HOPIQ FACEOFF
United States · American Pale Ale · 5.5% ABV
79%
Overall similarity
hopIQ take
Cigar City Invasion if you want a full-bodied pale ale with grip and presence,
Jarl if you want something lean and approachable.
Invasion is the heavier lift at 5.5% ABV—it's got actual substance on your palate. Jarl sits lighter at 3.8%, making it the kind of beer you can drink two of without thinking about it. Both have nearly identical bitterness (38 vs 35 IBU), so the difference is really about weight and commitment.
At a glance
Generated from the four anchored axes — never hand-written.
Beer DNA
Body
Δ 5
Sweetness
Δ 3
Situations
In words
Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
Invasion hits you with a malt backbone that actually means something. There's caramel sweetness that doesn't feel cloying, backed by a real bitterness in the finish that stays with you. The hops feel restrained—this isn't a West Coast assault, it's more focused and controlled. By the second glass you realize it's got a slight resinous quality that keeps building.
Jarl
Jarl is the beer that disappears in your hand. It's crisp without being thin, with just enough malt sweetness to feel like a proper pale ale rather than a session ale masquerading as one. The bitterness is there but whisper-quiet, letting you taste more delicate hop character than Invasion reveals. Refreshing without gimmick.
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Beers like Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
View alternatives →Beers like Jarl
View alternatives →Both are
Similarly carbonated
Within Δ 1. Neither reads as noticeably livelier on this axis.
Texture 61 vs 60 · Δ 1
Bitterness
Δ 4
Texture
Δ 1
Only Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale
Shared character
Only Jarl
No unique character notes