1st place!

I learned via snail mail Monday that my scottish 80/- export (Scootin Scottie Ale) placed first in the BJCP’s 9C category a few weeks ago. Wow, I didn’t truthfully expect to advance along to the finals, but here we go! The only things I got dinged for were having a bit too much carbonation for the style (true, my bad) and they said I could think about dialing back the roasted malts a bit to even out the flavor. Other than that, both judges that reviewed my beer (#4 in a flight of 11) preferred it above all the rest of the same style.

I’m not too confident about the next/final round, as my score was just a 38/50, which is at the very bottom of the “excellent” range. I anticipate I’ll be getting my butt kicked by more experienced brewers in the final round, but that’s ok. Glad to have made it there on my first attempt.

Here are all the AHA / BJCP score ranges:

• Outstanding (45-50): World-class example of the style
• Excellent (38-44): Exemplifies style well, requires minor fine-tuning
• Very Good (30-37): Generally within style parameters, some minor flaws
• Good (21-29): Misses the mark on style and/or minor flaws
• Fair (14-20): Off flavors, aromas or major style deficiencies
• Problematic (0-13): Major off flavors and aromas dominate