NHC Score Sheets & Style Question

[ACESFULL]

Well, my 1st experience with the NHC hasnt been the best. Just got my score sheets from the KC region and I am still scratching my head trying to figure this out. Entered a Berliner w/ Blueberry & Pineapple and based on conversations with a few certified BJCP judges locally in the STL area I was advised the best category was 16e Belgian Specialty. Well needless to say both judges say the beer is in the wrong category, and I score a total of 21.5 points. I get ZEROS in overall impression, ok is this the wrong category? The fruit beer category says nothing about lacto/brett where 16e speaks to both of those along with fruit.

So anyone give me some feedback on this? I just feel like I didnt get a fair judging here.

[BDawg]

I think you got some bad advice to put it in Belgian Specialty. I would have suggested you try it in Fruit Beer. Berlinerweiss is NOT a Belgian Style, it's a German Style. Like any other non-Belgian base style, adding fruit and only fruit to puts it squarely in the Fruit Beer category.

That said, I also don't understand how any beer entered in the wrong STYLE can get a 0 for overall impression unless it looked/smelled/tasted/felt worse than a hooker's crotch.

I know its small consolation, but if you want, send me a bottle (and a copy of those score sheets) and I'll fill out a honest score sheet for you.

[Bokonon]

I think you got some bad advice to put it in Belgian Specialty. I would have suggested you try it in Fruit Beer. Berlinerweiss is NOT a Belgian Style, it's a German Style. Like any other non-Belgian base style, adding fruit and only fruit to puts it squarely in the Fruit Beer category.

That said, I also don't understand how any beer entered in the wrong STYLE can get a 0 for overall impression unless it looked/smelled/tasted/felt worse than a hooker's crotch.

I know its small consolation, but if you want, send me a bottle (and a copy of those score sheets) and I'll fill out a honest score sheet for you.

Totally agree with BDawg. Berliner weiss does not belong in Belgian specialty. 0 in overall (or any other section) is unheard of. I don't think I've ever given less than 3 or 4 in overall. A 21.5 is a reasonable score for a beer clearly entered in the wrong category: "Good: (21-29): Misses the mark on style and/or minor flaws"

I'd be curious to know how they made that score work. I have a hard time coming up with low scores for beers entered in the wrong category.

[BDawg]

My problem is that 21 for "...misses the mark on style..." -- scores like 21 to me go for a RIS entered in Light Lager, not for something that is a Berliner Weiss with fruit in the Belgian Specialty category.
The 0 for overall impression makes no sense to me at all.

[boobookittyfuk]

yeah, if at NHC first round, I'd score your beer at 29 tops if it was really good and entered in the wrong category. That way it just cannot go to the second round.

If I were you, I'd kick the dudes balls that told you to enter 16E. Then you should kick your own balls for listening to them.

Sometimes you get nailed. I had a mead score a 20 because i put down that it was still when it developed carbonation. The following year i entered the same mead in NHC (as sparkling) and got a bronze in the final round.

[boobookittyfuk]

My problem is that 21 for "...misses the mark on style..." -- scores like 21 to me go for a RIS entered in Light Lager, not for something that is a Berliner Weiss with fruit in the Belgian Specialty category.
The 0 for overall impression makes no sense to me at all.

Ever give a zero for appearance? I did once and it was the only time i ever gave someone a zero in a section. The beer was a blueberry and strawberry american wheat beer. The color was pinkish/purpleish and grey. It looked like dirty dish water. It was super cloudy which was fine but the color was not enticing at all.

[BDawg]

No, never judged anything that got a zero, though I've given 1's.

[Bugeater]

I, too, had my NHC entry marked down for being in the wrong style category. In my case it was pretty much my own fault. I had a sour cider with cherry juice added. Had I not used the natural wild yeast, this would have been a conventional fruit cider. But having a pronounced sour flavor (tasted like a mighty fine kriek) I entered it into Specialty Cider. Nowhere have I seen any discussion about how to deal with what category that sour beers should be entered into when there is no specific category for a sour version of the base beer/cider. Are there some general guidelines out there for us to review?

On the up side, I still scored a 34 on this cider with comments that the judges loved it.