Competition Entry Instructions

• Mandatory Requirements:

  • Entrants MUST specify carbonation level (still; petillant or lightly carbonated; sparkling or highly carbonated).

  • Entrants MUST specify strength level (hydromel or light mead; standard mead; sack or strong mead).

  • Entrants MUST specify sweetness level (dry; semi-sweet or medium; sweet).

Minor differences from stated levels should not be heavily penalized or be considered a disqualifying fault.

• Optional Requirements: Entrants MAY specify honey varieties used, as well as the source and season of the honey. If honey varieties are declared, judges will look for the varietal character of the honey. Note that the character of a varietal honey will be identifiable as distinct to the source flowers, but may not resemble the source plant, tree, or fruit. For example, orange- blossom honey has the character of orange blossoms, not oranges; blackberry honey is only distantly like blackberries, although it is an identifiable character. If a mead is oak-aged and the oak character is noticeable, the oaking can be specified. Judges should expect to detect oak, but not as a primary flavor.

• Category-Specific Requirements: Some categories require additional information, particularly in categories other than traditional mead. For example, declaring specific fruit, spices, or special characteristics. Supplemental materials may be provided to judges if an obscure or unusual ingredient or method is used.

• Defaults: If no attributes are specified, judges should evaluate the mead as a semi-sweet, petillant, standard- strength mead with no varietal honey character and no special ingredients. Competition organizers should make every effort to ensure that judges are provided the full set of attributes of the meads being evaluated.