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Rules
This competition is AHA and BJCP sanctioned and open to any amateur homebrewer age 21 or older. Judging will be based off of the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines and this competition is limited to categories 11 through 17 of the beer guidelines. Categories 29 through 34 will also be accpeted, provided the base beer is from categories 11 through 17. If a beer entered into one of these subcategories is not of base beer style 11 through 17, the entry will be judged, but will be disqualified from medal contention.
Entries must be shipped via a shipping carrier such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. We are not accepting hand-delivered entries. All entries must be delivered by Friday, April 18th 2025. There will be no exceptions for damaged, delayed or late deliveries. It is your responsibility to ensure your entries are packaged appropriately to avoid breakage and that your shipper delivers them by the deadline.
All entries must be handcrafted products, containing ingredients available to the general public, and made using private equipment by hobbyist brewers (i.e., no use of commercial facilities or Brew on Premises operations, supplies, etc.).
The competition organizers are not responsible for mis-categorized entries, entries that are not received by the entry deadline, or entries that arrived damaged.
The competition organizers reserve the right to combine styles for judging and to restructure awards as needed depending upon the quantity and quality of entries.
Qualified judging of all entries is the primary goal of our event. Judges will evaluate and score each entry. Judges have discretion to award ranks as they determine regardless of score for each category. Large flights may be combined through a mini-BOS round to award ranks. Each flight will have at least one BJCP judge.
Brewers are not limited to one entry in each category but may only enter each subcategory once unless otherwise specified.
The competition committee reserves the right to combine categories based on number of entries. When combining categories is necessary, similar styles and characteristics will be considered. All brews in combined categories will be judged according to the style they were originally entered in.
The Best of Show judging will be determined by a Best of Show panel based on a second judging of the top winners.
Bottles will not be returned to entrants.
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BJCP 2021 Judging Styles
If a style's name is hyperlinked, it has specific entry requirements. Select or tap on the name to view the subcategory's requirements.
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Number of Bottles Required Per Entry: 2
Judging Sessions
Bottle Sort
Saturday, April 19, 2025 9:00 AM, EDT
Afternoon Session
Friday, April 25, 2025 10:00 AM, EDT
Morning Session
Saturday, April 26, 2025 8:30 AM, EDT
BOS Judging
Saturday, April 26, 2025 11:00 AM, EDT
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Awards
The awards ceremony will take place once the Best of Show judging is completed.
Places will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category/table. Judges reserve the right to not award a place if no deserving entries are found.
The 1st place entry in each beer category will advance to the Best of Show (BOS) round with a single, overall Best of Show beer selected.
Score sheets will be available via your participant login on the competition website following the competition. Arrangements to pick up Best of Show awards will be made individually with each winning brewer. Results will be posted to the competition web site after the ceremony concludes.
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A pleasant integration of fruit with beer, but still recognizable as beer. The fruit character should be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type(s) of fruit used. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items. Fruit Beers based on a Classic Style should be entered in this style, except Lambic
A tasteful union of fruit, spice, and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The fruit and spice character should each be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. Use the definitions of Fruit in the preamble to Category 29 and Spice in the preamble to Category 30; any combination of ingredients valid in Styles 29A and 30A are allowable in this category. For this style, the word
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of fruit, and the type of SHV used; individual SHV ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known blend of spices is used (e.g., apple pie spice). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A appealing combination of fruit, sugar, and beer, but still recognizable as a beer. The fruit and sugar character should both be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. A Specialty Fruit Beer is a Fruit Beer with some additional ingredients, such as fermentable sugars (e.g., honey, brown sugar, invert sugar), sweeteners (e.g., lactose), adjuncts, alternative grains, or other special ingredients added, or some additional process applied. A Specialty Fruit Beer can use any style within the Fruit Beer category as a base style (currently, 29A, 29B, or 29D).
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of fruit used. The entrant MUST specify the type of additional ingredient (per the introduction) or special process employed. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
An appealing fusion of spices, herbs, or vegetables (SHVs) and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The SHV character should be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. Often called Spice Beer, regardless of whether spices, herbs, or vegetables are used.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of spices, herbs, or vegetables used, but individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known spice blend is used (e.g., apple pie spice, curry powder, chili powder). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A malty, spiced beer that often has a moderately rich body and slightly warming finish suggesting a good accompaniment for the cool fall season, and often evocative of harvest or Thanksgiving traditions. Autumn Seasonal Beers are beers that suggest cool weather and the autumn harvest season, and may include pumpkins, gourds, or other squashes, and associated spices.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of spices, herbs, or vegetables used; individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known blend of spices is used (e.g., pumpkin pie spice). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A stronger, darker, spiced beer that often has a rich body and warming finish suggesting a good accompaniment for the cold winter season. Winter Seasonal Beers are beers that suggest cold weather and the Christmas holiday season, and may include holiday spices, specialty sugars, and other products that are reminiscent of the festive season.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of spices, sugars, fruits, or additional fermentables used; individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known blend of spices is used (e.g., mulling spice). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
An appealing combination of spices, herbs, or vegetables (SHVs), sugars, and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The SHV and sugar character should both be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. A Specialty Spice Beer is a 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable (SHV) Beer with some additional ingredients, such as fermentable sugars (e.g., honey, brown sugar, invert sugar, maple syrup), sweeteners (e.g., lactose), adjuncts, alternative grains, or other special ingredients added, or some additional process applied. 30B Autumn and 30C Winter Seasonal Beers already allow additional ingredients, and should not be used as a base in this style.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of SHVs used, but individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known spice blend is used (e.g., apple pie spice, curry powder, chili powder). The entrant MUST specify the type of additional ingredient (per the introduction) or special process employed. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A base beer enhanced by or featuring the character of additional grains. The specific character depends greatly on the added grains. An Alternative Grain Beer is a standard beer (Classic Style or not) with additional or non-standard brewing grains (e.g., rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, millet, sorghum, rice) added or used exclusively. Gluten-free (GF) beers made from completely gluten-free ingredients may be entered here, while GF beers using process-based gluten removal should be entered in their respective base style categories.
Entry Info: he entrant MUST specify the type of alternative grain used. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A tasteful integration of sugar and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The sugar character should both be evident and in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. An Alternative Sugar Beer is a standard beer (Classic Style or not) with added sweeteners, including fermentable sugars (e.g., honey, brown sugar, invert sugar, molasses, treacle, maple syrup, sorghum), unfermentable sugars (e.g., lactose), sugar alcohols (e.g., sorbitol), and any other sweetener (natural or artificial) that affects the flavor profile. The beers may or may not have any residual sweetness; it depends on the type of sugar, but flavor contributions are expected.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of sugar used. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A well-balanced fusion of the malt and hops of the base beer style with a pleasant and agreeable smoke character. Intended for smoked versions of Classic Style beers, except if the Classic Style beer has smoke as an inherent part of its definition (of course, that beer should be entered in its base style, such as Rauchbier).
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify a Base Style. The entrant MUST specify the type of wood or smoke if a varietal smoke character is noticeable.
A well-balanced fusion of the malt and hops of the base specialty beer style with a pleasant and agreeable smoke character. A Specialty Smoked Beer is either a smoked beer based on something other than a Classic Style (a Specialty-Type style, or a broad style family such as Porter rather than a specific style), OR any type of smoked beer with additional specialty ingredients (fruits, vegetables, spices) or processes employed that transform the beer into something more unique.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of wood or smoke if a varietal smoke character is noticeable. The entrant MUST specify the additional ingredients or processes that make this a specialty smoked beer. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a base style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A pleasant enhancement of the base beer style with the characteristics from aging in contact with wood. The best examples will be smooth, flavorful, well-balanced, and well-aged. This style is intended for beer aged in wood without added alcohol character from previous use of the barrel. Bourbon-barrel or other beers with an added alcohol character should be entered as 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer. This category should not be used for base styles where wood-aging is a fundamental requirement for the style (e.g., Flanders Red, Lambic). Beers made using either limited wood aging or products that only provide a subtle background character may be entered in the base beer style categories as long as the wood character isn
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of wood used and the toast or char level (if used). If an unusual varietal wood is used, the entrant MUST supply a brief description of the sensory aspects the wood adds to beer. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
An elevation of the base beer style with characteristics from aging in contact with wood, including alcoholic products previously in contact with the wood. The best examples will be smooth, flavorful, well-balanced, and well-aged. This style is intended for beer aged in wood with added alcohol character from previous use of the barrel. Bourbon-barrel or other similar beers should be entered here.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the additional alcohol character, with information about the barrel if relevant to the finished flavor profile. If an unusual wood or ingredient has been used, the entrant MUST supply a brief description of the sensory aspects the ingredients add to the beer. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
This style is intended for reproductions or interpretations of specific commercial beers that don’t fit within defined styles. Beers entered here do not need to be exact copies. The beer should be judged as to how well it fits the broader style represented by the example beer, not how well it is an exact copy of a specific commercial product. If a Commercial Specialty Beer fits another defined style, do not enter it here.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the name of the commercial beer, specifications (vital statistics) for the beer, and either a brief sensory description or a list of ingredients used in making the beer. Without this information, judges who are unfamiliar with the beer will have no basis for comparison.