Dude, plume doesn't grow through the cello!

[Boudie]

Visited a B&M this evening and while looking through the humidor found a couple of boxes with obvious mold issues. I discretely mentioned to the proprietor that maybe he should check the ......... and the ............ He walks in the humidor and proceeds to tell me that the thick white powder was plume, "see it wipes right off" . I simply smiled and said in a very low voice "dude, plume doesn't grow through a cello like that".

Nevertheless I picked through the humidor and selected half a dozen cigars I had never tried before including what was to be my first Padron 1926. Only problem is that when my wife got out of the car, she grabbed the bag of cigars, dropped the 1926 on the ground and proceeded to step on it. Damn, out of all the cigars in the bag she steps on the $21.00 cigar.

My question "is the average cigar smoker so uneducated that they would listen to the owner and buy cigars covered in mold" Have you guys taught me so much that I'm able to challenge the "expert" behind the counter?

 

[navyvet]

Sad end to that padron. I wouldnt say 70% of the people i met behind the counter were even close to an expert.

 

[Glassman]

Iiiiiiiiiid probably keep those quarantined frome the rest of your stash.....

Sorry bout the Padron man.

 

[Coincrazed]

Damn. Lol mold growing through cello? I would be so pissed.

Most of the people I have talked to behind the counter, with the exception of one dude at a B&M in West Hollywood, did not know shit about cigars.

 

[mjones9630]

I echo the previous statements. Never met a cigar shop guy who knew their stuff.. the guy that owns that place in Biloxi has to be the most knowledgeable I've seen. By far!

 

[Boudie]

The shop in Biloxi is hands down the best.

 

[mjones9630]

The shop in Biloxi is hands down the best.

Yeah, I like that place.. We'll have to meet up down there again once work picks back up.

 

[ascrivner]

Last I read is that basically all plume is mold.

 

[Lok17]

Why would your wife dump the cigar on the ground and stomp on it? What did you do to piss her off? And god why after angering her so would you let her carry your padron 26? Why man, WHY! Also ya, most store owners don't know shot about smokes, let alone employees.

 

[Boudie]

Why would your wife dump the cigar on the ground and stomp on it? What did you do to piss her off? And god why after angering her so would you let her carry your padron 26? Why man, WHY! Also ya, most store owners don't know shot about smokes, let alone employees.

I asked the same question, several times!! I've been assured that it was purely accidental. I got the groceries out of the trunk, she grab the stuff in the back seat. It was cold and dark, we where in a hurry to get out the car and inside the house. The question I had to answer "why are you so angry about a damn cigar? Go buy another".

I guess I'll have to take her advice.

Thing is my wife is shall we say "full grown" so when she steps or walks on something it's pretty much been stomped!

 

[Nacho Daddy]

plume is mold
mold is mold
all of it is bad
there is no beneficial growth on cigars
wipe it off
try not to step on it.............

 

[Unpossible_1]

Such a rough story. Starts with a low and ended with a low. I feel like we need a win here. The rest of the cigars survive the fall?

In all seriousness though, I have about come to the conclusion that I don't even like talking to workers at random B&Ms I stop at anymore. I've had conversations like this so many times and it's a huge turn off for the experience. Hopefully, this was an isolated incident and the owner actually knows better. But based on what you saw, I'm guessing I'm wrong.

 

[OleVaSmoker]

Two shops ‘nearby’ and both have the same issue. One didn’t even know what the worrd plume meant the other casually passed it off as plume and it was onbioisly mold.
I buy online exclusively with retailers that stand behind their shipments . And at much less of a cost. I would gladly support my local B&M more if they actually knew something about their products.
As a side note one interaction was with the owner of the shop the other a worker at the shop. Neither knew a lot of nothing about what they were selling.

 

[Coincrazed]

Two shops ‘nearby’ and both have the same issue. One didn’t even know what the worrd plume meant the other casually passed it off as plume and it was onbioisly mold.
I buy online exclusively with retailers that stand behind their shipments . And at much less of a cost. I would gladly support my local B&M more if they actually knew something about their products.
As a side note one interaction was with the owner of the shop the other a worker at the shop. Neither knew a lot of nothing about what they were selling.

This never ceases to amaze me. How does one sell cigars and know so little about the hobby...... I won't purchase coins from a dealer that doesn't know the coins he's selling, I won't eat at a restaurant who doesn't know the dishes they are serving, and I won't buy cigars from a B&M who doesn't know the difference between the head and the foot. How do I know they have been stored correctly, that they aren't stale? I'm 100% with you about buying online. Such aforementioned B&M's give the good ones, the knowledgeable ones, a bad name. One of the main reasons why online sales are high and B&M sales are declining. Too many know nothings selling cigars.

 

[qpzmide]

Yeah, I like that place.. We'll have to meet up down there again once work picks back up.

 

[SurfnSafari]

A lot of Owners want warm bodies to ring up transactions, stock, sweep floors, clean toilets, and last not rip them off. But they only pay minimum wage.

That most of today's young people are not going to give a maximum effort for. $8.00 - $10.00/hr.

Cost money to get real good help, cheap shake owners want the money for themselves.

Good employers have programs to reward good employees. Incentives, commissions, bonuses, Christmas bonuses, etc.

 

[Dominican56]

Plume is a myth. If it’s white, it’s mold

 

[SurfnSafari]

Plume is a myth. If it’s white, it’s mold

My understands as Cigar age they give off gases, gases form and make "plume". Having seen a lot of mold it is stiffer,and not like specks of flou. Normally the gases escape at the "Foot" because of the top wrapper.

 

[Boudie]

I don't want to link to another forum but there is a good article based on several lab tests and the opportunity to earn a $250 store credit if you can provide a cigar that when tested by the lab has plume and not just some form of mold.

 

[OleVaSmoker]

This never ceases to amaze me. How does one sell cigars and know so little about the hobby...... I won't purchase coins from a dealer that doesn't know the coins he's selling, I won't eat at a restaurant who doesn't know the dishes they are serving, and I won't buy cigars from a B&M who doesn't know the difference between the head and the foot. How do I know they have been stored correctly, that they aren't stale? I'm 100% with you about buying online. Such aforementioned B&M's give the good ones, the knowledgeable ones, a bad name. One of the main reasons why online sales are high and B&M sales are declining. Too many know nothings selling cigars.

My bucket list has visiting a very good b&m one day. Where I live I will have to travel a bit to do so and a vacation week or long weekend will have to make it work but I would probably just toss all my cash and cards at that business in gratitude.
All joking aside I would have no problem spending good money in one once I get to it.