NZ Pils - Category for competitions (2025)

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Anavrin215

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I'm looking to enter a NZ Pils I made, and the competition is using the new BJCP guidelines which no longer have the X5 'NZ Pils' category. I've seen some suggestions to enter it as 34B - Mixed Style Beer, and other's as '12' which limit it to British Golden Ale (12A), Australian Sparkling Ale (12b), and English IPA (12c). None of those in 12 feel right for the simple reason it's not an ale. Thinking 34B is the way to go and would specify this is a german pils base (both the malt + lager yeast) with NZ Hops (Motueka).

Reached out to the competition organizer, but no word back.

Appreciate any suggestions from BJCP judges out there.
 
The current 2021 BJCP guidelines do still include NZ Pils as category X5. If this category isn't listed on the competition entry page you were correct in reaching out to the organizer to determine if this was intentional or not. If this comp has indeed elected not to include X5 (it is their call), then I'd lean towards 34C Experimental Beer over 34B.
 
I'm looking to enter a NZ Pils I made, and the competition is using the new BJCP guidelines which no longer have the X5 'NZ Pils' category. I've seen some suggestions to enter it as 34B - Mixed Style Beer, and other's as '12' which limit it to British Golden Ale (12A), Australian Sparkling Ale (12b), and English IPA (12c). None of those in 12 feel right for the simple reason it's not an ale. Thinking 34B is the way to go and would specify this is a german pils base (both the malt + lager yeast) with NZ Hops (Motueka).

Reached out to the competition organizer, but no word back.

Appreciate any suggestions from BJCP judges out there.
Gordon Strong back in 2017 in his BYO style profile says: “However, for judging purposes, I would group it along with Category 12: Pale Commonwealth Beer since it shares a similar balance and profile with some of the other beers in that category (especially British golden ale). It could also be grouped with Pilsner-type beers, Kölsch, blonde ale, or American wheat for competition purposes.”

I still see x5 on the BJCP website:

https://www.bjcp.org/beer-styles/x5-new-zealand-pilsner/
 
Gordon Strong back in 2017 in his BYO style profile says: “However, for judging purposes, I would group it along with Category 12: Pale Commonwealth Beer since it shares a similar balance and profile with some of the other beers in that category (especially British golden ale). It could also be grouped with Pilsner-type beers, Kölsch, blonde ale, or American wheat for competition purposes.”

I still see x5 on the BJCP website:

https://www.bjcp.org/beer-styles/x5-new-zealand-pilsner/
Yeah, it is on the BJCP website, it's just this comp. organizer isn't offering that as an avail category. I suppose I could classify as 12A (Brit. golden ale) or 34C as suggested above, just a bit perplexing as based on the hop used and characteristics (zippy lime notes from the Motueka) that it'd be appropriate against say, someone's legit British Golden Ale.
 
Yeah, it is on the BJCP website, it's just this comp. organizer isn't offering that as an avail category. I suppose I could classify as 12A (Brit. golden ale) or 34C as suggested above, just a bit perplexing as based on the hop used and characteristics (zippy lime notes from the Motueka) that it'd be appropriate against say, someone's legit British Golden Ale.
Although New Zealand is not a part of the UK, it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations (along with Australia), and has been for 60 years.

Category 12: Pale Commonwealth Beer would appear to be the most ‘correct’ choice for entry.
 
I think in should go in 34B Mixed Styles. Per the 2021 style guidelines, 34B covers a beer that is a blend of two style;, a variation of an existing style using non-traditional method or process, ie dry hopping; a variation of an existing style using non-traditional ingredients, ie yeast with non-traditional profile, hops with a different profile; out of spec versions of an existing style, ie a session version or a imperial version. So hops with a different profile seems exactly the reason to put in 34B. Enter with a description that it's a based on a "NZ Pils, German Pilsner with New Zealand hops".

For reference, Italian Pilsner (German Pils + dry hopping) and West Coast Pilsner (German Pilsner + dry hopping) both fall in this category, so it would make sense that a New Zealand Pils in a comp without X5 should go here. Remember if you enter it in cat 12...depending on how big the comp is and the the quality of judging, they are not going to know Gordon Strong's idea that it should fall in Cat 12 because NZ was part of the British Commonwealth, plus the NZ hops are going to make judges question why it's so different compared to others in the category and maybe dinging it for not having British hops.
 
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I think in should go in 34B Mixed Styles. Per the 2021 style guidelines, 34B covers a beer that is a blend of two style;, a variation of an existing style using non-traditional method or process, ie dry hopping; a variation of an existing style using non-traditional ingredients, ie yeast with non-traditional profile, hops with a different profile; out of spec versions of an existing style, ie a session version or a imperial version. So hops with a different profile seems exactly the reason to put in 34B. Enter with a description that it's a based on a "NZ Pils, German Pilsner with New Zealand hops".
Either could work. In fact, the same beer could be entered into both categories, though that would stretch honestly and sportsmanship into the netherworld of gamesmanship (though it isn’t uncommon to see this done in competitions).

It just seems logical to me that if a beer is brewed in the manner of, with indigenous ingredients from, a Commonwealth Nation that it should fall under the rubric of a Commonwealth Beer.
 
Either could work. In fact, the same beer could be entered into both categories, though that would stretch honestly and sportsmanship into the netherworld of gamesmanship (though it isn’t uncommon to see this done in competitions).

It just seems logical to me that if a beer is brewed in the manner of, with indigenous ingredients from, a Commonwealth Nation that it should fall under the rubric of a Commonwealth Beer.
Yeah if it were me, I would definitely throw it in both for the heck of it. Did that with a Pre-Pro Porter once in the past, entering it as Pre-Prohibition and as an English Porter, it took gold in both. So you never know! I know a guy who entered his Baltic Porter as a Schwarzbier and we wound up taking gold and 2nd BOS with it as a Schwarz.
 
Either could work. In fact, the same beer could be entered into both categories, though that would stretch honestly and sportsmanship into the netherworld of gamesmanship (though it isn’t uncommon to see this done in competitions).

It just seems logical to me that if a beer is brewed in the manner of, with indigenous ingredients from, a Commonwealth Nation that it should fall under the rubric of a Commonwealth Beer.
I think the core confusion is that (in my opinion) Gordon's quote was from the perspective of where an organizer could place a NZ Pils in a competition, not how an entrant should select the correct category. In the end it is about the characteristics of the beer brewed rather than the intended one: if the entrant's beer better represents the style of a 12A (British Golden) then by all means enter it there. But, if the entrant has made a NZ Pils consistent with the X5 description and no X5 category is available, then as Joe states the 34B with description will give the judges the best heads up.
 
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