Entry submission window runs September 13th through October 11th
The Malt Cup is back and this year it’s all about that base malt. For the first time, the fourth annual contest will boast three categories including Pale Malt, Pilsen, and Pale Ale Malt. The Guild is excited to see what Member, Allied Trade, and International Malthouses bring to this ultimate base malt battle. Entrants stand to receive top value in the form of comprehensive feedback on their malts, plus the potential to bring home bragging rights, beautifully handcrafted medals, and possibly the Best of Show Malt Cup, a traveling trophy awarded to the best of the best overall malt entry.
The Malt Cup is the only competition of its kind and allows maltsters the opportunity to receive valuable feedback on their malt products. Not only is it an opportunity to win a medal, but the added benefits to all who enter are also quite substantial.
- All samples entered receive a malt certificate of analysis (COA) report from Montana State University’s Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab. This alone is a $100 value.
- Entrants also get a full report of all entry COAs for the categories entered. This is given with blind codes so an entry can be found and compared to the rest of the group. (Note: All entries remain anonymous.)
- Entries passing the scrutiny of round one will go on to sensory evaluation. These samples are sent around the country to industry professionals including maltsters, brewers, distillers, researchers, and Master Cicerones. Judges evaluate malts in-replicate via DraughtLab. A comprehensive sensory report is generated for each of these malts and included in each entrant’s packet!
- Should an entry make it to the third and final round, Best of Show, it will undergo additional review from industry judges as they examine malts in consideration of both sensory and quality data.
Nowhere else is it possible to get this level of feedback on malt products. Everyone’s a winner and some even come away with bragging rights to boot. So far, 11 Malthouses in the Guild community have received awards for their winning malt. You could join them this year!
Along with upholding malt quality standards, this event is a great way to get the world interested and excited about craft malt. In 2021, the Guild received entries from seven countries and a group of 83 individual judges from across North America helped to determine the top winners. The 2021 competition highlights how much variety matters at all levels from regional adaptation to sensory to marketability. It couldn’t be more obvious when the entries received represented 29 different varieties from 28 different Malthouses.
For 2022, the competition entry window has been extended to a full four weeks from September 13th to October 11th, 2021. This entry window has a hard deadline, so start planning your entries! For full competition details and instructions on how to enter, visit the Guild’s website.
The Guild hopes to grow the Malt Cup community to the further reaches of the world and industry this year – so whether competing or interested in judging, please reach out to Guild Executive Director, Jesse Bussard ([email protected]) to find out how to get involved!