Very Old Montecristo cigars and Box

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Cornrow_Wallis

Yep, definitely mold. Brush it off and light one up. If it's nasty, pitch it and keep the others if'n you're the sentimental type.

I wouldn't light one up just yet. If that mold is new, then the OP's humidor where these have been stored is possibly too moist and being that they have been in there for awhile, the entire cigar could have picked up enough extra moisture into the filler to make it burn poorly and taste bitter. If the mold is new, I would correct the problem in the humidor that is causing the excessive moisture and then allow the cigars to sit in there for a month or so to shed some extra water, then consider lighting one up.

Originally Posted by Starscream

Is it just me, or does that humi/box not have a seal on it? I thought it was a humidor on first glance, but there's no way that it would hold humidity.

It's not you Andy. I don't see a sealing lip either.

With no warping, a flat seal can hold so some extent, but, yeah, nowhere near as well as a lip seal.

40, 50, 60, 70 years ago they didn't look at or treat/store cigars the way we do today. Nobody was anywhere near as critical about it as they are today. Cigars were stored in desk drawers and cabinets with a moistened sponge for humidity, or even a brick soaked in water. Nothing scientific or measured.