A new contest record
703.9888
highest overall ever cooked here
703.9888 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 697.0972 COOKLOUNGE BBQ TEAM set in 2022.
- old record 697.0972
- set 2022 by COOKLOUNGE BBQ TEAM
The War of Barbeque 2024
Jun 15–16, 2024 · Peschiera del Garda, Italy · ITALY
Reps: Haymo Gutweniger, Luca Famigli, Roberto Sirok
Justice BBQ won Grand Champion at The War of Barbeque on June 15, 2024 in Peschiera del Garda, 37019, scoring 703.9888 in a field of 17 teams. Smoky Cotte took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.6916. Category winners: Chicken — Justice BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SOUTH BRIXIA (178.8572); Pork — COOKLOUNGE BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Justice BBQ (177.7144). This is the 5th of 13 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by White Squirrel BBQ; the next was held in 2024.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
638.73
median 677.61
703.99 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 178.86
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 177.71
149.07
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2018 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
17
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
703.9888
Winning margin
2.2972
GC over RC
Field average
678.02
638.73703.99
median 677.61 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
3.4172 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
671.3940
638.73703.99
10th place overall
Field spread
65.2576
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 17%
beats 83% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
40%
6 of 15 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.5 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,547
avg power rating going in · stronger than 35% of contests
Storylines (8 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
An upset on the books
19-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 81 times in 100
Justice BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, BUNCH OF SWINES, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 19-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1580
- top seed 1835
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 13 tracked editions
WHITE SQUIRREL BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 13 tracked editions.
- 2019
- 2023
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 7 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 1–2: SOUTH BRIXIA and LUNA SMOKE - Italy tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: Insomnia BBQ Team and Smoky Cotte tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 4–5: Griller Unchained and SOUTH BRIXIA tied on 169.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
- Brisket 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Justice BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Justice BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 10th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 10th
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork ribs
178.8572
best pork ribs ever cooked here
SOUTH BRIXIA turned in 178.8572 in pork ribs — past the 174.9144 that had stood across 4 earlier editions.
- old best 174.9144
- across 4 past editions
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Justice BBQ · Chicken
- COOKLOUNGE BBQ · Pork
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 2018 | Noventa di Piave | Noventa di Piave, 30020 | 18 | 696.5484 | BROS HOG | DRAGON BBQ |
| Jun 22, 2019 | Jesolo, Venezia | Jesolo, Venezia, 300257 | 19 | 683.3140 | WHITE SQUIRREL BBQ | EGGHEAD-BARBECUE |
| Jun 18, 2022 | Isola della Scala (VR) | Isola della Scala (VR), 300257 | 15 | 697.0972 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ TEAM | LUNA SMOKE - Italy |
| Jul 1, 2023 | Isola della Scala (VR) | Isola della Scala (VR), 300257 | 15 | 693.0512 | White Squirrel BBQ | BUNCH OF SWINES |
| Jun 15, 2024 ← this one | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda, 37019 | 17 | 703.9888 | Justice BBQ | Smoky Cotte |
| Jun 15, 2024 | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda, 37019 | 28 | 180 | Insomnia BBQ | — |
| Jun 15, 2024 | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda, 37019 | 24 | 180 | Insomnia BBQ | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda, 37019 | 20 | 701.7260 | Average Joe BBQ Team | Bad Influence BBQ - MO |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda, 37019 | 25 | 176.5600 | I cinghiali bbq team | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda, 37019 | 28 | 177.7144 | The BBQ Ranch | — |
| Jun 20, 2026 | Peschiera del Garda | Peschiera del Garda | 25 | 707.3944 | Smoky Cotte | Smoking Butcher |
| Jun 20, 2026 | Peschiera del Garda | Via Milano, 63 | 23 | 177.7144 | Smoking Butcher | — |
| Jun 20, 2026 | Peschiera del Garda | Via Milano, 63 | 23 | 177.7144 | The GRILL GATHERING BBQ-TEAM | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5828 | 171.4284 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 174.8800 | 168.5716 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 170.8456 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 169.7028 | 167.3944 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
17 entries · top 703.9888 · median 677.6116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justice BBQ | |
| 2 | Smoky Cotte | |
| 3 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 4 | LUNA SMOKE - Italy | |
| 5 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ | |
| 6 | Stammtischgriller | |
| 7 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 8 | SOUTH BRIXIA | |
| 9 | The Grill Gathering BBQ-Team | |
| 10 | Q-King | |
| 11 | Art Razza Piave Bbq | |
| 12 | Roast a Piece | |
| 13 | Griller Unchained | |
| 14 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 15 | We grill - we chill | |
| 16 | Tracica BBQ Team | |
| 17 | Ma Kole |
Chicken
17 entries · top 180 · median 171.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justice BBQ | |
| 2 | Stammtischgriller | |
| 3 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 4 | Smoky Cotte | |
| 5 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 6 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ | |
| 7 | Griller Unchained | |
| 8 | LUNA SMOKE - Italy | |
| 9 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 10 | Q-King | |
| 11 | Art Razza Piave Bbq | |
| 12 | Ma Kole | |
| 13 | Roast a Piece | |
| 14 | SOUTH BRIXIA | |
| 15 | The Grill Gathering BBQ-Team | |
| 16 | Tracica BBQ Team | |
| 17 | We grill - we chill |
Pork Ribs
17 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SOUTH BRIXIA | |
| 2 | LUNA SMOKE - Italy | |
| 3 | The Grill Gathering BBQ-Team | |
| 4 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 5 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 6 | Smoky Cotte | |
| 7 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ | |
| 8 | Art Razza Piave Bbq | |
| 9 | Stammtischgriller | |
| 10 | Justice BBQ | |
| 11 | Roast a Piece | |
| 12 | Q-King | |
| 13 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 14 | We grill - we chill | |
| 15 | Tracica BBQ Team | |
| 16 | Griller Unchained | |
| 17 | Ma Kole |
Pork
17 entries · top 180 · median 172.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ | |
| 2 | Justice BBQ | |
| 3 | SOUTH BRIXIA | |
| 4 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 5 | Smoky Cotte | |
| 6 | LUNA SMOKE - Italy | |
| 7 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 8 | Tracica BBQ Team | |
| 9 | We grill - we chill | |
| 10 | Stammtischgriller | |
| 11 | The Grill Gathering BBQ-Team | |
| 12 | Roast a Piece | |
| 13 | Ma Kole | |
| 14 | Art Razza Piave Bbq | |
| 15 | Griller Unchained | |
| 16 | Q-King | |
| 17 | Onkel Felix BBQ |
Brisket
17 entries · top 177.7144 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justice BBQ | |
| 2 | Q-King | |
| 3 | Smoky Cotte | |
| 4 | Griller Unchained | |
| 5 | SOUTH BRIXIA | |
| 6 | Stammtischgriller | |
| 7 | LUNA SMOKE - Italy | |
| 8 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 9 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 10 | The Grill Gathering BBQ-Team | |
| 11 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ | |
| 12 | Roast a Piece | |
| 13 | We grill - we chill | |
| 14 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 15 | Art Razza Piave Bbq | |
| 16 | Tracica BBQ Team | |
| 17 | Ma Kole |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Ancillary — Riso Ferron
8 entries · top 180 · median 173.4286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LUNA SMOKE - Italy | |
| 2 | Stammtischgriller | |
| 3 | Tracica BBQ Team | |
| 4 | Art Razza Piave Bbq | |
| 5 | Q-King | |
| 6 | Griller Unchained | |
| 7 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 8 | We grill - we chill |