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Rules

Flights will not be separated by category or style. The top mead or meads from each flight will advance to the semi-finals at the judges' discretion. The top meads from the semi-finals will advance to finals. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be chosen from finalists. Semi-finalists and Finalists will be published on the Mead Institute websites.  Choose your entries accordingly.

The Mead Institute US Open Competition judging will be performed in an open format. Flights will not be separated by category or style. The top mead or meads from each flight will advance to the semi-finals at the judges' discretion. The top meads from the semi-finals will advance to finals. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be chosen from finalists. Semi-finalists and Finalists will be published on the Mead Institute websites.

  • Competition entries will open on March 21st, 2023.

  • Entries must be received no later than May 5th, 2023. Entries received after May 5th, 2023, will be disqualified. 

  • No refund or credit of entry fees will be given in any circumstances, including when an Entry is disqualified, withdrawn, lost, damaged, or does not arrive in time.

  • All the entries become the property of the Mead Institute and will not be returned.

  • A maximum of 150 entries will be accepted.

  • Entries will be limited to 5 per commercial meadery. 

Meads will be evaluated using the Mead Institute Evaluative Tasting Grid, and scores will be given out of 100. At any time during the competition, our judges can award a mead a score of 90 or above. Scores of 90 and above will be published on the Mead Institute's website.
 

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BJCP 2021 Judging Styles

If a style's name is hyperlinked, it has specific entry requirements. Select or tap on the name to view the subcategory's requirements.

M1A Dry Mead M1B Semi-Sweet Mead M1C Sweet Mead
M2A Cyser M2B Pyment M2C Berry Mead
M2D Stone Fruit Mead M2E Melomel M3A Fruit and Spice Mead
M3B Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead M4A Braggot M4B Historical Mead
M4C Experimental Mead   

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Entry Acceptance Rules

Number of Bottles Required Per Entry: 4

Entries must:

  • contain a minimum 51% of the fermentable sugar in the mead from honey
  • have a minimum production quantity of 112.5 liters (25 cases or 300 375ml bottles)
  • be finished and in their final container
  • be sealed with the same closure as the final, commercially available mead
  • specify all ingredients contained in the final product
  • not contain cannabis or cannabis derivative ingredients
  • not have imagery or wording anywhere on the packaging or related marketing materials that convey or portray or are related to sexual connotations, homophobia, racism, sexism, illegal activity, violence, bigotry, or other inappropriate, disrespectful depictions
  • A minimum of four (4) samples of each entry must be submitted to Mead Institute
  • Entrants must send a minimum of 1500ml of volume

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Judging Sessions and Dates

Session 1
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 10:15 AM, MST

Session 2
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 12:00 PM, MST

Session 3
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 2:00 PM, MST

Session 4
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 3:00 PM, MST

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Awards

The top mead or meads from each flight will advance to the semi-finals at the discretion of the judges. The top meads from the semi-finals will advance to finals. Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be chosen from finalists. Semi-finalists and Finalists will be published on the Mead Institute websites.

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Awards Ceremony

Schramm's Orchard
496 E. Avon Rd Rochester Hills, MI 48307
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 6:00 PM, MST

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