11 year old Penzance.

[Singularis]

But this website says that “plume” might always be mold and the “sign of good quality” is a bunch of hooey … when it comes to its presence on cigars.

What Is Cigar Plume? Cigar Mold Vs Plume | Is Plume A Good Sign?

In this guide, you will learn what really is plume on a cigar as we debunk one of the industry's most perpetuated myths about cigar mold.

bespokeunit.com

 

[cosmicfolklore]

But this website says that “plume” might always be mold and the “sign of good quality” is a bunch of hooey … when it comes to its presence on cigars.

What Is Cigar Plume? Cigar Mold Vs Plume | Is Plume A Good Sign?

In this guide, you will learn what really is plume on a cigar as we debunk one of the industry's most perpetuated myths about cigar mold.

bespokeunit.com

There was a guy on a cigar forum that had it analyzed, and it was a unique form of fungus. One thing for certain is that it is not sugar, nor is it sweet in any way.

 

[gervais]

But this website says that “plume” might always be mold and the “sign of good quality” is a bunch of hooey … when it comes to its presence on cigars.

What Is Cigar Plume? Cigar Mold Vs Plume | Is Plume A Good Sign?

In this guide, you will learn what really is plume on a cigar as we debunk one of the industry's most perpetuated myths about cigar mold.

bespokeunit.com

Umm, that photo of the "plume" on those cigars look nothing like the plume we speak of on pipe tobacco. That photo looks like pure mold, not plume. Plume looks identical to sugar

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Umm, that photo of the "plume" on those cigars look nothing like the plume we speak of on pipe tobacco. That photo looks like pure mold, not plume. Plume looks identical to sugar

Crystals all have unique crystalline structures, and plume on pipe tobacco isn't really that similar close up. It was analyzed by that cigar guy, and the lab results were that it was a form of fungus. But, there are enough deniers that it will take many lab results to shake off the old assumption. They say that science is like changing the direction of a ship by throwing pebbles at it. It's not quite the "game changing discovery" thing that media has us believe.

 

[Singularis]

There was a guy on a cigar forum that had it analyzed, and it was a unique form of fungus. One thing for certain is that it is not sugar, nor is it sweet in any way.

So let's recap. "Plume"/"bloom" (the sparkly, crystalized looking deposits on aged flake tobacco):
A) is probably not sugar
B) could be a crystalized oil or calcium propionate
C) could be a unique form of fungus
D) doesn't taste like sugar
E) may or may not be dangerous to smoke
F) probably doesn't smell bad (in my experience, anyway)
G) may or may not indicate positive aging qualities in the tobacco
H) gets pipe smoking nerds with TAD a little too excited even though they have no scientific reason to do so

Did I miss anything?

 

[craig61a]

Not sugar.
Nobody is quite certain what it is, but those who have looked at it closely have ruled out sugar. Not the right structure for sugar cystals. Many think it’s fungus. I prescribe to the theory that it could be recrystalized calcium proprionate, an anti-fungal frequently used on tobacco (and baked goods). But I have no evidence to support that, either.

I just find it very amusing that people speak so lovingly about it, but really have no idea what it is!

Calcium and other mineral salts… The salts are within the tobacco itself, not added. The plants absorb the minerals from the ground.

 

[gervais]

Crystals all have unique crystalline structures, and plume on pipe tobacco isn't really that similar close up. It was analyzed by that cigar guy, and the lab results were that it was a form of fungus. But, there are enough deniers that it will take many lab results to shake off the old assumption. They say that science is like changing the direction of a ship by throwing pebbles at it. It's not quite the "game changing discovery" thing that media has us believe.

I'm not saying that plume is not fungus of some kind, but whatever was on those cigars is not the same stuff. That looks like straight up mold formation.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

So let's recap. "Plume"/"bloom" (the sparkly, crystalized looking deposits on aged flake tobacco):
A) is probably not sugar
B) could be a crystalized oil or calcium propionate
C) could be a unique form of fungus
D) doesn't taste like sugar
E) may or may not be dangerous to smoke
F) probably doesn't smell bad (in my experience, anyway)
G) may or may not indicate positive aging qualities in the tobacco
H) gets pipe smoking nerds with TAD a little too excited even though they have no scientific reason to do so

Did I miss anything?

I paraphrase and may not be communicating exactly what Greg Pease has suggested before... it could also be a byproduct of enzymes breaking down minerals in the tobacco. But, he has also been known to change his thinking as discoveries are made.

I think ultimately, it is better to have crystal plumes than to have fuzzy, stinky mold. It doesn't really mean much, because it can even happen on tobacco in the tin for under a few months. It definitely doesn't mean that the tobacco is 100% guaranteed to taste better, nor does it indicate that it will taste worse.

What it is, we don't know with any 100% certainty, but it can't be worse than just the natural tobacco full of poisons and chemicals that we wanted in the first place. So, I neither shit nor piss myself when I pop open a tin and see crystals.

However, when newbie sees it and gets excited, I totally understand.

 

[greysmoke]

I've a couple of 8 year old tins that should be worth exploring.

I noted earlier this week that a few of my older sealed tins (not Penzance) are bulging top and bottom. I've been curious as to what's going on in there. There's definitely something up.

 

[OverMountain]

I paraphrase and may not be communicating exactly what Greg Pease has suggested before... it could also be a byproduct of enzymes breaking down minerals in the tobacco. But, he has also been known to change his thinking as discoveries are made.

I think ultimately, it is better to have crystal plumes than to have fuzzy, stinky mold. It doesn't really mean much, because it can even happen on tobacco in the tin for under a few months. It definitely doesn't mean that the tobacco is 100% guaranteed to taste better, nor does it indicate that it will taste worse.

What it is, we don't know with any 100% certainty, but it can't be worse than just the natural tobacco full of poisons and chemicals that we wanted in the first place. So, I neither shit nor piss myself when I pop open a tin and see crystals.

However, when newbie sees it and gets excited, I totally understand.

This post made me poop my pants, just a little.

 

[karam]

Two points

a) as a biochemist I want to swap the word "crystalized" with "precipitated", my personal theory aligns with that of this substance being oils and flavouring from the tobacco being edged out of the leaf with very slow loss of water.
b) better smoke it fast, personal and others' experience is that old tobacco loses its shine annoyingly fast once unsealed no matter how well you try to preserve it, I've had that experience with old SG Balkan Flake, the first few smokes were among the most sublime I've ever had, then decided to jar it for special occasions and it lost everything.

 

[OverMountain]

Two points

a) as a biochemist I want to swap the word "crystalized" with "precipitated", my personal theory aligns with that of this substance being oils and flavouring from the tobacco being edged out of the leaf with very slow loss of water.
b) better smoke it fast, personal and others' experience is that old tobacco loses its shine annoyingly fast once unsealed no matter how well you try to preserve it, I've had that experience with old SG Balkan Flake, the first few smokes were among the most sublime I've ever had, then decided to jar it for special occasions and it lost everything.

Bengal slices is perfect out of the tin but loses that licorice flavoring so quickly in the jar.