Walking into Big Rock Brewery for day one of the three-day Alberta Beer Awards as a first-time judge was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. I had always been passionate about craft beer, but this was my first opportunity to evaluate it from a judge's perspective. As I glanced around the lobby, I recognized many familiar faces from the industry—brewers, brewery owners, and influencers I had seen on social media, all deeply involved in the local beer scene. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of self-doubt, wondering if I knew enough about beer compared to these professionals.
The foyer was eerily quiet. There were no conversations. All I could hear was the shuffling of feet and the sound of people enjoying themselves in the Big Sky BBQ in the next room over. For a short while, it almost felt like I was the one being judged.
Once it hit me that many others were likely just as nervous as I was, I took a deep breath and decided to break the ice. I started introducing myself to people, cracking a few jokes along the way. The "Is this a bad time to mention I'm allergic to hops?" joke landed well, and taking that first step helped ease my nerves. For a moment, I felt more relaxed, but I knew the real challenge was yet to come.
As we headed upstairs to a private conference room, well away from any sounds and smells that might distract us from a proper evaluation, the day began with a brief orientation. Experienced judges and the founders of the Alberta Beer Awards shared insights on the judging process, emphasising the importance of objectivity, consistency, and attention to detail. Armed with a score sheet and a palate cleanser—water and crackers—I sat down at my station, paired with another judge, surrounded by dozens of others who were there for the same purpose and was ready for my first experience as a beer judge. Each brought their unique expertise, ranging from seasoned international judges flown in from Mexico to locally recognized evaluators and beer enthusiasts like myself. This made the experience both collaborative and educational.
This year's awards event consisted of 506 entries across 33 categories, and like most competitions of similar nature, it featured everything from light bodied lagers to hazy IPAs to Stouts, and seltzers and non-alcoholic products.
As I sat at a table with Paul who was assigned as my judging partner and whom I had not met before, we were handed a sheet indicating that we would be evaluating seven beers in one of the categories. The list of beers we were set to judge included no brewery names, only a serial number. My heart began to race with excitement and doubt as the moment finally arrived. One of the stewards—without whom the event could not run smoothly—emerged from the back room and placed a small glass of beer in front of each of us. The glasses bore a serial number, which we entered into the online judging app, prompting a page to open where we would begin our evaluation process. It was time.
In the week leading up to the event, I immersed myself in learning about the judging process. While I was confident in my beer knowledge and knew I could rely on the BJCP guidelines if I got stumped on ingredients or methods, the event and its procedures were new to me. I found some excellent articles online that provided valuable insights and mentally catalogued them as pro tips. Over the course of the event weekend, I realised that these tips were crucial not only to my personal experience but also to how I evaluated the beers crafted by hard-working brewers whose life passion is making ales and lagers
When the first beer arrived, I found myself scrutinising it with intense focus. This was where the first few Pro Tips kicked in. Pro Tip #1: forget every beer you’ve ever had and concentrate solely on the beer in front of you and the BJCP guidelines. It’s easy to fall into the trap of hedonic judging, where personal likes and dislikes cloud your evaluation. This approach does a disservice to both the brewer and the results.
For example, if you were judging a Tropical Stout (which I wasn’t), and the BJCP guidelines indicate that a prominent high-intensity sweetness is expected, but you personally dislike sweetness and deduct points for it, you’ve missed the mark. Instead, if the beer displays the expected prominent sweetness, it should be acknowledged as correct. Points should only be deducted if the sweetness is less than moderate, deviating from the style guidelines.
Pro Tip #2: Avoid making sounds like "mmmm" if you enjoy the taste, or "ewww" if you’re not impressed with the appearance. This can be challenging but is crucial because your partner judge may not have tasted the beer yet, and any audible reactions can unintentionally influence their assessment. If they hear positive sounds, they might approach the beer with a preconceived notion that it’s good. Conversely, negative reactions can bias their perception of the beer before they’ve had a chance to evaluate it themselves. Maintaining a neutral demeanour ensures that both judges can form independent and unbiased opinions.
First Beer Judging Experience
With that in mind, I began evaluating the beer in front of me. I closed my eyes and took several quick sniffs, followed by a few deeper inhalations. According to the guidelines, I was looking for a moderately to moderately-high hop aroma with some grainy or sweet malt character and a clean fermentation profile. The beer had these qualities, so I awarded it points.
Next, I assessed the appearance. The guidelines indicated that the beer should range from straw to yellow in colour and be brilliant to very clear, with a thick, long-lasting white head. This beer had a slight haze, so I deducted points.
Then came the flavour, which I was particularly excited about. The guidelines described a malt flavour that is quickly overshadowed by hop flavour and bitterness, leading to a dry, crisp finish with an allowable bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. This beer matched that description perfectly, earning its due points.
While evaluating the flavour, I also considered the mouthfeel. It had a somewhat light body and adequate carbonation, so I awarded additional points.
Finally, during the overall scoring process, and once my judging partner had reached the same stage of the process, it was appropriate to discuss the beer. At this time I kept in mind Pro Tip #3: Keep the volume of your voice and conversation low enough so that it cannot be overheard by other judges. Even if the table next to you is judging a different category, which you do not know for sure, hearing any comments like “too much carbonation” or “not enough hops” can be distracting and lead to self-doubt about the beer in front of you, making one wonder if they are judging the same beer as you and if you might have judged the beer incorrectly. Just hearing other words like ‘hops’, or ‘malty’ makes you think of those things, which can influence your evaluation.
The two of us talked about what we each independently found, we rechecked the guidelines to make sure we didn’t miss anything and then we were comfortable with our findings and awarded our final overall score. Each of us provided our own number and the system created an average between our two scores. This is why Pro Tip #1 is very important. If one of us used the guidelines and gave this beer a 45 out of 50, but the other judge used hedonic judging and just rated this beer a 35 out of 50 because they thought it was ‘too hoppy’ the final average overall score would be altered drastically. When both judges rely on the guide and only the guide, the scoring is much closer and a more accurate reflection of the beer’s overall adherence to the BJCP Guidelines and to its final placement in its category. This could be the difference between a medal or no medal for some.
As the day and weekend progressed, my overall beer knowledge rose significantly. I busted myself breaking the Pro Tips a couple times, but being partnered with certified judges, brewers, brewery owners (who are not allowed to judge in categories they have entered) who shared their insights and beer wisdom, only fueled a further passion for the craft. It was fascinating to talk with them about the nuances of each beer, noting how the same style could vary so significantly between different brewers. With these conversations and pushing aside personal preferences, focusing on the style guidelines to ensure fairness, I became more confident in my evaluations.
By the end of it all, I had judged in half a dozen categories and felt a deep sense of accomplishment. Being able to share lunches and to discuss beers and breweries from around the world with other judges was a highlight, as it opened my eyes to different perspectives and deepened my understanding of what makes a beer truly outstanding.
Once everyone's nerves were out of the way, the camaraderie was palpable, with everyone united by a shared love for the craft. Judging at the Alberta Beer Awards was not just about tasting great local beer; it was about contributing to a community that values creativity, quality, and the art of brewing. The experience left me with a couple new friends and a newfound appreciation for the intricacies of beer brewing and judging and a desire to continue exploring this path.
If you think judging beer might be something you are interested in, here is a quick guide on how it all goes down.
The Process of Judging Beer
Judging beer is both an art and a science, requiring a blend of sensory skills, knowledge of brewing techniques, and an understanding of beer styles. Whether at a competition like the Alberta Beer Awards or in a more informal setting, the process is systematic and focused on evaluating beers as objectively as possible.
1. Preparation and Setup
Before the actual judging begins, judges are typically briefed on the competition’s guidelines and procedures. This includes understanding the categories being judged, the scoring system, and the expectations for providing feedback. Judges often cleanse their palate with water or unsalted crackers to ensure their taste buds are neutral.
2. Beer Presentation
Beers are presented within the same style category. Each beer is served in identical glassware, at a specific temperature appropriate for the style. To avoid bias, the beers are often labelled with a code or number, rather than the name of the brewery.
3. Evaluation Criteria
Judges evaluate each beer based on several key criteria:
Appearance: Judges first observe the beer’s color, clarity, and head (foam). They check if the beer is appropriate for its style—for example, an IPA should be clear or slightly hazy, while a stout should be dark and opaque. The head’s retention and texture are also noted.
Aroma: Swirling the glass helps release the beer’s aromatic compounds. Judges take a deep sniff to identify various aromas, such as malt, hops, esters, phenols, and any off-flavours. They assess whether the aroma profile aligns with the beer’s style guidelines.
Flavour: The first sip is critical. Judges analyse the balance of flavours, such as sweetness from malt, bitterness from hops, and any fruity or spicy notes from fermentation. They also check for off-flavours, which could indicate issues in the brewing process. The aftertaste, or finish, is also considered.
Mouthfeel: This aspect includes the beer’s body (light, medium, full), carbonation level, and any sensations like creaminess, astringency, or warmth from alcohol. Mouthfeel should be appropriate for the style; for example, a stout might have a fuller body and smoother texture compared to a crisp lager.
Overall Impression: Finally, judges provide an overall evaluation of the beer. This includes whether the beer is a good representation of its style, its drinkability, and any unique qualities that make it stand out.
4. Scoring
Each criterion is assigned a score, typically out of a total of 50 points. Here’s a common breakdown:
Appearance: 3 points
Aroma: 10 points
Flavor: 12 points
Mouthfeel: 5 points
Overall Impression: 20 points
The scores are added up, and the beer is usually categorised into different levels, such as:
Outstanding: 45-50 points
Excellent: 38-44 points
Very Good: 30-37 points
Good: 21-29 points
Fair: 14-20 points
Problematic: 0-13 points
5. Feedback and Discussion
Providing constructive feedback is a critical part of the judging process. Judges write detailed comments on the score sheets, highlighting what the brewer did well and where there’s room for improvement. This feedback is invaluable for brewers who use it to refine their recipes. Although it is easy to say that these brewers go to university for this stuff and likely know more about beer than you, they still want the feedback. They want to know what other people think.
6. Selection of Winners
Once all beers in a flight have been evaluated, the top-scoring beers may go through a mini best-of-show round, where judges re-taste the best entries to determine the winner. The winning beer must not only score highly but also embody the characteristics that make its style unique and enjoyable.
After that, the gold medal winner of each category is brought out and a “Best in Show’ is chosen. This is the best beer out of all 506 that were entered and it is only the recognized and well certified judges that participate in this process.
7. Final Thoughts
Judging beer is a meticulous process that requires a deep understanding of beer styles, a keen sense of smell and taste, and the ability to articulate observations clearly. While it’s a serious task, it’s also deeply rewarding, as judges contribute to the recognition of quality brewing and the continued growth of the craft beer community.
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