Where does the time go? That’s what I should like to know! Why it seems just yesterday that I got my can of Almanac First Class Delivery Hazy Double India Pale Ale Dry-Hopped with Nelson. It was not, though. Here is the beer’s history. It was canned on 10/06/20, about a month before the November election. The beer is a tribute to postal workers, who slogged through the best efforts of the Trump administration to slow down the mail. The label is clearly marked with an admonition to VOTE. Cheers to that.

Anyway, I bought my can on Saturday, December 5^th, after the election was over. I received it on Sunday, December 13^th, via Fedex (sorry USPS!). I didn’t drink it, though, until Thursday, March 11^th, 2021. So, the beer was about five months old when I drank it, enjoying it on a fine 70ish day here in Canton, out on my patio.

Almanac has a lot to say about this beer. I’ll hand them the mike.

Extra special release brewed in honor of our mail carriers who keep the gears of democracy turning rain or shine all year long. Every 12-pack sold comes with 8 FREE USA FOREVER STAMPS designed by our friends at DKNG Studios and 2 limited-edition DKNG postcards!!!

First Class Delivery is a super tropical hazy double IPA dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin that’s always on time! Flaked oats and malted wheat provide a chewy mouthfeel and a mail truck of Nelson hops deliver huge aromas and notes of mango & gooseberry.

"This is a release I've really been looking forward to. We are able to support the hard-working women and men of the USPS by purchasing stamps directly from them, while simultaneously brewing one of the most exciting beers we've made all year. We had just a small stash of Nelson Sauvin this year, and we saved most of these amazing hops to brew this incredibly aromatic hazy DIPA. It's tasting insane—big notes of white wine, gooseberries, mango—all shine against a sturdy backbone of pale malt, oats, and wheat. This brew is truly worthy of its great cause." - Damian Fagan, Founder & CEO

I do feel our postal workers are under-appreciated, so cheers to Almanac for offering up this tribute to them. Almanac First Class Delivery Hazy Double India Pale Ale Dry-Hopped with Nelson has an alcohol content of 8% by volume, and I paid $4.97 for my can from Craftshack. This is not a bad price at all (the base price was $6.99 but with Craftshack you build reward points which I redeemed for a discount on my order). Total Wine sells this beer for $24.99 a 4-pack, though not in Georgia. That’s not much less than the $27.96 four cans would cost through Craftshack; with my discount I paid less per can than the Total Wine price.

Almanac First Class Delivery Hazy Double India Pale Ale Dry-Hopped with Nelson pours to a hazy orange color with a thick fluffy white head and a resiny citrus nose. Taking a sip, the beer is light to medium in body then explodes with orange juice and grapefruit rind citrus. Juicy pineapple pokes through, too, and the beer really delivers a one-two citrus-tropical punch. A bit of white grape emerges as it warms, I do get the berry and even a little vegetal dank note, and the beer finishes balancing bitter, but not as bitter as I like. Still, I really enjoyed this one a lot, so much so that...wait for it....Almanac First Class Delivery Hazy Double India Pale Ale Dry-Hopped with Nelson gets the Bruguru "stamp" of approval.....