By Ken Carman

  Without intent, I have collected well over 1,000 beer bottles since the early 70s. When something finally had to be done about the cheap paneling in this old modular, I had a choice. Tear down the walls while, oh, so carefully, replacing the often rotted 1X3s. Or: cover them with… The Bottle Collection.

Rated 62 at Rate Beer and 42 for style.
83 at Beer Advocate.

  I really enjoy Oyster Stouts, and that seems counter intuitive. Really? Oysters in beer? I must admit, being a beer judge, that no longer seems as weird as it used to. You wouldn’t believe some of the weird beers I’ve judged.
 I also think it could be easy for this “adjunct” to take over the recipe, though not as easy as the smoked salmon beer a friend submitted (I found out later it was his) and I judged. As I wrote on the form, “I think the salmon swam away with the recipe.” Continue reading “From the Bottle Collection: Whitstable Oyster Stout”

199 entries Best Of Show – Extravaganza! 2014

Place	Brewer(s)	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Chris Arnt	Ron’s Dunkel	4B: Munich Dunkel	Barley Mob Brewers
2nd	Jeff Kinzer	Brett Cream Ale	23A: Specialty Beer	Bluff City Brewers & Connoisseurs
3rd	Morgan Sapp	Brett Strawberry Farmhouse	16E: Belgian Specialty Ale

  I forgot my camera.
  Rats.
  Memphis is about 210 miles from Nashville. I woke up at about 3 and couldn’t sleep so we headed out early. There’s not a lot between here and there, and good time was made. We got there in enough time to doze off in the Element. Adam Hargrove: head brewer, invited us in early… except the alarm system went whack doodle so it took a while anyway.
  Millie and I judged meads, cysers and melomels and there were only 5. We thought it would be an easy morning, I even told them if they needed me for another table, once I was done, I was willing to help. But for some reason it took longer than we expected. And all we had was a morning session. That was great.
  Compliments to the organizer: that they did enough prejudging to make it, oh, so easy. Continue reading “A Beer Judge’s Diary: Bluff City Brewer’s Extravaganza, Memphis”