Even though Reuben’s Brews of Seattle calls its Stay Frosty IPA a fall seasonal, I can’t help but look at the name and the style—cold IPA—and think that this should really be a winter beer. So it’s getting the holiday beer review treatment! Perfectly suitable for drinking this December!

Reuben’s describes Stay Frosty on its website:

Stay Frosty IPA is the perfect beer for the tail end of Summer and the return of crisp, cool, fall air to the PNW. It’s clean and refreshing like a lager, but with the higher ABV and bold hoppiness of a classic West Coast IPA.

Instead of using traditional ale yeast, in this hybrid IPA we use lager yeast and ferment at cooler temperatures than normal IPAs to deliver a clean body that allows the hops to shine without any of the usual ale yeast aromas. The addition of flaked rice to the grain bill imparts additional clarity and crispness. Gobs of hops build an assertive bitterness, and we also dry hop at the tail end of fermentation to deliver even more hop boldness.

The hops used are listed as Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, and Columbus, and the beer is 6.9% ABV with 50 IBUs.

Appearance: Golden yellow, mostly clear with some unfiltered haziness, with an off-white head.

Smell: Bright and tropical, with fresh papaya, citrus, and a bit of red berry. There’s a touch of allium (green onion?) but it’s mellow. Clean aroma overall.

Taste: Some nicely spicy hops with fruit skins, escarole, a touch of mint, and some pine needle. It has a good herbal bitterness level and a clean, tight malt presence with maybe a light corny character which is nice. Solid malt and hops throughout.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, crisp, and clean, what you’d want in the cold IPA style.

Overall: It’s good and tasty and nicely drinkable, with good hop flavors. A new holiday IPA contender!