Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale vs Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale: Which Should You Drink?

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Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale

Cigar City Brewing

United States · American Pale Ale · 5.5% ABV

hopIQ rank #200

91%

Overall similarity

side by side, across 56 flavour tags

Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale

Pasteur Street Brewing Company

hopIQ take

Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale if you want a fuller, more assertive pale ale,

Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale if you want something lighter and more crushable.

Both hit the same bitterness level, but Invasion's extra ABV delivers noticeable body and alcohol warmth that Cyclo deliberately sidesteps. Cyclo feels like it was built for hot weather or back-to-back drinking; Invasion rewards your attention.

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, bitterness and texture match within Δ 1. Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale brings a distinct floral note that Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale doesn't.

Beer DNA

Where they separate

Cigar City Invasion Pale AlePasteur Street Cyclo Pale Alegap between them

Body

Δ 1

lightfull

Both similarly built

Sweetness

Δ 1

drysweet

Both similarly balanced

Situations

When to choose which

Pick Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale when…

→You're drinking one or two, not cycling through a lineup
→Alcohol warmth and body appeal to you more than dryness
→You prefer malt presence to dominate hop aggression

Pick Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale when…

→You're at a beach bar or summer afternoon session
→You want to drink multiple rounds without heaviness
→Brightness and floral character matter more than depth

In words

Tasting notes

Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale

HoppyCitrusyClean

Invasion grabs you immediately—there's a solid malt backbone that makes this feel substantial in your mouth, not thin. The hop character is moderate and balanced, letting caramel notes sit alongside citrus without either one dominating. You get a slight warmth on the finish that reminds you this is 5.5%, not 4.5%. It's the kind of pale ale that tastes intentional.

Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale

HoppyCitrusyFruity

Cyclo is refined and restrained in the best way. It's lean without being watery, and the bitterness is present but doesn't rough up your palate. Floral notes come through clearly, maybe some herbal snap on the back end. This is a pale ale that trusts restraint—it's built to pair with food or session without fatigue, which is smart brewing.

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