This is so funny…and so true!
http://www.drunkard.com/issues/59/59-10-reasons-why-the-gabf-sucks.html
His axe seems to be sharp after all that grinding.
I try to be open to a good take down of beer culture and I thought this was good.
3, 4, and 7 are valid points IMHO.
Edit: Paid sponsorship entries, uneducated volunteers, and soulless venue, respectively.
He didn’t mention the smell, which is by far the worst part.
Does anyone here get upset at #2 happening at the NHC? I don’t.
you guys keep making us click the link again to know what your numbers refer to. 
That is exactly the case! Ha!
I agree you can pick out a beer you are familiar with. I suppose it’s a greater likelihood that could be the case with commercial beers. With homebrew I think it’s much reduced unless the beer has very unique qualities or specialty ingredients.
Byzantine. 
Gordon Strong spoke of the quality of the judging as about equal to the BOS round at any large regional competition, so I think that is pretty damn good.
I don’t go every year anymore, but I think it’s something every beer fan should experience once…that first walk up the stairs and into this enormous room filled with great beer is fantastic.
#4 Zombie Tables is the most legit IMO. I’m way more likely to stop at tables where the brewery staff is working.
Exactly. The people I know that judge the GABF have to have long experience in the industry, have proven their skills, and be vetted. They will spend time on a wait list. I also see how it would be hard to push a beer you might know past the other judges on your flight panel, or get it past mini-BOS.
I might go - someday - to the members session.
The wearing medals part or the home cooking part? I don’t think I’ve encountered either. The chances of you getting a beer from somebody you know at the Finals is relatively slim. I can see it being more an issue in First Round though. That being said, most of the good brewers I know are also judges, so they tend to send their entries elsewhere so they can judge.
The biggest issue out of the list is the uneducated volunteers. I know it takes a lot of people to fill those booths but for breweries who are spending the time and beer to get into GABF it seems like a waste to not get maximum value for that space by having somebody from the brewery there who can at least answer some basic questions.
They do get very picky with judge qualifications. Even after being vetted there’s a waiting list that may turn into a year or two. Getting several judges to award an unknown beer a medal has very little chance of favoritism.
I’ve been a few times and enjoy the Thursday night session most. You’ll find most of the brewers serving in person then. On Friday night they are all out at Falling Rock. On Saturday afternoon they are waiting for their medals. On Saturday night a lot of the good beer is gone and the brewers are elsewhere.
The members session used to be nice before people found out they could get a ticket by buying a membership. Now it sells out right away.
NHC is much more fun.
If the quality of judging is so great, then how do you explain, as the article cites, these results from 2013?
Category 34: American-Style Cream Ale, 37 Entries
Gold: Natural Ice, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Yes I have drank Natty Ice and yes it tastes terrible. I can think of at least 20 cream ales off the top of my head that are better. Of course, any cream ale that I have ever had and can think of its name is better than Natty Ice.
Full disclosure: Old Style and Rainier aren’t too bad of picks of 2nd and 3rd…
well technically I said that Gordon Strong said the judging quality was very high. I used his name because, well, who is more qualified to speak of judging quality? But if you like I can ask him to come defend his position on this thread.
Oh, there’s no need to drag Gordon into this thread. But I have been reading the GABF winner’s lists for a long time, and there are definitely some WTF? moments. As the article insinuates, with the sponsorships and such, there seems to be some Alan Freed judges out there…
Well, within the GABF style guidelines, just about any flavor in a cream ale is a flaw.
It’s all really just advertising. Plenty of breweries don’t feel the need to pay to submit their beers.
Winning is good advertising. Just attending… Well, most of the customers are there to get drunk, and even the ones who care about the beer aren’t likely to be from your distribution area, assuming you’re a relatively small brewery.