So I just brewed a Rye IPA that I am entering into the National Homebrew Competition. There is no Rye IPA category so should I enter this as an American IPA or as an American Wheat/Rye Beer and specify that it is a Rye IPA? Thoughts? I am leaning towards the second choice.
Assuming it is recognizably an IPA (i.e. very hoppy) and that the Rye character is also noticeable, then neither. Look at Specialty Beer, 23A.
How much rye does it have? Conventional wisdom is to enter it as a Specialty Beer or an American Wheat/Rye with Rye specified If it has less than 10% Rye, I would enter it as an IPA to see if the judges could even taste it with their hoity-toity palates : )
Are they using the new guidelines this year? I didn't think so. If they are still using the 2008 guidelines, there is no specific Rye IPA guideline. It's Specialty, 23A. 23A even lists Rye IPA as an "incubator" style that should be entered there. You could enter as American Wheat/Rye, but if it's hopped to today's typical IPA level, you should get dinged for that.
I would suggest IPA or Specialty, but as it's been pointed out, you could be dinged for too much Rye or for too hoppy if you enter it into American Wheat/Rye. I guess honestly it depends on what you're going for in the end. Most of the beers I'm entering were something I wanted to drink and now I'm deciding what categories they fit into.
As a judge, and as someone who entered a great Black IPA in the IPA category assuming it would just take the hit on color... this is a Specialty beer and should be entered as such. You will get docked more points than you would like if it is entered in IPA or American Rye.
The 2008 Guidelines are being used this year. The 2014 Guidelines are in editing, and won't be out in time.
I have decided to go with the American IPA category. I feel that this beer is most appropriate there and to be honest, you might not even pick up on the rye if you weren't told beforehand that it was brewed with rye.
