SC - Re: Judges....

[Michael Macchione]

Something to make you go hmmmmmm.....

About a year and a half ago, I started making cordials from recipes that 
I had received at a class at pennsic.  How documentable these recipes are, 
I have no idea, but people told me that they were good and that I should 
enter them in competitions.  This past March I entered a plum cordial 
into a general brewing competition and won.  Now, there were only 4 entries, 
but still I was flabbergasted, since I had no documentation, didn't have the 
exact recipe, and it was my first time ever entering.  (before I found 
out that I had won, I was ashamed of my entry since the other entries 
were from people who had been doing this much longer)

In May, the same barony (which is not my local group by the way) had 
another event with another brewing competition.  This time they split the 
alcohols by type, (beers, wine/meads, cordials).  I entered an apple 
cordial (my own recipe--no documentation etc).  Mine was the only cordial 
entry, but the judges said that despite this, the score on mine exceeded 
the scores of all other entries in all other categories.  

After this competition, I joked with the baroness of the group, that I'll 
be nice and sit out the next few competitions, and let someone else 
win.  She laughed, and said "well, next time you can judge." 

Now, I don't drink that much alcohol, don't drink beer at all, I'm not a 
big fan of wines, and only occasionally enjoy a good mead.  On top of 
that, my experience making cordials is really minimal.  BUT... they would 
like me to judge their brewing competitions.  

Now from what they have told me, they judge their competitions solely on 
taste. So technically, anyone could judge it.  But I still would not feel 
qualified to judge it.  I mean does the ability to make a good tasting 
cordial mean I can judge others as well????

now apply this to other types of A&S projects.

Kael