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 beer with real backbone and grip,

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

Both sit at 38 IBUs, so bitterness isn't the differentiator—it's the alcohol weight and how aggressively each one carries its hops. Invasion punches above its 5.5% weight class; Cyclo feels deliberately restrained, which is its own kind of sophistication.

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 want substance and weight in the glass
→You prefer hops with a fuller malt foundation
→You're in the mood for a beer that demands focus

Pick Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale when…

→You want to ease into your evening session
→You prefer hop character without alcohol warmth
→You're chasing drinkability and clarity of flavor

In words

Tasting notes

Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale

HoppyCitrusyClean

Invasion hits different because it's compact but dense. That extra full percent of ABV doesn't sound like much until you're drinking it—you feel a real presence, a warmth that makes the pale ale character feel intentional rather than casual. The hops land with this herbal, almost piney snap that lingers. It's a beer that asks you to pay attention.

Pasteur Street Cyclo Pale Ale

HoppyCitrusyFruity

Cyclo is the thinking person's pale ale. It's restrained on purpose, sitting at 4.5% with serious restraint, but the hop character doesn't apologize for being lighter. There's a cleaner, almost tea-like quality to the bitterness—it's there, just elegant about it. Drinks like a beer you could have two of without losing the thread of conversation.

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