first beer judging

Back in December, my buddy Bernardo and I had intentions of brewing an imperial stout but ended up with a beer more reminiscent of a porter. So we called it an Imperial Porter. I don't think there really is such a thing according to BJCP guidelines, so I entered it into the BrewMasters Open at a local brew shop (several hundreds of entries total) as a "robust porter."

Actually, I read about the competition in April and decided it sounded interesting. The due date for entries was May 2. Guess when I remembered. Yep, on May 2 when I took note of the date in the morning. No way I was going to make it over to the brew shop to drop it off after work with Atlanta rush hour. Guess I get to go during lunch. But I have to go home to grab 2 bottles first. There goes an hour and a half. Good thing I have two consecutive hours for lunch/planning. Got to the store, or where I remembered the store being. I stopped going there when I realized I save gas money by paying shipping charges, not to mention that a guy closer to home started carrying a decent selection. Guess what! They've moved! Not far, but when you go the wrong way on the road to the new location the first time, you add an extra twenty minutes instead of five. Finally get to the place and drop off the entry. Pay the $6 entry fee and get the obligatory shop owner's good luck wishes. Make it back to work with six minutes to spare before the next bell.

So, the event was this past weekend. They finally posted results today. In our category, 11 entries. There we are at 3rd place in Category 12B with the Three Decade Imperial Coffee Porter. Sweet!! Pretty good turnout for a beer that was probably placed in the wrong category in the first place. Guess what the secret ingredient is. Yes, it is love.

Can't wait to get a copy of the tasting notes later this week.