The Stogie Guys

Ask 100 cigar aficionados to name the deadliest predator known to the hobby, and at least 75 of them will identify the dreaded tobacco beetle. That pinhead-sized critter, with its appetite for destruction and its prodigious reproduction rate, is certainly a nasty pest. And just the thought of finding tiny worms boring through your collection of premium smokes is enough to send shivers down your spine.

But there’s a much more insidious – if a bit more prosaic – enemy that is far more likely to devour your stogies. It’s common mold. And if you’re not careful, an outbreak is not just possible; it’s probable.

So how do we know our enemy when we see it? For one thing, mold is almost always going to be a white, green, black, or even blue substance. It’ll smell like mildew – not unlike a dirty gym sock that’s been sitting in the laundry pile for a few days. It will brush off of the cigar when rubbed, but will leave a stain or discoloration in its wake. It will start as small discolorations here and there, but can grow into a thick, fuzzy substance. If the infestation is particularly severe, there might be some mold coating the sides of bottom of your humidor. Mold can spread through both direct contact with an infected stick, or through airborne spores – so it’s easy to see why an outbreak can gradually become a serious issue. If left unmolested, the mold will eat through your sticks and even the cedar lining inside your box.

What’s to be done? The first, and always the best, solution is prevention. Keeping all traces of mold out of your humidor at all times is impossible in certain climates. But you can prevent major outbreaks by keeping humidity levels at the low end of ideal (say, 65-69 RH) and/or never letting humidity climb too much beyond 70 RH (which is good policy anyway). Also make sure that your sticks are getting some air circulation every now and then. If you’re keeping cigars in an airtight container, such as Tupperware, make sure you open the container at least once a month – and preferably more often – to let some fresh air in. Always used distilled water when filling and refilling your humidification devices. Doing so won’t guarantee an end to mold, but it’ll provide much better odds than tapwater.

If you’ve already got some mold in your humidor, assess the extent of the damage before acting. If the mold seems to be localized to just one or two sticks, and if the spots seem small and easily brushed off, simply take those sticks out and plan to smoke them soon. For good measure, sort through your remaining stash for any additional signs of infection. If the mold is widespread – say, coating large portions of individual cigars, or clinging to the walls and floor of your humidor – you need to take more decisive action. First, remove and dispose of the infected cigars; they’re not smokeable and are of no use to you. Next, quarantine the unaffected sticks while you carefully remove the mold from your cedar with a hand vacuum or cloth.

Once the mold is gone, wet the tip of a cloth or Q-tip with isopropyl alcohol, and lightly rub the interior of your humidor to kill off the remaining (invisible) spores. Too much alcohol can damage the cedar lining, so rub/tap lightly and do not drench the cedar. A proper application should dry almost immediately. When it does, rub down the wood (very lightly) with a bit of warm, distilled water. Dry everything very thoroughly, and allow the humidor a few days to air out. During this time you should keep your cigars quarantined before reintroducing them to the humidor. Once the cigars are back in the humidor, monitor everything very closely for a few weeks to make sure no mold has reappeared.

Note that not every whitish coating in your cigars is mold. In fact, a grayish/whitish coating of dust on the skins of your smokes is probably plume (or bloom), an accretion of oils on the wrapper due to age. It’s considered a sign that everything is in good working order, and that your sticks are maturing nicely. Plume will brush off a cigar easily and will not discolor the wrapper; white mold will leave a mark.

–Jon N

photo credit: Keepers of the Flame

StogieGuys.com will be featured on the Livin’ Large with Geoff Pinkus radio show on WIND 560 AM in Chicago today. The show runs from 5-7 pm Central (6-8 Eastern) and Patrick S is scheduled to be on around 5:35 pm Central (6:35 Eastern).

If you have  a question, you can even call in at 877-560-WIND to ask a question on the air. And if you’re not in the Chicago area, you can listen live here (if you miss it, a podcast will be available here).

–The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

If you’ve been smoking cigars for a few years you’ll no doubt remember when Joya de Nicaragua ruled as the king of kick, the sultan of strength, the potentate of power. (OK, OK, I’ll stop. You get the drift.) These days, though, the jewel of Nicaragua rarely gets polished. The Celebración is Joya’s low-end stick, with a criollo wrapper providing less power than the Antaño. The 6 inch, 50 ring gauge Toro runs between $4 and $5. I found it to be an OK smoke with some pepper and an overall medium strength. I wouldn’t want a steady diet of these, but it’s not a bad cigar to occasionally mix into your smoking lineup.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

Flor de Oliva bundles are often among those mentioned when smokers discuss worthwhile inexpensive smokes. I paid only $2.30 for this 6 inch by 50 ring gauge maduro with Nicaraguan filler. Sensing that it might be light in taste, I used a cedar strip to light it, which seemed to impart some nice cedar notes for the first few puffs. After that, though, I was disappointed. The smoke was thin and generally tasteless. What began as a mild cigar quickly became a nearly non-existent one. As an Oliva fan, I’ll likely try others in its low-price line, but not another maduro.

Verdict = Sell.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) The industry may finally be getting its act together. Cigar Rights of America (CRA), a grassroots nonprofit hell-bent on battling tobacco taxes and smoking bans, was formed early this week. Sponsored by retailers and manufacturers— including Fuente, Davidoff, General, and Rocky—the organization will fight the “overzealous anti-smoking movement.” IPCPR announced plans to establish its own industry advocacy group one day later.

2) Speaking of the overzealous anti-smoking movement, the Ohio State Supreme Court shot down an exemption for private clubs from the state’s oppressive smoking ban. And while Pennsylvania legislators rejected a bill to ban smoking in most workplaces across the Keystone State, the proposed regulation will likely be reconsidered on Monday after some politicians try to make it stronger.

3) Inside the Industry: Don Giolitoo of Illusione cigars is coming out with a milder line to be called the Cruzado. Famous Smoke’s Cigar Expo & BBQ Bash 2008 starts today in Easton, Pennsylvania with with a golf tournament before a weekend filled with stogies and BBQ. The Metropolitan Cigar Society of Fairfield, New Jersey hosted Rocky Patel at a special dinner Wednesday night.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up the Padrón 7000. Stogie Review smokes the Sancho Panza Double Maduro. Cigar Jack reviews a Camacho Corojo Toro. Matt puffs on a Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic Lancero. The Stogie Baby tries a Montecristo Media Noche.

5) Deal of the Week: Need a Fathers’ Day gift? Cuban Crafters has slashed prices on a number of cigars. Included are boxes of Stogie Guys favorites, including the Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection, J.L. Salazar, and La Carolina lines—each of which is available at deep discount. See all the deals here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: CigarRights.org

The annual hype machine is starting up again. Cigar makers will be launching dozens of new lines at the IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas this July and marketing departments are busy trying to create buzz about their new releases.

Given that CAO is known for its cutting edge marketing, it should come as no surprise that CAO (led by their head of marketing, Jon Huber) has released a two-part short film hinting at it’s new release planned for this year’s IPCPR convention (formerly known as the RTDA).

In an email to StogieGuys.com editors this week, Huber wrote “CAO New Release??? Maybe…” and directed us to CAO’s short film titled “CAO Mission Escaparate.”

Here is the part one of the film:

Part two can be found here here.

StogieGuys.com will be at the annual convention in Las Vegas, to provide our readers with information on the new CAO cigar and the many other new cigar releases.

–Patrick S

This cigar, quite simply, is a Cuban icon. Montecristos account for roughly half of worldwide Habanos SA sales, and the pyramid-shaped No. 2 is among the legendary brand’s best-selling vitolas (the No. 4 currently holds the top spot).

With a reputation for full flavors and a clear draw, this Cuban puro is no stranger to praise. Among its many accolades is an inspiring rating of 94 in the February 2008 issue of Cigar Aficionado. The publication also recently named the Montecristo No. 2 its “Cigar of the Week.”

Unexpectedly, this 6.1 inch by 52 ring gauge stogie doesn’t exactly have the look of one of the world’s elite smokes. It is slightly crooked, moderately lumpy, and on the veiny side. Two water spots—harmless yellow circular imperfections that likely indicate where droplets of rain hit the wrapper leaf during the curing process—slightly blemish the head and foot.

The seams on my three No. 2s also appeared hastily applied. Maybe the torcedores who rolled my sticks were paying more attention to whatever the rolling floor lector was reading them. (The brand gets its name from The Count of Montecristo novel, apparently a popular choice among rollers when Montecristo was established in 1935.)

Fortunately, these aesthetic imperfections have no bearing on taste. An oily, earthy bouquet opens the cigar with well-balanced notes of oak and clove. The smoke is moist, abundant, and cool with little spice and no harshness. The draw is clear, but the ash isn’t as stable as you’d expect.

A buttery almond backdrop joins in after the first inch or so to provide a pleasant creaminess that’s similar to the taste of the Petit Edmundo. This is about when it becomes necessary to periodically correct the burn. The second third is a bit bitter, and the finish is characterized by an increase in spice.

Overall, while I’d prefer a cleaner appearance and more reliable physical properties, this is still a wonderfully enjoyable cigar—even for the price. Boxes of 25 sell for around $270, and three-packs can be had for $31 (I’d recommend the latter option before the former). For complex, delicious flavors, I give the iconic Montecristo No. 2 four and ½ out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys