Rules:

This is an American Homebrewers Association (AHA) sanctioned competition. This contest is open to all amateur hombrewers, 21 years of age and older, 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 15 categories of homebrewed ale, mead, and cider may be entered. Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) 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, two types of Strong Scot Ale are designated and a Celtic Lager category has been added. See www.celticbrewoff.com for a complete Celtic Brew-Off style guide.

Entry Requirements:

Each entry for the competition must consist of three bottles. To ensure the anonymity of entrants, bottles must meet the standard AHA National competition requirements. Every bottle must be 10 to 16 ounces in volume, brown or green glass, and free of inked-on brand-name lettering and paper labels. Bottles with swing tops and unusually shaped bottles are not allowed. Bottles with raised lettering are discouraged but not prohibited. Any lettering and/or graphics on bottle caps must be obliterated with a permanent black marker. All bottles must be clean with a properly completed entry label attached by a rubber band. DO NOT TAPE OR GLUE LABELS ONTO BOTTLES. Entrants not meeting these requirements will be disqualified. Disqualified entries will not be judged, returned, or be eligible for awards.

An envelope containing a completely filled out Entry Form and a check or money order for the entry fee ($7.00/entry) made out to the Knights of the Brown Bottle Homebrew Club must accompany each entry (annotate Celtic Brew-Off on your checks). Please pay close attention to the category and sub-category numbering shown in the Style Guide for this competition. It is the responsibility of the entrant to complete all registration forms, enclose 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.

Prizes: Prizes will be awarded in each of the style categories listed. 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 Celtic Brew-Off Committee reserves the right to collapse a category into another if sufficient entries are not received.

Best-of-Show: Best of Show awards will be given for the best beer and the best mead/cider. The first place winner in each prize category of beer and mead/cider will be judged for Best-of -Show within their respective divisions. The Best-of-Show winners will receive a one-of-a-kind engraved mug.

Celtic Homebrewer of the Year: The brewer accumulating the most placement points from the Celtic Brew-Off categories will be recognized as Celtic Brewer of the Year. Points are awarded as follows: 1st place - 3 points, 2nd place - 2 points, 3rd place - 1 point. Tie breakers will be in the following order: Number of 1st place winners, Number of 2nd place winners, Number of 3rd place winners. A coin toss will be used as the final tie break. The Celtic Homebrewer of the Year will receive an unique award.

Celtic Club of the Year: The brew club receiving the most placement points in the Celtic Brew-Off will be awarded the honorary title of Celtic Homebrew Club of the Year. Tie breakers will be in the following order: Number of 1st place winners, Number of 2nd place winners, Number of 3rd place winners. A coin toss will be used as the final tie break. No awards will be given for this title, just bragging rights.

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.

Shipping 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. UPS or other shippers may not accept your package if it is labeled "beer." Please plan sufficient time for your shipment to arrive prior to the entry cutoff date.