Mazer Cup International 2010 - Mead Only Competition

[Oskaar]

The Mazer Cup International 2010 - Mead Only Competition - Call for Entries

The Mazer Cup International 2010 - March 26 & 27, 2010, Boulder, Colorado
The Mazer Cup International is a BJCP & AHA sanctioned mead-only competition open to all home meadmakers.

After a tremendously successful competition in 2009, and continued support from from the Mazer Cup founding fathers, Ken Schramm, Dan McConnell and Mike O'Brien, Gotmead.com is happy and excited to sponsor the Mazer Cup International 2010. We will do our best to continue the tradition of the original competition, and work to make it the best competition possible. We are committed to bringing the best judges available to Boulder, Colorado from North America, Europe and wherever else mead is held in high regard.

This year we will continue the tradition of the original Mazer Cup by awarding hand-crafted mazers to the winners of our home competition. Our distinctive medals for the commercial winners have already becoming a coveted achievement in the commercial mead making industry.

With kind permission from Ken, Dan and Mike, the owners of Got Mead, the internet’s premier source for all things mead, have taken up the torch and will sponsor a home and commercial mead competition the weekend of April 17-19, 2009, in Boulder, Colorado. The Mazer Cup is reborn as the Mazer Cup International!!

How do I enter?
Click here to enter online or you may download the entry form, bottle ID forms, rules, regulations and style guidelines. Entries are $7, however if you enter electronically we discount the entry fee to $6.00.

Why should I enter?
• You get to compete against a host of international home meadmakers
• Valuable feedback from experienced judges and professional meadmakers
• Suggestions on how to improve your mead from judges and other meadmakers

When may I enter?
• Enter Now! The Mazer Cup International is currently accepting entries
• The entry deadline is March 15, 2010
• The Mazer Cup Home Competition judging will be on Saturday, March 27, 2010

Don't Miss Out!
Visit the Mazer Cup International Website here. Enter and go head-to-head with some of the best meadmakers in the world. This will be a great competition for mead feedback from mead experts, writers and award winning meadmakers.

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[maltbarley]

*Hi-jack Alert*

Does honey go bad?

[oc eric]

I am soooooo down with learning to make mead. I've made a couple of batches with mixed results, and definitely want to make better mead in the future.

[Rezzin]

Hmm.. I've got a couple bottles left of that cyser we made 2 or 3 years ago. Maybe I'll enter that and see what scores/remarks I get.

Edit: I didn't see any local drop offs in CA. Pete, can you bring my entry since I KNOW you're going to that or do I need to get it in sooner?

[Oskaar]

Hey Mike,

I can't see or transport your entry as it could affect my impartiality in judging. The competition is a week after the due date for entries (entries need to arrive by March 15, 2010) so even if I could take them they wouldn't be accepted for entry.

I know that Lars, Kevin, Mike, John and Dan all have meads that I helped to make and I'd love to see them all entered in the competition. But please do me a favor and put me down as co-brewer. That way I won't be seated on any of the judging panels that will be evaluating your meads. You'll be able to get impartial evaluations of your meads from someone other than me and my own subjective palate. I know from what I've tasted those meads and I think they're all pretty solid so it would be great to see how you all do.

If you need help with classification or such let me know, but remember to keep specifics of bottles, caps, etc. to yourself.

Thanks,

Pete

[Oskaar]

*Hi-jack Alert*

Does honey go bad?

No it will over time crystallize and get darker but it will not go bad or spoil.

Cheers,

Pete

[maltbarley]

Does honey go bad?

No it will over time crystallize and get darker but it will not go bad or spoil.

My post was in response to a now deleted comment that brew captain had made regarding his suspected spoiled honey.

[Oskaar]

Hey guys,

Who is planning on entering their mead? We're getting entries from all over the place. We're currently over 120 total entries between the commercial competition and the home competition already with about a month to go. We're going to be calling for extra judges.

I'll also ping you via email.

Thanks,

Pete

[lexuschris]

Well, I ended up making a metheglin for my wife about 4 weeks ago. Putting into bottles tonight. I'll include some 12-oz unmarked brown bottles, just in case this one turns out okay. I feel like I learned a lot about meads from Oskaar and Lars, and this is my first attempt in about 2 years. Not sure if its good. Will try the hydrometer sample and let you know... is it worth entering with the mead being so young?
--LexusChris

[Oskaar]

If nothing else you'll get some good feedback on where your mead stands right now. It's a bit young, but depending on sweetness/spice combination it can vary as to drinkability.

Take a chance . . . Custer did!

Cheers,

Pete

[kevinham]

Just entered and shipped mine today. Thanks Pete!

[Oskaar]

Thank you!

Based on the numbers so far it looks like we'll be either right at, or breaking 500 entries for the first time. This is pretty amazing for a mead only competition.

[jward]

I sent off a Traditional Still Sweet mead entry made from Sage Honey with some Macadamia nut honey today. I have brought some of this mead to a meeting before but it has since dropped clear and time has improved the high alcohol content flavors. Can't wait to see what the judges think.

[Oskaar]

Totally awesome! Thanks for the entry John.

We're sweating it a little because we crossed the 400 entry margin on Monday and we're starting to knock on the door of 500 at this point. We're going to be judging a lot of mead so any experienced mead judges are welcome to join in on the fun in Boulder, Co with us. Sunday after the competition we start a two-day Brewery crawl and kick off in the morning at Mountain Sun and work our way up to Oskaar Blues (Yeah, I know there's only 1 A in Oskaar Blues, but I've had my name MUCH longer than they've been open) then up to Fort Collins and beyond!

[Oskaar]

Well our Brewcommne meadmakers, Rezzin, Kevinham and JWard have all entered the Mazer Cup with their excellent meads!

Thanks guys for your support and your entries.

Cheers and good look gents!