Competition Help

I have an Oktoberfest competition coming up that I'm entering a couple of beers in. Most of my brews fall into the Speciality category (23 on the BJCP Style Guidelines) due to my additions of this, that and the other. :rockin:

I make a good Prickly Pear Honey Blonde. It's a Blonde Ale (6B) with the addition of Prickly Pear Cactus Honey, Prickly Pear Syrup and Prickly Pear Black Tea in the secondary.

My debate is this... do I enter it as 6B or 23? Does the syrup and tea throw it into 23 or could it do well as a new take on 6B?

With only one beer allowed per subcategory, I'd have to decide between my Toasted Coconut Macadamia Porter or the Prickly Pear if it needs to be 23. The Porter wins over the Blonde, so if I can enter it as 6B, that would be great, but I don't want to pay an entry fee for it to fail due to being in the wrong category.

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

Styles are judged based on the guideline. Anything that is a "new take on..." would be considered a specialty beer.

I boned myself on an otherwise fantastic beer because I had the wrong base style listed for a fruit beer I entered, cost me about 5 points from each judge. thats huge when you got 32 34 35 instead of maybe 37 39 40 from the judges. Moral of the story, make sure you nail the paperwork. Its almost as important as the beer itself.

Not 6B.

Depending on how it presents itself it could be fruit beer, specialty or braggot. My guess would be fruit, but I would have to have physical access to the beer to give you guidance.

This is why beer judges do well in competitions, btw, they know what category to enter.

The toast coconut macadamia porter can go in spice herb vegetable, so you don't have a problem anyway.

Read the guidelines carefully. Beers go in 23 only if they don't fit anywhere else.

If you have enough to enter it twice just enter one in the fruit category (20) and another in 23. Just costs you the entry fee. Be sure you enter in the base beer style correctly. Got dinged for that one myself. Remilard is correct and Toasted Coconut Macadamia Porter can go in Cat. 21.

Thank you all for the input. It really helped me decide where to place the beers.

I ended up putting the Prickly Pear Honey Blonde in Fruit Beer (20) and the Toasted Coconut Macadamia Porter in Spice, Herb & Vegetable (21) as suggested. I entered a Pale Ale in American Pale Ale (10A). Think I got that one right on my own. LOL.

Thanks again. I'll post the results when I get them!

Is it the ASH Oktoberfest comp? I am only entering 2, maybe 3 if I am lucky.

Yes sir, it is the ASH Oktoberfest comp. I wish I could help judge, but I'm not getting back until the 16th in the afternoon. We'll have to compare notes after and throw back a pint or two!

Most definitely! Sadly my Halloween party is on the 23rd, the same day as the o-fest party so I wont be attending.
on a side note, I should probably get those forms and labels filled out soon, I always seem to wait til last minute and rush through them.

Thanks for all the advice guys!

The results are in on the beer competition. I won a bronze medal in Vegetable, Herb and Spice category for the Toasted Coconut Macadamia Porter and a gold medal for the Prickly Pear Honey Blonde in the Fruit Beer category! Woot!

Congratulations.

Congratz!!! No word on mine, but wasn't expecting anything anyway.

Congrats on the results! I have no idea if I placed, I couldnt attend the event and the results arent posted up on ASH yet. were the scores handed out as well?

Yes. I have my score sheets in hand, with some great feedback on all the beers.

Even if you didn't medal, you do get the feedback.

The results are now posted, I took silver in English Pale Ale for my ESB and bronze in Bock for my Biertent lager. now to get my hands on my score sheets....

Woot!!! Silver 21A! Red/Green Chili Ale

Congrats azscoob! We should get together and sample our medal winners.

Congrats to you too SourHopHead! Are you now in Arizona or did you enter from out of state? Or was this for a NM comp?... sorry, I'm confused.

How spicy is that Red/Green Chili Ale?

powerfreak said:

Congrats azscoob! We should get together and sample our medal winners.

Congrats to you too SourHopHead! Are you now in Arizona or did you enter from out of state? Or was this for a NM comp?... sorry, I'm confused.

How spicy is that Red/Green Chili Ale?

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Gratz AZScoob!!!

I tossed it in from Out of State. I do not think it is that spicy, but it does have a nice bite that grabs you. It is not for everyone, but went threw the kegerator quick.

Sadly, I only have 3 bottles to spare of each, I do however have a 7%ABV Hefe and a fantastic APA on draft right now if you are interested in hoofing it to Maricopa! I need to reserve a growler of each for the next ASH meeting.