Hi all,
For the record, the National Homebrew Competition no longer bans the use of embossed bottles, and that has nothing to do with competition sponsorship. The reason there was a ban on raised lettering was because breweries using those bottles were regional, so the concept of anonymity of the entry in the competition was compromised. As those breweries began distributing nationwide, there wasn't any reason to continue to ban the embossed bottles.
Most other competitions, however, have not yet accepted bottles with raised lettering. You should always read each competitions rules and regulations regarding the types of bottles allowed.
Cheers,
Janis
Janis Gross
National Homebrew Competition Director
AHA Project Coordinator
janis@brewersassociation.org