[babalu87]

My favorites are:

1:I would gladly drink more than one 

2: I get an alcohol warmth with every sip.

The beer won a gold medal by the way!

The scoresheet for NHC second round has these listed as checkboxes for overall impression...

I would finish this sample
I would drink a pint of this beer
I would pay money for this beer
Please send me the recipe!!!

Best comment I've ever got

and yes I did

[MDixon]

I find most of the people who make the waste beer and money comments either got back sheets they felt substandard from a previous competition or cannot brew to style to save their butt...

How did you find that?

As was stated, from YEARS of experience. I assume you have a point somewhere, I'm old, spell it out...

[MrNate]

Assuming I have a point is rarely a good idea.

But given the choice of data or opinions, I tend to put more stock in the former. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

[bo_gator]

I'm old

You're no where near as old as you want to be. I did enjoy judging that flight with you the other day...all four of the beers

I even learned someting about underfilled bottles

[bo_gator]

My best line came from an informal tasting In hosted a year or two ago when I won the NB forum Christmas beer pass. It was " your beer smells like oatmeal cookies,  but tastes like ass"

One thing I have noticed has not been mentioned in this thread yet, and it is no excuse for judges. Sometimes due to poor management of a competition judges have to judge two flights of above average alcohol content beers, and the comments on the second flight beers may suffer due to this.

I have had to judge both 16 a-e (Belgian and French ales), and India Pale Ale a-c on the same day, and when the 16 flight is dominated by big "E's" (Belgian specialty) and IPAs are mostly American and imperials the comments got a lot sloppier than I wanted them to. But then again so did my overall attitude

[MDixon]

Assuming I have a point is rarely a good idea.

But given the choice of data or opinions, I tend to put more stock in the former. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

I'm guessing you are of the latter vintage as far as reasons for not entering comps 

There is one other reason to not enter competition and it is the reason I personally don't enter anymore, well, actually three reasons. 1 - I have enough ribbons at home I don't need anymore, 2 - I am my beers harshest critic, 3 - you don't get to sit on the BOS panel when you enter and win your category.

[stout_fan]

I understand what you're saying Denny, but when a beer is listed as a commercial example of a particular style then one would think you should be able to "clone it" and do reasonably well in a competition.

Can't disagree with that, Jeff.

Really,
Try doing a Black Cat clone. Mine was dead on. An excellent mild.
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style11.php#1a

BAM!!!
Too dark for style.
It's not just "a" reference beer. It's the FIRST reference beer.

And I have put down on a score sheet "I'd love the recipe for this beer".
Nobody's taken me up on the request yet.

[MDixon]

Too dark for style? Was it pitch black like a swarzbier? Anyway, the commercial examples listed are not necessarily 50 pt beers, just ones which are representative of the style.

[MrNate]

Assuming I have a point is rarely a good idea.

But given the choice of data or opinions, I tend to put more stock in the former. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

I'm guessing you are of the latter vintage as far as reasons for not entering comps 

There is one other reason to not enter competition and it is the reason I personally don't enter anymore, well, actually three reasons. 1 - I have enough ribbons at home I don't need anymore, 2 - I am my beers harshest critic, 3 - you don't get to sit on the BOS panel when you enter and win your category.

No reason to go trying to hurt my feelings now. You have a great day.

[stout_fan]

Too dark for style? Was it pitch black like a swarzbier? Anyway, the commercial examples listed are not necessarily 50 pt beers, just ones which are representative of the style.

Not as bad a swartzbeir, but it was dark, ummmm like Black Cat is supposed to be.