BJCP Updates

I just received my new certificate and pin for achieving the "Certified" rank in the BJCP!  I needed to accumulate 5 experience points for this to happen.  I accumulated the fifth experience point from judging the Frederick Battle of the Bubbles in May.  As you ca see in the picture, I am a little tired - been working long hours on my non desk job days DIYing a new Deck!

This accreditation comes right on the heels of the BJCP evolving its guidelines...

New BJCP Styles Coming Soon!

Gordon Strong gave a presentation at NHC detailing the future changes of the BJCP Style Guidelines (If you are an AHA Member you can log in and listen to the presenation and download the attached pdf HERE - you can listen to all the NHC seminars if you were unable to attend).  Changes to the guidelines have not been made for over 6 years - last major revision made in 2008.  The goal is to provide better categorization of similar and "new" beer styles to match the beers being put out by craft brewers and homebrewers.  This should help alleviate the session and black IPA....I mean Specialty Beer category at competitions :)

The DRAFT of the new BJCPGuidelines can be view here, and I will express this is not an official document.  There are quite a few changes! I will highlight a few:

• Lots of revamped groupings - lots of style broken up by country of origin rather than base style.  Think American dark and English Dark, rather than Stouts and Porters
• IPA - Specialty IPA can now have strength modifiers (session, standard, double) as well as a "specialty" identifier white/rye/black etc.
• Historical Styles - Beers which there really aren't known examples and are passed off of recreations.
• Speciatly Breakdown - Sour, Fruit, Spice, Wood will have subcategories to help define the entry
• Specialty Category 34 - The final Specialty category allows for "clones," style combinations, and experimental beer

There is really a lot going on in the new guidelines, but if you take a chance to read skim the new guidelines I think it makes a lot of sense and allows for brewers to find a good "category" or a way to enter their beer in a competition so it can be fairly critiqued.  It will also help define the specialty category which was a little crazy as of late.

What are your thoughts on the new guidelines?