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The other thing about having one or more people doing a sampling of one type of beer only is that once they have done that they can then mix/sample as they please once the judging is over. I think if for example someome is to do a blind tasting of stouts their taste buds will not be influenced already by wheatbeers, ales, etc. It is priamrily a bit of fun too but if we are to give awards from our points of view it has to be seen to be fair to all the breweries. It would be too easy for us all to say for example that X beer is the best by far without having sampled all other beers. It would mean that anyone volunteering to assist would need to be there pretty early in the afternoon on saturday so we could do same before things get too busy there.

"sbillings":2sybb6ql wrote: Barry did the award graphic for last year.[/quote:2sybb6ql]
I still have the photoshop template I created at home. I can reuse this for any catgory going (or maybe just have one: Best Beer <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) -->)

Last year a few of us spoke about whether is was appropriate to associate this with the Well's fest at all, as last year it was a bit unofficial. We also wondered if voting should be accross the course of a year, reflecting a wider audience and broader scope of Irish Craft Beers. If however the Well are happy with (and maybe even sponsor us) hijacking their festival, all the better. Who kows, if our little award gains recognition maybe (just maybe!) it will encourage more variety to be brought to the festival. Still, the long-term voting with an online secure form was something I had in the back of my mind after the last one.

Not that it mattters to me as I'll be in the wrong Münster <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

IMO an award for each style will just dilute the prestige of actually winning one. There are not enough beers on the market to make it very interesting or competitive for brewer or consumer. One overall prize for Best Beer chosen as per number of votes from ICB judges at the festival. Then maybe 3 ackowledgements as to other outstanding beers of the festival, a ribbon or such.

Invite a newspaper to attend with the promise of an interesting story and award presentation photo-op and brewers will be clamoring to attend the following year.

Also by restricting the award to a beer available at the festival it will encourage brewers to attend and display their wares, whether they be their commercially available beers or just one-off specials. This will in turn promote greater style diversity, quality, and a quest for greatness. All good things.

Yep, I agree entirely. It is such a small pool really that a single award as I hinted would just be easier (not just from the point of view of creating those damn graphics <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->) and have more clout than a load of categories, each of which may only have a (small) handfull of examples.

Keeping it within the examples present at the festival reinforces that point IMHO, but I do agree with your point about it making the event a little more special for us, and the brewers. Assuming that it is kosher with the Well.

Hmm, at first I thought it might be a little 'unfair' to have a beer of the year award based on one festival, but I guess we don't have that many festivals, and this being the only one that I'm aware of that is specifically for Irish craft beers, then I guess it does fit in nicely with what we're doing here.

[quote:2t4u8t3d]IMO an award for each style will just dilute the prestige of actually winning one. There are not enough beers on the market to make it very interesting or competitive for brewer or consumer. One overall prize for Best Beer chosen as per number of votes from ICB judges at the festival. Then maybe 3 ackowledgements as to other outstanding beers of the festival, a ribbon or such.

Invite a newspaper to attend with the promise of an interesting story and award presentation photo-op and brewers will be clamoring to attend the following year.

Also by restricting the award to a beer available at the festival it will encourage brewers to attend and display their wares, whether they be their commercially available beers or just one-off specials. This will in turn promote greater style diversity, quality, and a quest for greatness. All good things.[/quote:2t4u8t3d]



i followed and read all your concerns over the dilution of the prestige etc. but one interesting point about a grouped scheme and clearly defined categories is that it leaves plenty of competition for a winner in each beer style and the prestigious title of overall winner.
IMHO this would serve to better all the styles of beer present at the festival and IF our awards did ever recieve some credibility amongst the beer community may lead to the production of some "competition" beers (its a big if, i know)

anyhow's thats my two cents.

[quote:2t4u8t3d]Yep, I agree entirely. It is such a small pool really that a single award as I hinted would just be easier (not just from the point of view of creating those damn graphics ) and have more clout than a load of categories, each of which may only have a (small) handfull of examples.[/quote:2t4u8t3d]

once again i see your point, with regards to the small handful of examples, that is what these awards are all about (i think) trying to attract new beers to the festival. (and yes before anyone points it out i know that it just kinda happened last year and has been continued)

maybe as ichiban said there should only be one winner and a few distinct beers, the only problem i can see with this is that personal preference may get in the way/ bias voting. if two thirds of the attending party prefer cask ale(insert beer type here), sure, then a cask will be deserving of a best beer award but under a system where by beers are not judged by style another cask (insert beer type here) or two may creep up into the distinction ranks through bias. i dont actually know how the judging of a single beer and a few distinctions could go smoothly without having another hookergate scandal.