Nov 11–13, 2016 · Orange Beach, AL
CAJUN BLAZE won Grand Champion at the World Barbecue Championship on November 11, 2016 in Orange Beach, AL, scoring 697.0740 in a field of 89 teams. WHISKEY BENT BBQ - FL took Reserve Grand Champion with 695.9656. Category winners: Chicken — WHISKEY BENT BBQ - FL (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SWINE AND SHINE BBQ (179.4400); Pork — Crimson Q (180.0000); Brisket — MIDNIGHT BURN (178.8572). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2017.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 84% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1084 points — closer than 84% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 67 times in 100
CAJUN BLAZE came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 33-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
CAJUN BLAZE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 5th. Consistency beat fireworks.
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 1–2: WHISKEY BENT BBQ - FL and TOTALLY SAUCED tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: HAULIN' BUTT BBQ and RED EYED SMOKERS tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: RED EYED SMOKERS and Sweet Smoke Q tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data
89 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 11, 2016 ← this one | Orange Beach, AL | Orange Beach | 89 | 697.0740 | CAJUN BLAZE | WHISKEY BENT BBQ - FL |
| Nov 8, 2017 | Orange Beach, AL | Orange Beach, AL 36561 | 93 | 699.4516 | GETTIN' BASTED | HOT WACHULA'S |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.1428 | 176.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 176.5828 | 175.4288 |
| Pork | 180 | 175.4056 | 174.2628 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 177.1772 | 176 |
89 entries · top 697.0740 · median 674.1368
89 entries · top 180 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
89 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.4172
89 entries · top 180 · median 167.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
89 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.9656
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.
31 entries · top 176 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweet Smoke Q | |
| 2 | WINK'S BARBEQUE | |
| 3 | UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 4 | BIG PAPA'S COUNTRY KITCHEN | |
| 5 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 6 | PORKOSAURUS | |
| 7 | ALLSEASONED DUTCH BBQ TEAM | |
| 8 | Bob's BBQ Emporium | |
| 9 | A-la-Bar-ba-Koa | |
| 10 | Team Robertsons Braai B Que South Africa | |
| 11 | Q-BONES BBQ | |
| 12 | ARGO PITMASTERS | |
| 13 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 14 | BADCOMPANY COOKERS | |
| 15 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | Estonian BBQ Team | |
| 17 | VELVET SMOKE | |
| 18 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 19 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 20 | WARPIG BBQ | |
| 21 | Serial Grillaz | |
| 22 | Bullpucky | |
| 23 | BACKYARD BRO'S | |
| 24 | GIVE IT TO GOD | |
| 25 | AWESOME Q | |
| 26 | Rusty Smoke | |
| 27 | BARN GODDESS BBQ | |
| 28 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 29 | Team Texas 1 | |
| 30 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 31 | Uncle Jed's BBQ |
32 entries · top 175.4744 · median 167.1256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serial Grillaz | |
| 2 | 2 LIVE CUE | |
| 3 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | BADCOMPANY COOKERS | |
| 5 | BIG PAPA'S COUNTRY KITCHEN | |
| 6 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 7 | Team Robertsons Braai B Que South Africa | |
| 8 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 9 | PORKOSAURUS | |
| 10 | BARN GODDESS BBQ | |
| 11 | CHOKIN 'N' THA SMOKE | |
| 12 | Estonian BBQ Team | |
| 13 | ALLSEASONED DUTCH BBQ TEAM | |
| 14 | VELVET SMOKE | |
| 15 | BACKYARD BRO'S | |
| 16 | Uncle Jed's BBQ | |
| 17 | CAJUN BLAZE | |
| 18 | Q-BONES BBQ | |
| 19 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 20 | ARGO PITMASTERS | |
| 21 | GIVE IT TO GOD | |
| 22 | Sweet Smoke Q | |
| 23 | A-la-Bar-ba-Koa | |
| 24 | Team Texas 1 | |
| 25 | Rusty Smoke | |
| 26 | UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ | |
| 27 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 28 | HOT WACHULA'S | |
| 29 | Bob's BBQ Emporium | |
| 30 | WARPIG BBQ | |
| 31 | Bullpucky | |
| 32 | AWESOME Q |