OnTap Magazine

• Phones are banned at the judging table and advice is even given regarding media requests and how to handle them. • More delicate beer styles that might degrade rapidly are judged first during phase 1 and 2 of the competition in Colorado in April to ensure overseas entries are not disadvantaged. JUDGING PROCESS TheWorld Beer Cup is judged according to the Brewers Association Style Guidelines, of which every judge has a copy. These are beer style descriptions and reference points for brewers and competition organisers. • Over the course of each session (one per morning and afternoon) each judge may taste three different flights of up to 11 or 12 beers per flight. • The best three beers from each flight are pushed forward to the next round. • Detailed feedback is given by every judge for all first-round beers as well as an indication of a beer’s relative strength in the flight. • After the competition all forms are sent to entrants with the judges’ feedback givingvaluable insights for improvement. • For many brewers this feedback is a key reason for entering the WBC, regardless of whether their beer wins or not. Amanda Benson, sensory analyst at Deschutes Brewery from Bend, Oregon, who judged this year’s World Beer Cup says: “Winning is important – we like to win medals, but it’s not the whole thing, It’s also about the feedback. We enter the competition because we know we get the feedback before the next one so we can make tweaks to either the beer or the category before we enter.” Depending on the size of the category a successful beer may go through many rounds until it reaches the final. American IPA was the biggest category in this year’s WBC with 412 entries and the winning beer underwent five rounds of judging before being awarded gold. JUDGES The judges themselves are hugely impressive. They comprise internationally recognised brewers, sensory analysts, beer sommeliers, and brewing consultants from all over the world. All are experts in their fields, some have judged many World Beer Cups before while others are first-time judges. • Approximately 12-15% of new judges are introduced every year to keep the panel fresh and introduce new perspectives. • Being selected as a World Beer Cup judge is a feat in itself. Potential judges apply online and require three references testifying to their sensory abilities, overall knowledge of beer and beer styles and general demeanour. • They may wait at least three years to be considered, such is the interest in gaining a coveted place on the judging panel. • Chris Williams handpicks the final list of judges ensuring no brewer who has entered beers into the competition judges his/her beer. • This year 105 of the 272 judges came from outside the USA. • At times, the roomwas completely silent as judges concentrated on analysing and evaluating the beers in front of them. Robust discussion only takes place once all judges at the table have completed their evaluation and is led by a designated lead judge. Long-time World Beer Cup judge Matt Brynildson, brewmaster of Firestone Walker Brewing Co, in Paso Robles, California, explains why winning at World Beer Cup is important: “Winning has a huge impact internally and it’s a big morale booster. It gives us a lot of street cred within the brewing industry and the feedback is really important. Enteringbeers into competitions is the one time of year when you pay a little more attention to that batch, and you go through your recipe in more detail. A little friendly competition goes a long way to bolster quality in any organisation.” He continues: “I judge WBC for a couple of reasons, first there’s so many international brewers and judges it’s a great networking opportunity and I particularly enjoy talking to brewing idols like Frank Boon. Secondly, I take inspiration from the beers I judge. Typically, I ask for styles that are outside my comfort zone because I find there’s no better way to get to know a style than by tasting some of the best representations on the table and fully understanding the beer style by tasting them with other judges who know the style. Many times, I’ve sat at the judging table and thought ‘wow, I really need to make that’. Every single one of my judging experiences leads to some kind of new beer or attempt at a new beer.” ontapmag.co.za | Spring 2023 | 15