https://www.reddit.c...kdown_20042014/
Interesting findings on what tends to win.
- In hoppy beers, complex hop bills were almost exclusively used (No single hop beers won)
- Also in hoppy beers, Simcoe and Amarillo are almost always in the winning beer. Centennial and Cascade a close second. A lot had all 4.
- For big ABV beers, a complex malt bill was frequently used (>6 grains)
- Almost every Fruit beer that won used extract at bottling and not real fruit
- There are certainly categories that seem to win more often. You have a better chance of getting gold with a RIS than an American Stout (6 wins vs 1)
- Ingredients matter. For example, british style beers almost exclusively had british malts, yeast and hops.
- Don't even try to win gold with an IPA/DIPA because this guy Kelsey McNair or something has won the last 3-4 years with virtually the same recipe. (Kelsey, you out there? Want to trade? )