Yes, read what the judges write, but also take it with a grain of salt when you can't get at what they are saying. Especially with IPA, personal preference can go a long way. I once judged the second round of IPA in a large competition. One of the beers I tasted was really great. It was, by far, the best of the bunch to me. I gave it a 44, I think. Most other judges gave it a low-30's score. One gave it a 28. It turned out none of the older judges thought it tasted/smelled like hops because it had an obvious "new school" (mosaic) hop smell. They actually misidentified the beer as being faulty because they didn't understand that hops (not yeast mismanagement or a fruit addition) provided those aromas. One even said something like, "I just don't get any citrus in this, so it's not a well-made AIPA." After we submitted our final scores for the round (this beer placed 4th of 6, I think), the steward (who was silently agreeing with me) told me whose beer I had been drinking. It was a well-known award-winning homebrewer who had won several major awards for IPA in the past and took at least one 1st place in this same competition. It was called "Mosaic IPA" which is how I knew the specific hop.
We brewers like to think that the competition is about technical proficiency, and this may be the case with many styles (helles comes to mind), but the broad styles like IPA, American Amber Ale, and Porter will often come down to the personal preference of the judges rather than just technical merit.
Topic: First all grain brew going into competition (Read 2571 times)
