OK, don't be afraid to talk over my head here. What exactly is Bloom? I know what it looks like, but what causes it and why some cigars in the same 'dor and not others? I was recently stumped with this question and since I am generally regarded as the King of All Knowing I quickly escaped to my safety pod where I am asking for your humble assistance. assistances? whatever...what the heck is it???

A crystalization of the oils in the cigar which form as the cigar ages. This is a sign that a cigar is good and aging well (i.e. the desirable oils are there and the aging process has begun).

A naturally occurring phenomenon in the cigar aging process, also called plume, caused by the oils that exude from the tobacco. It appears as a fine white powder and can be brushed off. This should not be confused with mold, which is bluish in color and stains the wrapper.

If you see plume thats fine but alot of times mold may not be too far off as the mold can use it as a substrate.So,make sure that you check for mold (the green spots)as mentioned above.I have found that this happens in humidors that the humidity is too high and most often in cigars jars where the higher pressure can accelerate the plume.Its worth mentioning too, that flavored cigars(e.g.-Island Amaretto)usually contain a higher concentration of oils so the presence of plume and or mold can occur more readily and more often especially if they are improperly maintained.