The Complete HCD Cigar & Drink Pairing Guide

The right drink doesn't just accompany a cigar — it changes it, pulling out notes that smoking alone won't reveal. Every cigar in the HCD lineup has its own personality, so we built a pairing list for each one based on its specific flavor profile. Here's the complete guide, cigar by cigar.

PaPaDoc — 93/100

PaPaDoc is peppery and bold up front, with dark chocolate, toasted almond, espresso, and molasses running through it — a San Andres wrapper cigar that wants something with real backbone. New Riff Bottled in Bond and George T. Stagg bourbons bring the cask-strength richness to stand up to that pepper. For rum, reach for Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve from Haiti or Brugal 1888 from the Dominican Republic — both aged, both able to match the cigar's sweetness without disappearing into it. If you'd rather go spiced, Chairman's Reserve Spiced rum plays nicely with PaPaDoc's cinnamon and cocoa notes, and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is our beer pick — its own roasted, creamy character mirrors the cigar's espresso and molasses side almost note for note.

PaPaDoc Beer Recommendations

From Cigar City Brewing in Tampa — a brewery that shares more than a name with this hobby — Jai Alai is a bold, citrus-forward American IPA whose hop bitterness cuts right through PaPaDoc's pepper, and Hunahpu's Imperial Stout goes the other direction: an 11.8% imperial stout brewed with cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, and ancho and pasilla chiles that mirrors the cigar's own espresso-and-chocolate core almost ingredient for ingredient.

For something lighter, these lagers and a wheat beer round out the list:

Also worth trying: Asahi Super Dry, Sapporo Premium, Kirin Ichiban, Yebisu, and Harbin Beer — clean, crisp lagers that won't fight PaPaDoc's spice and give the cigar room to lead.

Ogou — 92/100

Ogou is a full-bodied, fire-and-iron kind of smoke — dried fruit, molasses, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and a charred-wood finish. It calls for dark rum: Appleton Estate 21 Year Old and Angostura 15 Year Old both bring the depth to match it, and the same Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve (Haiti) and Brugal 1888 (Dominican Republic) picks work here too. For something different, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire spiced whiskey leans into Ogou's warmth and spice — a widely available, easy pick if you want whiskey over rum.

Baron Samedi — 93/100

Named for the loa of the dead, Baron Samedi earns its dark, mystic reputation with espresso, dark chocolate, black pepper, and a smoky, barbecue-like finish. Rum is the traditional offering to Baron Samedi himself, so Appleton Estate 21 Year Old, Angostura 15 Year Old, Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve (Haiti), or Brugal 1888 (Dominican Republic) all fit both the flavor and the theme — their sweetness balances the cigar's spice. If you'd rather skip rum entirely, a rich stout or espresso leans straight into Baron Samedi's roasted, deep-roast character instead of contrasting it.

Roi Christophe — 94/100

Roi Christophe is a connoisseur's cigar — espresso, dark chocolate, caramel, aged wood, and a peppery Dark Habano finish — and it's built for a wide range of pairings. New Riff Bottled in Bond and George T. Stagg bourbon bring the same cask-strength match as they do with PaPaDoc; an aged rum or a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon both work for a sweeter, fruit-forward counterpoint. For something more refined, Hibiki 30 Year or Yamazaki 18 Year Japanese whisky bring a smooth, layered complexity that matches the cigar's own depth, and Rémy Martin XO or Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac round things out with a classic, old-world pairing befitting a cigar named for a king. For something outside the usual playbook, Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo sake — one of the most celebrated sakes in the world — is a delicate, refined pairing that lets Roi Christophe's own complexity stand out.

Empereur Jacques 1er — 94/100, 2025 Cigar of the Year

Empereur Jacques 1er opens with a sweetened tip before settling into cedar, caramel, leather, and roasted coffee — so its pairing list leans upscale and global to match. Rémy Martin XO or Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac are the classic choice; an aged rum or a Mendoza Malbec brings fruit-forward sweetness that echoes the cigar's own sweet-tip opening. For red wine drinkers, a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Montalcino, or Ribera del Duero all work. Whisky fans should look to Hibiki 30 Year or Yamazaki 18 Year, and for something outside the usual cigar-pairing playbook, try Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo sake — a delicate, refined pairing that lets the cigar's sweet-tip novelty stand out.

Find Your Pairing

Every one of these pairings is built around what's actually happening in the smoke — not a generic "bourbon goes with everything" list. Try a few, see what you gravitate toward, and don't be afraid to mix it up between the first third and the last.

Read the full tasting notes for every cigar or shop the lineup to start pairing.