Behind the Medal: Understanding Beer Judging and the BJCP

Walk into any brewery and you're likely to see a few medals hanging on the wall. It's natural to assume those medals simply mean the beer tasted "better" than the competition. In reality, judging beer is much more nuanced than that.

Every style of beer has a story, a history, and a set of characteristics that define what it should be. A Czech Lager shouldn't taste like a West Coast IPA, and an Irish Stout shouldn't be judged by the same standards as a Hefeweizen. That's where the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) comes in.

What Is the BJCP?
Founded in 1985, the Beer Judge Certification Program is an international organization dedicated to educating beer judges and promoting brewing excellence.

The BJCP publishes detailed style guidelines that describe what judges should expect from each recognized beer style. These guidelines cover appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression while also providing historical context and technical information.

Today, breweries, homebrewers, and beer competitions around the world rely on these standards to create a common language for evaluating beer.

How Beer Competitions Work
Contrary to what many people believe, judges don't compare every beer against one another. Instead, each beer is evaluated on how well it represents its intended style.

For example, a Vienna Lager isn't trying to be as hoppy as an IPA. It is judged on whether it displays the clean malt character, balanced bitterness, brilliant clarity, and drinkability expected of a world-class Vienna Lager.

Judges score beers in several categories:

• Aroma
• Appearance
• Flavor
• Mouthfeel
• Overall Impression

The goal isn't simply to assign a number. It's to provide meaningful feedback that helps brewers improve their craft.

Many competitions include written comments highlighting both strengths and opportunities for improvement, making them valuable learning experiences for brewers at every level.

Why Judges Train
Good judging requires far more than simply enjoying beer.

BJCP judges spend years developing their sensory skills, studying brewing science, learning beer history, and practicing how to identify both exceptional characteristics and brewing flaws.

Recognizing subtle notes of oxidation, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, sulfur compounds, fermentation esters, or water chemistry issues takes training and experience.

The best judges aren't looking for beers they personally like—they're evaluating whether a beer successfully achieves what the brewer intended.

Why Competitions Matter
Winning medals is exciting, but the real value often comes from the feedback.

Competitions give brewers an opportunity to receive unbiased evaluations from experienced judges. Sometimes the comments confirm that a recipe is right where it should be. Other times they reveal small details that can make a good beer even better.

Many professional breweries—including Utara Brewing—use competition feedback as one of many tools for continuous improvement.

A medal is something to celebrate. Constructive criticism is something to learn from.
Both are valuable.

Join Us for BJCP Study Sessions
Beginning this November, Utara Brewing will be hosting monthly BJCP study sessions at the Pub.

Whether you're an aspiring beer judge, a homebrewer looking to sharpen your brewing knowledge, or simply someone who enjoys learning more about craft beer, you're welcome to join us.

We'll explore beer styles, brewing ingredients, off-flavors, sensory evaluation, brewing science, and the techniques judges use to evaluate beer. No previous judging experience is necessary—just curiosity and a love of great beer.

These sessions are designed to make beer education approachable, engaging, and fun. You'll leave with a deeper appreciation for what's in your glass and the countless decisions that go into brewing exceptional beer.

Brewing Is a Lifelong Education
One of the things we love most about brewing is that there's always more to learn.
Whether we're refining water chemistry, experimenting with new ingredients, or studying the world's classic beer styles, every lesson helps us become better brewers.

We hope you'll join us this November as we begin building a community of beer enthusiasts who want to learn together, taste thoughtfully, and celebrate the incredible diversity of the world's greatest beverage.

Cheers—we'll see you at the Pub.

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