HOPIQ FACEOFF
United States · American Pale Ale · 5.5% ABV
91%
Overall similarity
hopIQ take
Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale if you want bold citrus punch and a crisp finish,
Hopper Pale Ale if you want something more grounded and malt-forward.
Both sit at 5.5% ABV and 38 IBUs, so they're technically identical on paper—but they drink completely different. Invasion leans aggressively toward the hops; Hopper lets the grain do more talking. Pick based on whether you're chasing brightness or balance.
At a glance
Generated from the four anchored axes — never hand-written.
Structurally near-identical
Structurally these two are the same beer. Body, sweetness and bitterness match within Δ 1. Hopper Pale Ale runs a touch livelier in texture (Δ 2).
Beer DNA
Body
Δ 1
Sweetness
Δ 1
Situations
In words
Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
Invasion hits you immediately with grapefruit and pine—there's a sharp, almost herbal bite that doesn't linger long. The malt backbone is minimal, almost austere; this beer wants you focused on what the hops are doing. Finish is dry and snappy, no sweetness to soften the blow. It's the kind of pale ale that feels active on your palate.
Hopper Pale Ale
Hopper feels rounder, warmer somehow. You get apricot and subtle floral notes, but they're threaded through a more substantial malt body—there's actual sweetness here, a touch of caramel undertone. The bitterness is there (those 38 IBUs land), but it's integrated, not aggressive. Finish is cleaner than Invasion but less sharp; it lingers without overstaying.
See what fits your taste
hopIQ scores every beer against your palate, not the average drinker's.
Build your Beer DNAKeep exploring
Beers like Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
View alternatives →Beers like Hopper Pale Ale
View alternatives →Bitterness
Δ 0
Texture
Δ 2
Only Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
Shared character
Only Hopper Pale Ale