Photos from the Judges Reception and other NHC events courtesy of Don Blake.
By Toby Guidry
BJCP President Gordon Strong gave a brief statement thanking the local organizing committee and then turned it over to Eric Holden who welcomed everyone to the reception gave a brief overview of the upcoming sessions.
There was an open buffet.
The first session was Bruce Buerger going over the checklist scoresheet and how to judge NHC. Janis Gross gave a few brief opening statements regarding the NHC in general. Bruce then went over the basic mechanics of the Final Round and judging assignments. Morning will be slightly larger flights (6-8 per judging pair). Afternoon sessions will be trying to finish quickly so that BOS round can be done in a timely manner. The checklist scoresheet and instructions were then covered in a little more detail. The primary concern in NHC is getting through the beers as expeditiously as feasible. So, efficiency in handling the scoresheets and reducing side discussions is paramount. These beers have already been judged and scored at least a 30 and won a first round ribbon, so should not display major flaws. Bruce’s presentation can be accessed here: “How to Judge the NHC”
The second session was presented by Ted Hausotter covering new hops and hopping techniques which some may not be familiar with yet. He opened with an overview of hop farming. Ted’s presentation can be accessed here: “Hops, Hops, and More Hops”
The first beer sampled was using lemon drop hops. The aroma is reminiscent to me of Lemonhead candies with a combination of lemon and sugar in the nose. Flavorwise, it presents as lemon and lemon peel. There are other secondary aromas and flavors including a bit of pine and mint and a small amount of dark berry-like (blackberry) character.
The second beer used El Dorado hops. The aroma was more mango and orange to me. Flavorwise, I get very light mango and satsuma peel.
The third beer used Mandarina Bavaria hops. The aroma had basil and mint with orange to me. The flavor had a bit more orange with only hints of herbal notes.
The fourth beer used Equinox hops. The aroma was a mix of grapefruit, lemon, and lime with a hint of green bell pepper. The flavor was a citrus mix of lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, with just a hint of herbal and green bell pepper notes.
Next, Ted discussed techniques including increasing hopping rates, late hopping (hop bursting, whirlpool, and double and triple dry-hopping) and blending hop varieties. A bonus tip was to make a 6 gallon batch to get a full 5 gallons due to absorption.
The third session, presented by Andrew Bell, was an exploration of American Wild Ales, a new category with the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines. Andrew’s presentation can be accessed here: Category 28: American Wild Ale
The fourth session with Michael Fairbrother was about how to properly taste, judge, and evaluate mead.
Toby Guidry is a Certified judge from Louisiana.