Rules:

This is an American Homebrewers Association (AHA) sanctioned competition. This contest is open to all amateur hombrewers and is restricted to non-commercial, home brewed beers, ciders, and meads. Items produced on the premises of commercial breweries, including brew-on-premises establishments, are not eligible.

The competition is open to styles of fermented beverages associated with the Celtic regions of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, or Brittany. Any of 14 categories of homebrewed ale, mead, and cider may be entered. Beer Judge Certification Program criteria will be used in judging the entries. Please note that the BJCP categories may have been modified to fit the character of the competition and special Celtic Brew-Off categories and styles have been added. For example, we distinguish two types of Strong Scotch Ale; added an Irish Brown to the Brown Ale Category; and added a new Celtic Lager category.

Entry Requirements:

THREE bottles are required per entry. Entries are restricted to one per sub-category, with a maximum of three per overall category. To insure anonymity, bottles must be 12 to 16 ounces in size and free of labels or any distinguishable markings. Recycled, nationally distributed bottles with formed-in-glass designs are acceptable. Inked brand name lettering is strongly discouraged. Bottles not meeting these requirements may represent a detraction on the score sheet or may be disqualified. Attach a completed Bottle ID Form to each bottle with a rubber band. Your entry will be disqualified if you use glue or tape to secure the form to the bottle.

An envelope containing a completely filled out Entry Form and a check or money order for the entry fee ($6.00/entry) made out to the Knights of the Brown Bottle Homebrew Club must accompany each entry. Please pay close attention to the category and sub category numbering for this competition. It is the responsibility of the entrant to complete all the registration forms, enclose the proper entry fee(s), and designate the category and subcategory in which the entry will be judged. Under no circumstances will registrars or judges categorize entries. Disqualified entries will not be judged and are ineligible for awards.

Prizes: First, Second, and Third Place ribbons of Scottish tartan will be awarded to those entries scoring the highest cumulative point totals in each category. In addition the top three winners in each category will receive a gold, silver, or bronze Scottish Festival medal. Awards are subject to the number of entries received. The judges reserve the right to collapse a category into another if sufficient entries are not received.

Best-of-Show: The first place winner in each prize category will be judged for Best-of -Show. The Best-of-Show winner will receive a one-of-a-kind trophy.

Disclaimer: All decisions of the Celtic Brew-Off Committee and Judging Staff are to be considered final. Be assured that every effort will be taken to create an uncompromising, blind-tasting environment for the judging of all entries.

Packing Instructions:

If you desire to ship your entries, we recommend that you allow two inches of packing material between the borders of the box and your bottles. Fill spaces between the bottles with packing material (Styrofoam, etc). Wrapping each entry in bubble wrap is helpful. Enclose all entries in a plastic bag and seal the bag. Do not use the U.S. Mail -- it is illegal. UPS or other shippers may not accept your package if it is labeled "beer." You might list the contents as yeast samples, yeast by-products, or homebrew supplies.