that opie is wearing a sweater!
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So, what does actual plume look like then? (needing a reference point)
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It's a fine crystalline coating that will typically cover the cigar evenly.
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:-)

Mold in anything is really kinda scary! I don't even like blue cheese or it's family :-)
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From Gary Manelski at www.cigars.about.com

Definition: Plume or bloom is a fine white powder or dust which forms on cigars when oils exude from the tobacco as a result of aging. Plume is a good sign that a cigar has been properly aged, and it can easily be brushed off. Not to be confused with mold, which is a bluish fungus that stains the wrapper.
Also Known As: Bloom

Also:
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/5070

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/5439
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Image
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Cool pic, Wade--hope that's one of your sticks :-)
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Well, I know that. I just wanted to see the most extreme picture of it you guys had on file. Thought there might be some extremely old sticks out there, right?
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man, a shame to see all that mold on a cigar :-)
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Well, you should have been more clear in asking for a picture then. :-)

I actually did look a bit for some photos because I figured you didn't know what it was nor what it looked like based on your post, but I couldn't find anything that I felt was clear and a good depiction of the condition, and I never bothered to shoot photos of the cigars I've owned which developed it.

Age isn't necessarily a determining factor. Some cigars will never develop plume, others can develop it in very short time periods. It has more to do with the leaf and the storage than anything else.
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Looks good.

I need to get my cigars to look like that
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I also agree on this, provided maybe you snip 1/8 inch off the foot and it's CLEAN,
then wipe it off, wipe it again with vodka, then smoke it. I thought it must surely be under
the cedar wrap. And what I am REALLY saying is that I still would not smoke it, but
for YOU, if you see a clean foot and you remove all that, it might not hurt you. Look at
it this way, you are already dying a little inside just from the grief. Trouble with
smoking them like that is that you can get a little of that fluff in your sinuses and
be utterly convinced the whole cigar is moldy. It will affect the taste of the smoke
so strongly but you could hand it to someone else and they might not even detect it.
You should be OK, though if you clean it....IF NOT, I get your Packers tickets.
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Unfortunately no, one of a friends.
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Got a Monte Open Junior with what I think is mold on the foot:

Image

I sent the vendor a little email letting them know. They insist it's plume because it's white, and mold is green. I told them I'm not upset, and I don't expect 100% from something like cigars, and don't expect a replacement or anything for something as trivial as 1 cigar. I know that in a full box, there will be duds, so if 1 tubo has this, no biggie.
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Vendor needs a little education...:-)
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I have never seen green mold on a cigar. I have seen water spots, but not true mold that is green in color.
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Plume has no hair. :-)
I'd snip that Monte Open back 1/8 inch, too, see where it leads. Might be good to salvage.
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I just hate how vendors and B&M's lie about mold. Do they REALLY believe it is plume? I mean come on! It is so obvious what mold is vs. plume.
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And I would not, once mold is on the foot, just accept the loss and move on. :-)
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From here it looks like it could be mold.

Send them this photo, ask them if they think this wood is plumeing too.
Image

Or tell them to go blanch a tomato and peel it, then leave it out for a week or so, then when it starts looking like this, they smoke it, because it's all "plumey":
ImageImage
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