So we brewed an English Imperial Stout last March. The intent was to enter it in this year’s Bluebonnet.
Stats:
OG = 1.093
FG = 1.016
ABV = 9.5%
It is a very good beer, according to my friend. But it will not do well in competition. Why? Dave said the other entries will be like 10W40 motor oil, thick, black and heavy.
Mine is much more subtle.
But the BJCP guidelines are so wide ranging, that it looks to be more subjective in the judging.
A full report of the results will be posted in March. The entries will be delivered next Saturday, the 29th.
So is Dave correct? Should mine have been the “10W40” weight motor oil variety?
edit: My entry is super smooth, easy drinking. With a very slight alcohol presence. The aging has mellowed it out significantly.
I brewed a Russian Imperial Stout with a recipe similar to the one you brewed, and I entered it into a competition. FG was 1.020, and most of the comments were that it was too thin and didn’t have the right mouthfeel. I was told it was out of style and would be better listed as an Imperial Porter. Based on what I remember of your recipe, it will do even worse. Perhaps enter it as a porter.
I don’t expect that ‘high’ body requires motor oil-like viscosity. The guidelines do ALLOW very high or chewy mouthfeel, but it’s not a requirement.
If your beer is judged by a poor judge, they might impose that improper body requirement and unfortunately there’s nothing you can do about it. But it does sound like your beer could actually be within style.
A good beer is a good beer. If the body knocks it down more than the a point or two in mouth feel, maybe there are other issues but I’ve seen some really trivial arguments at competitions so what do I know?
Upon further review, this beer does check all of the boxes for the allowed style guidelines. But we fully expect it will not do well in competition.
A full review will be posted, along with the other beers being entered.
These days imperial stouts that people hype are thick, supersweet and higher abv. You’re more likely winning with a 12% stout with a 1.040 fg and an enormous amount of oats.
If that is what the judges are looking for, then for sure. While mine hits all of the marks, it is not over-the-top in impact. This is an English version. Not Russian or American. That is more subtle. It was brewed for drinkability. Yes, it was brewed for competition, but also the intent was to have a beer we could drink and enjoy.
I have had a few commercial examples that were borderline non-drinkable. Except for those who like 10W40 bitter molasses. But I digress…
We are all curious what the score sheets will reflect.
edit: We do have a Barleywine (10.5% ABV) that is expected to do well. 30 bottles total to be entered, this Saturday.
Every competition is a crapshoot. This is why I always recommend entering at least three competitions, not just one. That way you can throw out the score sheets where the judges were idiots.
All medal categories have been filled for some time. Nearly 1,300 brewers have entered. So at a minimum, that’s 3,900 bottles of beer. Maybe as many as 5,000+.
We are entering 30 bottles.
Edit: Not sure I’ve had a 10% ABV porter. Ok…maybe a Baltic Porter. But that’s lager.
Traditionally an English style, but it is currently much more popular and widely available in America where it is a craft beer favorite, not a curiosity. Variations exist, with English and American interpretations (predictably, the American versions have more bitterness, roasted character, and finishing hops, while the English varieties reflect a more complex specialty malt character and a more forward ester profile). Not all Imperial Stouts have a clearly ‘English’ or ‘American’ character; anything in between the two variants are allowable as well, which is why it is counter-productive to designate a sub-type when entering a competition. The wide range of allowable characteristics allow for maximum brewer creativity. Judges must be aware of the broad range of the style, and not try to judge all examples as clones of a specific commercial beer.
A new friend of mine, and self proclaimed beer connoisseur, has just tried this stout. John is a huge stout fan, and has consumed this style of beer for a long time.
His reaction was very positive. He thinks it is a fine beer. In itself, that really does not mean much. But he is an impartial judge, and actually told me he was not simply being “kind”, that this stout is a great beer. John is brutally honest, and would not say anything that was a fabrication.
I am happy he likes it! Now…what will the judges think?
This is actually a special story, a “two beer” story. I only know John through photos, and text messages. I was introduced to him by his uncle, who is Father Michael O’Connor, of Our Lady of The Gulf Church.
John’s interest is in airlines, and airline pilots and flying airplanes. But it was only recently that he advised me of his passion for beer, and in particular, stout.
I brought a smile to John’s face. That alone is worth a gold medal to me.
I recently brewed an Imperial Stout with 27 lbs. of grain for a 5 gallon batch that came in with a low ABV, around 7.8%. I have aged it on bourbon soaked oak chips and was thinking of entering it but think it would get dinged because it is not “chewy” enough. It tastes really good and I will probably age if for a couple months before I make my final decision. That said, like Dave mentioned, the judging is a crap shoot.
I blame the low ABV on poor extraction and it seems that the latest bag of Maris Otter gives less efficiency than previous lots, but I am not totally sure. Need to do some more research here (maybe need to do a congress mash with this lot).