First Round of 2010 NHC

[JohnF]

Good point Tasty.. Seems to me like the 1st round should really be a 2 bottle competition. More work to cellar and deal with, but considering most other competitions are 3 bottles, the volunteers who are used to dealing with this sort of thing won't be completely blindsided..

Exactly, it's barely any more work for two bottles. My beers are getting better treatment and as good an evaluation (same judges) from the regional compeititons I enter. I would expect the AHA comp to be the epitomy of well designed and executed competitions. I don't think that's possible when a judge tastes 6-9 beers then has to sit on a mini-BOS panel and taste another 4-8 poorly treated beers. I think the single bottle approach was instituted to maximize the number of entries. Okay, that worked already. Now lets make the focus finding the best beers in the country, not how many $9 entry fees you can collect.

Tasty

Agreed completely. The point should not be to increase participation, there are a bazillion local and regional comps that people can participate in and get quality feedback etc. If the one bottle thing really is motivated by entry fees, I would much rather pay more in dues and preserve the integrity of the competition.

[uncle_bad_touches]

I sat on the American Ales mini-BOS a couple of years ago and we had something like 16 beers to judge. There is no way we chose the three best beers out of that lot. It was just too overwhelming. Now I'm sure we chose three very good beers to send on to the 2nd round, but they definitely didn't get the care and attention that they deserved.

I do like the idea of a two bottle submission. I also like the idea of some kind of prelims to narrow the field down to 10-12 entrants per category maybe using the current paired judging/mini-BOS system for the first bottle then get 3-5 judges to score and rank the final flight with the 2nd bottle. This would definitely add another weekend or two to the judging, but I bet we could farm some of the judging out some of the local clubs.

[Zen_Brew]

Damn Tasty. It's amazing a 45.5 didn't advance. Congratulations on the advancers though. I realize the size and scope of the competition, but I figured if you could brew your way into the low 40's you were golden.

The one bottle thing is a bummer. I would hazard a guess it might have to do with housing 1500 bottles vs 750. Still if I busted my butt brewing a 40+ beer, I want it being sampled fresh, and well carbonated.

[skoot61]

Tasty - Did you pick up your score sheets? I have not received mine yet. The pessimist I am, I'm guessing no entries moving on. They are probably sending out 2nd round winners first?
Dave

[TastyMcD]

Tasty - Did you pick up your score sheets? I have not received mine yet. The pessimist I am, I'm guessing no entries moving on. They are probably sending out 2nd round winners first?
Dave

No, I received my scoresheets in the mail. I'm trying to find out what's going on.

Tasty

[SacoDeToro]

Damn Tasty. It's amazing a 45.5 didn't advance. Congratulations on the advancers though. I realize the size and scope of the competition, but I figured if you could brew your way into the low 40's you were golden.

The one bottle thing is a bummer. I would hazard a guess it might have to do with housing 1500 bottles vs 750. Still if I busted my butt brewing a 40+ beer, I want it being sampled fresh, and well carbonated.

When mini-BOS rounds are held, it's not uncommon for very high scoring beers not to advance. Mini BOS rounds are typically subjective and aren't score based. I've had beers that were first in their flight and then got knocked out in mini BOS rounds.

[Zen_Brew]

Well sounds like mini BOS = FAIL

[TapItGood]

It makes sense that any beer going to the BOS would advance to the 2nd round...right?