NHC 2012 First Round Scoresheets

[wonderbread23]

It was 100% bottled.

I will admit one of the beer was brewed as a beer heavily inspired by Orval. It had near 4 vol of carbonation and appropriate body. In fact I think it tastes eerily like Orval, and I got dinged for high carbonation. There was mention of "difficult to judge do to lack of base style". In this case I felt the base style was a belgian specialty. There is no category for a beer that I entered. So they knocked it for being not to any style I guess.

I'm curious what additional information you submitted with it? On the entry form, did you state that it was a clone of Orval? That would have probably been the best route to take.

Competitions are a funny thing. I'm moving (at least) 10 beers on. Within the entire set of beers I sent in, there are some better than the 10 that were selected. Several beers simply got lost in the fray, likely because of some seriously inexperienced / poor judging in the region I was in which failed to place the beers into mini-bos where it would have been tasted by more experienced judges. Unfortunately, numbers are a big part of the game. You have to count on numbers and a big sample set to start eliminating the luck factor in entering.

 

[smokinghole]

All I sent was belgian specialty "bottle conditioned with brett". Like I said only third comp ever, and I don't know the "ins and outs" of most BJCP stuff. Not to mention I don't know the "ins and outs" of NHC which seems to be a whole other can of worms.

 

[AmandaK]

All I sent was belgian specialty "bottle conditioned with brett". Like I said only third comp ever, and I don't know the "ins and outs" of most BJCP stuff. Not to mention I don't know the "ins and outs" of NHC which seems to be a whole other can of worms.

I did the same thing in my first comp with my Orval. Got the same results.

If you read the requirements for 16E, you MUST specify a base style OR the commercial beer being cloned. Lesson learned.

 

[dwarven_stout]

Something else that I've learned the hard way is that when it comes to additional information, there are times to be specific and times to be obtuse.

Judges tend to be very suggestible- you can write what you were going for with your specialty ingredients on a 16E, 21A or 23 form and they'll make doggone sure they taste it. OTOH they can be very picky about base styles.

Say you made an Absinthe-barrel aged Bavarian Hefe with ginger and habeneros and you'll score in the 20-30 range because they can't taste clove. Say you did all that to a "wheat beer" and you'll get the benefit of the doubt and a 30+ score (at least in my experience so far). Am I jaded and cynical? Yeah.

 

[AmandaK]

Say you made an Absinthe-barrel aged Bavarian Hefe with ginger and habeneros and you'll score in the 20-30 range because they can't taste clove. Say you did all that to a "wheat beer" and you'll get the benefit of the doubt and a 30+ score (at least in my experience so far). Am I jaded and cynical? Yeah.

Specialties and spice beers are the WORST to judge. Sometimes there isn't any information, sometimes there is too much.

One time I had a Belgian Golden Strong aged on Spanish Cedar soaked in bourbon. It was a good Golden Strong, but neither the cigar box or the bourbon came through... so I had to ding it for saying it was there when it wasn't. Had they entered it as a Golden Strong, it probably would have done much better. Spice/fruit/specialty beers are all about balance between the base style and the strange additions (or the beer being cloned).

Keep in mind, judging is BLIND tasting, we can only go on what we know... and that's usually not much.

 

[barfdiggs]

Anyone heard anything back from the Denver region?

 

[Zen_Brew]

Competitions are a funny thing. I'm moving (at least) 10 beers on.

Congratulations on a very strong showing. Way to represent Seattle!

 

[Irrenarzt]

Anyone heard anything back from the Denver region?

Nada. Waiting on them as well. Hopefully no news is good news.

 

[Docjay]

I can say that I sent in 6 beers, 6 came back with nothing written on them for place and the scores were medicore at best. I did get good feedback but wish the one beer I made special would have done better. Ohh well. I will hold off until saturday to drink my remaining bottles.

 

[tochsner]

Got my scoresheets back from Portland today. My English Mild scored a respectable 36. No place was given.

 

[dwarven_stout]

Keep in mind, judging is BLIND tasting, we can only go on what we know... and that's usually not much.

Yep, I'm well aware of that. Agree with your balance comment as well- I've judged some cat 23 beers that might put my outlandish example up there to shame in the bigger is better arena.

 

[dwarven_stout]

Got my scoresheets from Portland today. Looks like of 3 beers, 1 will advance with a score of 36.5.

 

[usfmikeb]

Wish they would put the first round results on the darn website already!

 

[StoneHands]

If your experience is anything like mine don't expect much.

Well, I guess I'm heartbroken, my dunkel didn't advance. The thing is perfect too, next year I guess. I did advance one of my 3 beers, Altbier took third in Atlanta. I thought that one was mediocre. Looking forward to the scoresheets.

 

[BryceL]

Results are on their site now...

 

[r2eng]

Portland - placed #1 and #2 in Category 18! Belgian Blond and Dubbel!

Coolness

 

[LKABrewer]

Scored a 39.5, a 38, and a 35 in Philly, and the 35 advanced with a 3rd.

 

[chutracheese]

How do you find out if you scored well enough, but didn't place, to advance?

 

[LKABrewer]

We got our scoresheets several weeks ago. I knew that the 39.5 & 35 went to a mini-bos, but no places were marked. I just found out that the 35 placed 3rd on the AHA website.

 

[sketerbuck]

How do you find out if you scored well enough, but didn't place, to advance?

You have to place to advance.

 

[BigfootCounty]

I ended up taking 2nd place in Portland for IPA

I'm really hoping my re-brew gets a better score that the last one but I'm still feeling grateful to place at all.

 

[BryceL]

Bummed that a 41 on my Imperial Rye IPA wasn't good enough to place in the specialty category at San Diego. Must have been some tight competition.

 

[chutracheese]

You have to place to advance.

Got it. I think I was confusing that you had to score a 30 or better AND place to be able to advance.
I was thinking it was 30 or better OR place.
Thanks.

 

[BigfootCounty]

Bummed that a 41 on my Imperial Rye IPA wasn't good enough to place in the specialty category at San Diego. Must have been some tight competition.

that sounds like a NICE beer dude I'm sure it was really tight competition all over

 

[dwarven_stout]

Portland - placed #1 and #2 in Category 18! Belgian Blond and Dubbel!

Coolness

Should bring those down to the Snake River meeting next week. I'd like to taste 'em.

 

[kraypd]

Managed a first in Dark Lager in Atlanta with my schwarzbier. Neither of my wheats (regular or dunkel) advanced. Still waiting on score sheets.

 

[cosmo]

My IPA didn't place in Atlanta either and I didn't get my scoresheet either. First comp so I'm not surprised but I'm anxious to see the comments. Just checked the mail and it's not there. Kind of surprised that it takes so long.

 

[bolts]

I still haven't received my score sheets from Atlanta (Portland filled up before I could snag spots), but I had 4 out of 5 place. My first real comp too...

3rd in #20 - Fruit Beer; I entered a Berliner Weisse brewed Nov 2010, that then had cherry juice added for secondary fermentation.

2nd in #23 - Specialty Beer; I entered a Hair of the Dog Adam clone that was wood aged (also brewed the same day in Nov 2010).

2nd and 3rd in #27b and #27c - Standard Cider. I entered a pure Kingston Black cider brewed ~2009 (slightly sweet) and another Kingston Black cider brewed 2010 (dry).

My favorite beer - a smoked helles, I just rebrewed last month, didn't place

 

[Piratwolf]

My IPA didn't place in Atlanta either and I didn't get my scoresheet either. First comp so I'm not surprised but I'm anxious to see the comments. Just checked the mail and it's not there. Kind of surprised that it takes so long.

This!!

 

[osagedr]

Three beers going to the second round: 5D, 22A, 23.