Should I go Specialty Comp. Categories or not?

[hasbrew]

Looking for some guidance from those with some BJCP competition experience:

I have a 2 year old Flanders Red that never got sour enough for my tastes and I will be blending with a lacto soured saison type beer that also aged on some sour cherries.

I've already blended small samples and came out to around 66% flanders 33% lacto/cherry. The result is close to where I wish my flanders came out by itself, the lacto and cherries added more tartness and color with little to no fruit flavor that I can detect.

I see 16E includes "Fruit based Flanders" but I'd hardly call this fruit "based". I would think I would be marked down for the beer not exhibiting any fruit character if it were entered in 16E.

So which category is appropriate?

• 17B - Flanders Red - where I think the beer fits taste-wise

• 16E - Belgian Specialty - where fruit Flanders are listed

• 23 - Specialty Beer - where my less than traditional methods probably dictate

 

[Brewbien]

I would go ahead and enter it into 17B. Sour Cherry is a type of flavor that you might associate with a Flanders Red anyway so it wouldn't be out ofstyle. 16E is too rangy, and you have to specify what you were trying to accomplish.

 

[BroStefan]

Looking for some guidance from those with some BJCP competition experience:

I have a 2 year old Flanders Red that never got sour enough for my tastes and I will be blending with a lacto soured saison type beer that also aged on some sour cherries.

I've already blended small samples and came out to around 66% flanders 33% lacto/cherry. The result is close to where I wish my flanders came out by itself, the lacto and cherries added more tartness and color with little to no fruit flavor that I can detect.

I see 16E includes "Fruit based Flanders" but I'd hardly call this fruit "based". I would think I would be marked down for the beer not exhibiting any fruit character if it were entered in 16E.

So which category is appropriate?


[*]17B - Flanders Red - where I think the beer fits taste-wise


[*]16E - Belgian Specialty - where fruit Flanders are listed


[*]23 - Specialty Beer - where my less than traditional methods probably dictate

I'd suggest that you enter it in both 16e & 17b. Part of what a (good) BJCP judge will help sort out which category a beer fits into.

Forget about 23. A judge doesn't know, and shouldn't presume to guess, about your process. All a judge should deal with is what is in the glass.

 

[CadillacAndy]

I'd agree with both replies. 17B is probably where I'd put it. The end result is all that matters.

If there's not enough fruit character to jump out, you could always add more or add extract to the bottles and submit it in 16E too.