• PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

Mazer Cup International 2011

Barrel Char Wood Products

pain

GotMead Owner
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Apr 5, 1996
1,698
18
38
North Carolina
gotmead.com
Hi gang!!

It is time for the 3rd annual Mazer Cup International, the largest mead competition in the world (we are pretty sure, LOL).

It will be held March 31-April 2, 2011. The commercial competition is Friday, April 1, and the Home Competition is on April 2. Friday April 1 is the 2nd Annual Winners Circle Public tasting and food pairing, which was a big hit last year, featuring the gold medal winners from the 2009 commercial competition.

The competition will once again be in Boulder, CO at the Outlook Hotel and will have:
  • Home competition (over 200 entries last year)
  • Commercial competition (over 100 entries last year)
  • Friday night Winners Circle food pairing with 2010 Gold Medal commercial winners (tickets available on the website)
  • BJCP Mead Judging Certification Test

The Winners Circle tasting and food pairing was a HUGE success last year, and the 50 tickets we let out for sale were gone in less than a week. Reviews ranged from 'great' to 'freakin fantastic', and we fully expect the tickets this year to sell even quicker. We are commissioning custom tasting glassware to take with you as a memento of this great opportunity to taste the best commercial meads in the world.

We will be moving the event to a larger room and will have more tickets available. We will announce here on Gotmead when they go on sale, but keep an eye on the website at http://www.mazercup.com for them to open up so you can get yours.

Medals will be awarded to the first 3 places in commercial competition, and custom handmade mazers go to the winners in the home competition.

There will be an awards ceremony on Saturday night (competition entrants and guests only), and of course, all the delights of Boulder await you! (including some seriously excellent breweries).

Join the biggest mead event in the world! Join us in the Mazer Cup International!

Visit our website at http://www.mazercup.com for more details, entry information and photos from previous years.
 

mmclean

Honey Master
Registered Member
Jul 22, 2010
1,135
2
38
Tennessee Valley
No worries Vicky. I was just confussed since you posted the announcement.

I won't have anything ready this year anyway. :(

Still want to keep tabs on what's going on. ;D
 

TDMooney

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2011
188
0
0
Elkridge, Maryland
Ok im really new to mead so this may sound a little dumb but can you mail a bottle in and have it entered into the competition without actually having to be present at the competition?

Sorry if this is a new-bee question but I'd like to try to enter something in next year.

Thank you
 

pain

GotMead Owner
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Apr 5, 1996
1,698
18
38
North Carolina
gotmead.com
No worries, mmclean, just pokin' atcha. We're updating the site this week, but we've had lots of inquiries, so I posted an announcement here so people would know when it was.

TDMooney, yes, you can enter without coming, most do. Some people come out to go to the tasting, or judge, or whatever, but 90% send in entries, and we mail out judging forms, and mail the awards if the entry wins. All get judging reports, regardless. Best in Show last year was actually entered from Europe.
 

mmclean

Honey Master
Registered Member
Jul 22, 2010
1,135
2
38
Tennessee Valley
Well, the short answer is yes and no. :rolleyes:

There are lots of posts on how to do it. Use the search tool, as which way to go about it will be up to you?
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
...but can you mail a bottle in and have it entered into the competition without actually having to be present at the competition?

You can send it in.
But don't use the mail. Sending alcohol through the United States Postal Service is probably illegal. I say probably because there are some who feel that the regulations do no apply to untaxed alcohol such as homebrew, but unless you personally want to spend a lot of legal fees defending yourself to find out for sure, I'd suggest using UPS or Fed-Ex.
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
I'd better start bottling! For the first time I actually have a some entries ready for the competition, not expecting to place with any of them, but certainly looking forward to the feedback I'll get!
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
53
48
Ottawa, ON
I'm not sure I want the reviews... I know what I like and that's what I try to make, but I don't have a particularly discerning palate and I'm worried that I'd be like a cafeteria cook ending up on Hell's Kitchen... I thought it was great, but nobody else liked it...
 

icedmetal

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 16, 2009
794
1
0
Everett WA
I'm not sure I want the reviews... I know what I like and that's what I try to make, but I don't have a particularly discerning palate and I'm worried that I'd be like a cafeteria cook ending up on Hell's Kitchen... I thought it was great, but nobody else liked it...

Creme Fraiche! Don't forget the Creme Fraiche! ;)

Question: are the pours blind this year? I might have something around here deserving of an entry! ;D

edit: I think I may have found the answer to my question in last year's entry guidelines... "Entries will be pre-poured in a room separate from the judging location and brought to the judging tables. " Though, that was in the commercial guidelines.
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
Will there be a block of rooms in the hotel with a group rate?

I am 90% traveling alone for this. Anyone want to split a 2-queens room?
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
I'm not sure I want the reviews... I know what I like and that's what I try to make, but I don't have a particularly discerning palate and I'm worried that I'd be like a cafeteria cook ending up on Hell's Kitchen... I thought it was great, but nobody else liked it...

Don't fret over that. It really is helpful to get some other opinions on your product if you want to make it better. We all get certain "house aromas" or "house flavors" that we may become insensitive to, and others may notice them and point the potential for improvement. Even if they don't like your mead, they may have great suggestion on what would improve it, and that is extremely valuable when it comes time to tweak that recipe for the next batch.

It can happen that the judges don't appreciate your mead too much even though you like it - see my "loquat the cat dragged in" mead as an example. The judges thought it was mediocre, but I still think it is one of my favorite meads of all time, however, it is dry, and tart, and I think it is possible that sweeter mels seem to get more appreciation. Also, I think a few months of extra aging made my loquat batch better than is was at the time of the competition, so you have to take that into account - yours may not be judged in the time window when it is at its peak.

When it comes right down to it, although you are the only one you ultimately have to please, generally speaking, if you really like the way something tastes, you can bet that you won't be the only one that likes it. So give them a chance and your meads may surprise you.

Now I have 4 or 5 that I'd like to enter, but none of them are bottled. I guess I'm going to be busy this weekend...
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Arrrg, I want to go so badly! I'm not sure if I can swing the time off work though this year... I'm definitely going to look into this further.
 

pain

GotMead Owner
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Apr 5, 1996
1,698
18
38
North Carolina
gotmead.com
We expect and instruct our judges to make constructive comments and *not* to be jerks, and the sort of thing you can expect to see are 'adding a bit more sweetness would bring out the flavors more' or 'more aging will improve the complexity of this mead' and the like. Judges that get nasty don't get invited back to the Mazer Cup.....and we've 'fired' a few for just that reason.

Our goal for our judges is for them to use their expertise to help you make better mead, not dis you because they might not like it....

I'm not sure I want the reviews... I know what I like and that's what I try to make, but I don't have a particularly discerning palate and I'm worried that I'd be like a cafeteria cook ending up on Hell's Kitchen... I thought it was great, but nobody else liked it...
 
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns