Theoretically Brewing CFC Buster Habanero IPA
Reviewed by Brady White on October 4, 2017 in Local Heroes Guide
The Details
- Brewery: Theoretically Brewing Company
- Origin: Lethbridge, AB, CA
- Rated On: October 4, 2017
- Best Before: N/A
- ABV: 5.9%
- Ideal Temperature: cold to cool
- Style: American IPA
- Rating: GOOD !
The Review

This 341ml bottle pours a slightly hazy, medium copper amber colour, with a teeming tower of puffy, finely foamy, and mildly bubbly ecru head, which leaves some tiered broken bike chain lace around the glass as it lazily sinks out of sight.
It smells of musty lime flesh, muddled orange and red grapefruit citrus peel, bready and grainy caramel malt, a hint of estery yeastiness, some gentle green spice notes, and a further leafy, weedy, and floral hoppiness. The taste is grainy and crackery caramel malt, a kind of neutered-seeming green chili spiciness, overripe lemon/lime rind, further indistinct citrus essences, and more understated earthy, leafy, and herbal verdant hop bitters. The carbonation is average in its palate-pinging frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and sort of smooth, as both the lime and habanero don’t seem prone to giving much quarter. It finishes off-dry, the multi-vectored fruitiness contending with a lingering respectful pepper heat.
Overall, this offering succeeds by delivering all of the promised flavours, and not leaning too far in any particular direction (especially the spicy one). Interesting, and actually quite easy to drink, once I stopped trying to parse all the nuances, which is typically par for the course. Good stuff.