The 2012 competition will be hosted again by the Anchor Brewing Company.

Congratulations to:

Brian Holter, Best of Show, Belgian Dark Strong

Mike Riddle, California Homebrewer of the Year

Worts of Wisdom & Greenbelt Brewers Assoc, co-homebrew clubs of the year

Full results here.

Relevant Dates:

2013 Competition date:  November 2

Details next summer

Bryan Gros, Competition Organizer
Email Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Judge volunteers can register with this online form

Judge coordinator is Paul Keefer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Steward volunteers, contact Susie Chevalier at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Entry forms can be downloaded below:

Entry Form

Bottle Label form

Complete Rules Package

Entries may be shipped to:

Oak Barrel Winecraft
1443 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702

Entry drop-off points:

Oak Barrel Winecraft
1443 San Pablo Ave
Berkeley, CA
(510) 849-0400
Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5

2011 Results

2010 Results

2009 Results

Sierra Nevada Homebrewer of the Year

The qualifying brewer who accumulates the most points from award winning beers in this competition, the Mayfaire, and the California State Fair will receive an award from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Anchor Brewing Homebrew Club of the Year

Anchor Brewing will select the Homebrew Club of the Year after reviewing the results of the above-named competitions and other pertinent information.

Best of Show

The brewer of the beer selected as the best of all best of class winners will receive a ribbon and their name will be engraved on a trophy that is on display at The Oak Barrel Homebrew Shop.

Best of Class

First place in each category will receive an engraved mug and a 'first award' ribbon.

Individual Awards

First, second, and third award ribbons will be given in each category. Multiple awards may be given, depending on category size. Additional awards may be presented, varying by Category, depending on the sponsorship of each category.

1. No individual brewer or single team of brewers may submit more than one entry per style. However, individuals who participate in several different teams of brewers do not disqualify those teams from entering a style that the individual has already entered.
2. An entry consists of three (3) 12 oz. brown or green, crown cap bottles. No swing cap, painted, or embossed bottles. We cannot accept larger bottles; smaller (7 oz.) bottles may be used for Barleywine only.
3. One Entrant's Information Form should be completed for each entrant (or team of entrants) including the entrant's name, address, phone number, club affiliation, if any, and a listing of entries by category and style. Each bottle must be labeled only with (a) the entrant's name and (b) category and style. Labels must be affixed to bottles with rubber bands. Do not use tape or gummed labels of any sort. Any cap other than plain must be blacked out. Entries not identified by style, where applicable, may be disqualified (see Category and Styles Description sheet).
4. Be sure the entry label clearly includes all information for the judges, particularly for entries in the Specialty category.
5. A beer may not be entered in more than one style or category.
6. All entries must be brewed in California by an amateur brewer. For the purpose of this competition, an amateur brewer is anyone not directly involved in a commercial brewing process, either as an owner, employee, or consultant during the time of the competition.
7. Each entry must have been brewed by the brewer identified on the Entrant Information form.
8. Entries may not be blends of two or more separately-brewed batches, except in the Specialty category.
9. All entries become the property of the NCHO at the time they are accepted at the drop-off address. Unused portions will not be returned to entrants and may be disposed of as necessary by the NCHO.
10. Scoresheets and uncollected awards or prizes will be delivered to the entrants via either personal delivery, US Mail, UPS, or some other delivery service in a timely manner after the competition is over. Awards may be collected on behalf of winners by a representative of the winner (friend or fellow club member) at the time of the awards ceremony. Delivery and safety of such awards will be the responsibility of the recipient, not the competition, its staff, or sponsors.

Categories were updated in 2010.

All BJCP beer styles (1 to 23) are accepted for judging. We have collapsed those 23 styles into 14 categories for the purposes of judging and awarding prizes. Entrants and judges should refer to the BJCP style guidelines (bjcp.org) for a detailed description of each style.

Note that this competition does not judge meads, ciders or perrys.

1. Light Ale

AMERICAN LIGHT ALE (Blonde) (BJCP Style 6B)
CREAM ALE (BJCP Style 6A)
KOLSCH (BJCP Style 6C)

2. Pale Ale

ORDINARY BITTER (BJCP Style 8A)
SPECIAL BITTER (BJCP Style 8B)
BRITISH PALE ALE (ESB) (BJCP Style 8C)
AMERICAN PALE ALE (BJCP Style 10A)
AMERICAN AMBER ALE (BJCP Style 10B)

3. India Pale Ale

ENGLISH IPA (BJCP Style 14A)
AMERICAN IPA (BJCP Style 14B)
DOUBLE IPA (BJCP Style 14C)

4. Brown Ale

ENGLISH MILD (BJCP Style 11A)
ENGLISH BROWN ALE (BJCP Styles 11B,11C)
AMERICAN BROWN ALE (BJCP Style 10C)
IRISH ALE (BJCP Style 9D)
SCOTTISH ALE (BJCP Styles 9A,9B,9C)

5. Strong Ale

OLD ALE (BJCP Styls 19A)
SCOTTISH WEE HEAVY (BJCP Style 9E)
ENGLISH BARLEYWINE (BJCP Style 19B)
AMERICAN BARLEYWINE (BJCP Style 19C)

6. PORTER

BROWN PORTER (BJCP Style 12A)
ROBUST PORTER (BJCP Style 12B)
BALTIC PORTER (BJCP Style 12C)

7. STOUT

DRY STOUT (BJCP Style 13A)
SWEET STOUT (BJCP Style 13B)
OATMEAL STOUT (BJCP Style 13C)
EXPORT STOUT (BJCP Style 13D)
AMERICAN STOUT (BJCP Style 13E)
IMPERIAL STOUT (BJCP Style 13F)

8. Wheat & Rye Beer

BERLINER WEISSE (BJCP Style 17A)
AMERICAN WHEAT (BJCP Style 6D)
WEIZEN (BJCP Style 15A)
DUNKELWEIZEN (BJCP Style 15B)
WEIZENBOCK (BJCP Style 15C)
ROGGENBIER (BJCP Style 15D)

9. MIXED STYLES

CALIFORNIA COMMON BEER (BJCP Style 7B)
ALT (BJCP Styles 7A,7C)

10. LIGHT LAGER

AMERICAN LAGER (BJCP Styles 1A,1B,1C)
CLASSIC AMERICAN PILSNER (BJCP Style 2C)
GERMAN PILSNER (BJCP Style 2A)
BOHEMIAN PILSNER (BJCP Style 2B)
EXPORT/DORTMUNDER (BJCP Style 1E)
MUNICH HELLES (BJCP Style 1D)

11. DARK LAGER

AMERICAN DARK (BJCP Style 4A)
VIENNA (BJCP Style 3A)
MARZEN/OKTOBERFEST (BJCP Style 3B)
MAIBOCK (BJCP Style 5A)
TRADITIONAL BOCK (BJCP Style 5B)
MUNICH DUNKEL (BJCP Style 4B)
SCHWARZBIER (BJCP Style 4C)
DOPPELBOCK (BJCP Style 5C)
EISBOCK (BJCP Style 5D)

12. Belgian Ales

WIT (BJCP Style 16A)
BELGIAN PALE ALE (BJCP Style 16B)
SAISON (BJCP Style 16C)
BIERE DE GARDE (BJCP Style 16D)
BELGIAN SPECIALTY (BJCP Style 16E)
FLANDERS RED (BJCP Style 17B)
OUD BRUIN (BJCP Style 17C)

13. Belgian Strong

BELGIAN BLONDE ALE (BJCP Style 18A)
BELGIAN DUBBEL (BJCP Style 18B)
BELGIAN TRIPEL (BJCP Style 18C)
BELGIAN STRONG GOLDEN (BJCP Style 18D)
BELGIAN STRONG DARK (BJCP Style 18E)

14. Specialty Beer

BELGIAN SOUR ALES (BJCP StyleS 17D, 17E, 17F)
FRUIT BEER (BJCP Style 20)
SPICE/HERB/VEGETABLE BEER (BJCP Styles 21A, 21B)
SMOKED/WOOD AGED BEER (BJCP Styles 22A, 22B, 22C)
SPECIALTY (BJCP Style 23)