The California State Fair is proud of its 150 year history. During the course of it’s history it has turned its head to including consumer products. One of these products is beer. This competition has had an impact for the brewers and breweries, that participate in the competition, for the judges that evaluate the entries, and for the consumer who may use the event as a guide to pick her next beer.
For commercial brewers it means several things, It is an opportunity for their skill of the craft and recipe designing that will set them apart from other brewers in the State of California. It also puts a measure of clout on the brewer and brewery. Upholding California’s reputation as the go to state for beer and breweries.
For the judges it means increasing the number of qualified judges. Sacramento is one of the richest areas for qualified judges as a result of this event. It is not necessarily a platform to provide a system for judging since that has been well established by the Beer Judge Certification Program. This is probably the only international standard for judging that has been in place for evaluation of alcoholic beverages.
For the consumer, locally it provides a guideline for recognizing quality breweries and beers which have participated in the competition. Here is the reason why.
The competition is a tough one. Unlike wine competitions, double golds, double silvers, and double bronzes are not given out. Only one style per category receives the gold, silver and bronze. What does that mean? There are a little over 100 breweries in the State of California. At best of all the breweries and beers submitted, only 28 primary categories will be awarded the prestigious gold, silver, and bronze.
For the rest of the world it has been one of the highest standards in increasing consumer awareness for breweries and beer.
What makes the State Fair even more stringent for the brewers than the wine makers? The State Fair only allows those beers awarded the gold medal to be showcased at the Grape and Gourmet.
Basis of Judging
The basis of judging occurs over a 50 point system. 41+ is the necessary score for gold. It is exemplary example of style. 31+ is the necessary score of silver. This beer should be within style parameters. 21+ is the score for beer which has no off flavors aromas or major style deficiencies and may not be the best example however is still recognized for its style. All judges on the panel must come within seven points of each other to award an overall score to the beer.
The matter of scoring a beer considers aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression.
For aroma, this is considered to represent 24% of the overall score. It is also one of the most important. A good judge can perceive 80% of what she needs to know about the beer from the aroma. That includes the decision as to whether or not it will go into your mouth. It will be one of the two places that will really effect how the beer places.
Appearance accounts for 6% of the overall score of the beer. Don’t let looks fool you though. One can tell a lot about a beer from appearance. Factors contributing to appearance are color, clarity and head retention. On the subject of head retention factors such as color and texture are also considered.
Here is the clincher. Flavor attributes 40% to the overall scoring of a beer.
The beer smell good, looks good, but does it taste good? There are several questions a good judge must consider while evaluating a beer. Is it balanced for style? Are the fermentation characteristic appropriate? How does it finish? What about the aftertaste? Are there brewing, fermentation flaws or handling flaws? Because beer uses hops to provide , flavor and balance it is absolutely necessary to swallow the beer. The only part of the tongue that will perceive this component of the beer is toward the back of the tongue.
Not as significant but just as important is the mouthfeel of a beer. This contributes to only 10% of the overall score but is very important nonetheless. Factors such as body, carbonation, alcoholic levels and types. Several technical flaws can only be assessed through mouthfeel.
Last but not least to be scored is the overall impression. Here is another area where a beer in completion can pick up almost 20% of its score. This is where the judge determines factors such as stylistic accuracy. This can range from Classic to not to style. Technical merit can range from flawless to significant. Intangibles can range from wonderful ( described by some as the oomph factor) and lifeless.
The competition for the California State Fair is a tough one. Only 28 beers out of the hundreds will be represented in this competition. Awards for the beer are held during the V.I.P. session of the Grape and Gourmet which is at the Sacramento Convention Center on July 7 at 2:30. It is one of the better events in the Sacramento area and worth every penny. If you go to any event let this be the one you go to.
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