigar before you buy. This is especially true if you decide to buy from an unknown seller. Sometimes unknown sellers can sell perfectly real, great Cuban cigars. You just have to know what a real Cuban cigar looks and tastes like in order to tell. If you don’t have that kind of experience, then you are far better off staying away from the back alleys and buying from a main-street seller who you know, and can prove, is legit.