In this issue we interviewed BJCP Judge, and Regional Rep Max Finnance…
Provide a brief introduction about yourself, feel free to add anything you’d like to share.
I’m currently serving as the Northeast Region Rep, and have been an active BJCP judge for about ten years now. I was a submarine electrician in the Navy after high school, and then bartended my way through a degree in Biology before landing in the beer world professionally. I started as a brand ambassador for Captain Lawrence (NY) and then got hired to do sales for CT & RI for Sixpoint (NY). In the background, I was homebrewing and reading every beer book I could find, and slowly climbing the levels in the BJCP and Cicerone programs. Once I passed the Advanced Cicerone exam, Sixpoint created a new role for me running quality and training, which let me work closely with our brewers and run sensory training, but also translate our messaging to our wholesaler and retailer partners. Sixpoint later got acquired by Artisanal Brewing Ventures, and pretty soon I was running education and training for Victory Brewing and Southern Tier too, along with Bold Rock Hard Cider once they joined ABV. This led me deeper into the cider world, which I’ve really enjoyed. I think any judge who’s looking to develop their flavor vocabulary and palate should consider cider & mead to expand their horizons. I’m working as a consultant these days, and I end up with so many commercial beer samples that I don’t homebrew often, but I really love the judging side of it and seek out any opportunity I can to judge!
What led to you becoming a Beer Judge with BJCP?
The “craft beer bug” bit me while I was bartending my way through college, and as I got to be friends with a few of my regulars we developed a pretty consistent bottle share schedule. A few of those guys were already homebrewing, and so they introduced me to both homebrewing and the BJCP. I’ve always craved more education (and certifications), and I was in the early days of working on my Cicerone certifications, so it made sense to me to pursue both programs in tandem. I still think the two programs dovetail with each other very nicely, and it helped round out my understanding of beer pretty quickly.
What is one thing you enjoy about being a BJCP judge?
I’m always excited to further hone my understanding of styles, but my favorite part about being a judge is the people I’ve met through the BJCP and the conversations we have while judging. This is an incredibly diverse community, and it’s great to get viewpoints about styles, brewing, and beer in general from so many different folks. What’s your favorite category or style to judge? This is a tough one, I love most of the categories and there are almost no styles I’m not excited to judge. If I had to pick one, it would probably be Monastic Ale. Belgian Quads are some of my favorite beers on the planet, and I can’t think of many better ways to end a day of judging.
Can you share any fun memories from your time as a judge?
There are so many. I’ve been really fortunate to have some incredible travel opportunities through beer judging, and I’ve now judged in Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Belgium along with dozens of U.S. competitions around the country. I’ve gotten to meet people that even ten years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of sharing a judging table with, like judging with Charlie Papazian in Mexico or Pete Slosberg in Argentina. My BJCP experience has been directly responsible for those invites, even when the competition is for commercial beers. Checking out a new city with fellow judges, bouncing around the local breweries and restaurants, it’s always memorable. Last year we had an incredible time in Kansas City at the NHC Final Round, and I anticipate this year in Asheville will come with another set of incredible stories.
Any closing thoughts for your fellow judges?
My number one tip for judges is to get outside your comfort zone. Order the beer style you don’t drink as often, brew a batch using a new technique, dive into a new beer book, study for that written exam you’ve been putting off for years, or retake your tasting exam so you can rank up (I had to take the tasting exam 5 times before I earned a 90, I understand the struggle!). You’ll surprise yourself with how much you enjoy something you underestimated, and you’ll be a better judge for it.