HOPIQ FACEOFF
United States · American Pale Ale · 5.5% ABV
95%
Overall similarity
hopIQ take
Cigar City Invasion if you want a crisp, straightforward pale ale,
Oppigårds Amarillo if you want something with more textural complexity.
Both clock in at identical specs—5.5% ABV, 38 IBUs—but they're built differently. Invasion plays it clean and direct, while Amarillo leans into a rounder, slightly more substantial mouthfeel. Neither one dominates; it's really about whether you're in the mood for precision or character.
At a glance
The differences that matter
Generated from the four anchored axes — never hand-written.
Structurally near-identical
Structurally these two are the same beer. The difference is in the aromatics. Body, sweetness and bitterness match within Δ 1. Oppigårds Amarillo runs a touch livelier in texture (Δ 2). Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale brings a distinct smooth-drinking note that Oppigårds Amarillo doesn't.
Beer DNA
Where they separate
Body
Δ 0
Sweetness
Δ 1
Bitterness
Situations
When to choose which
In words
Tasting notes
Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
Invasion hits like a well-tuned engine—bright, efficient, no wasted motion. You get those classic pale ale citrus notes without any roughness or overreach. There's a dry snap on the finish that keeps you reaching back, and the bitterness sits right where it should: present but never aggressive. It's the kind of beer that doesn't demand your full attention but rewards it if you give it.
Oppigårds Amarillo
Amarillo feels rounder in your mouth than the numbers suggest it should. There's a subtle maltiness underneath that gives it more backbone—not heavy, just enough to make you feel the beer rather than just drink it. The hop character is cleaner, less citrus-forward and more herbal-floral. It's got a softer landing than Invasion, with a finish that lingers a beat longer.
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