First Place
So, I’m a hypocrite. 
A long time ago, I submitted my beer for competition. I got two wildly different judgements for the same beer that I swore off competitions. How could the same set of standards laud a beer at one place and slam it at another?
Well, it can’t. People are the variable, and they interpret the guidelines. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Recently a friend of mine (Steve Ruffin) got all fired up about competitions. Good for him. He’s a great brewer. He started winning all kinds of stuff, but he was submitting all kinds of stuff too. His enthusiasm was infectious, and other club members started submitting beers and placing in competitions. Steve wanted the club to participate more, so I entered a couple to try to get the rest of the brewers excited it in a “lead by example” type of way.
Well, I got first place for my Baltic Porter, and it feels awesome. Validation after 4 years of brewing. My Premium American Lager got a nod with an Honorable Mention, which is nice even without the win.
I want to jump up and down I’m so excited, but I have to remember that sometimes the judges like it and sometimes they don’t. Got lucky this time.
I’ll have to submit that beer to other competitions before I hang that recipe out as a standard.
Either way, I’m really excited!