The War of Barbeque

2026-06-20 – 2026-06-21 · Peschiera del Garda, 37019 · ITALY · 📍 Peschiera del Garda

Reps: LUCA FAMIGLI, ROBERTO SIROK

Grand Champion: Smoky Cotte (707.3944) · 25 teams

Reserve Champion: 🥈 Smoking Butcher

🥇

Smoky Cotte

707.3944 · Master Series — Overall

🥈

Smoking Butcher

701.1088 · Master Series — Overall

🥉

SOUTH BRIXIA

699.9772 · Master Series — Overall

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.

639.84 median 680.51 707.39 🏆

How the meats cooked

Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.

Chicken 180.00 🔥
Pork Ribs 176.56
Pork 178.30
Brisket 176.56

149.68 180.00

Winning score by edition

What it has taken to win here, 2018 to 2026 — this edition picked out.

Entries

4 judged meats · 1 ancillary

Top score

707.3944

Winning margin

6.2856

GC over RC

Field average

679.75

639.84707.39

median 680.51 · last place to winner

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Smoking Butcher (Chicken), LUNA SMOKE - Italy (Chicken)

Tightest race

Brisket

1.7144 pts across the top 5

Top-10 cutoff

683.9432

639.84707.39

10th place overall

Field spread

67.5540

winner to last place

Most consistent

Smoky Cotte

avg finish 3.00 across 4 meats

Double threats

teams with 2+ top-5 calls

Widest winning margin

Pork

won by 1.7028 pts — SOUTH BRIXIA

How hot was the win?

Top 8%

beats 92% of 4707 Master Series wins in the data

Form held

Moderate

ρ = -0.39 between pre-contest rating and finish

Field strength

1540

avg power rating going in · stronger than 30% of contests

Top-rated in the field

COOKLOUNGE BBQ

rated 1758 pre-contest

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.

A new contest record

707.3944 highest overall ever cooked here

707.3944 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 703.9888 Justice BBQ set in 2024.

old record 703.9888
set 2024 by Justice BBQ

An upset on the books

31-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 69 times in 100

Smoky Cotte came in rated below the field's top team, COOKLOUNGE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 31-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.

champion 1619
top seed 1758

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 14 calls decided inside half a point

Chicken places 1–2: Smoking Butcher and LUNA SMOKE - Italy tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: Grill Kings & Queens BBQ and The Antwerp Smokers tied on 173.1084 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: SOUTH BRIXIA and Smoky Cotte tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.

Chicken 1–2 · tie
Chicken 9–10 · tie
Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
Pork Ribs 3–4 · tie

A double category winner

2 category wins in a day

SOUTH BRIXIA won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double.

Pork Ribs 1st
Pork 1st

How the title was won

4 of 4 meats called to the stage

Smoky Cotte took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 5th.

Chicken 4th
Pork Ribs 2nd
Pork 5th
Brisket 1st

Back to defend

1 past champions back in the field

Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Average Joe BBQ Team (won 2025).

Average Joe BBQ Team · 2025

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.

Smoking Butcher · Chicken
LUNA SMOKE - Italy · Chicken

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)

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
2018-03-24	Noventa di Piave, 30020	Noventa di Piave, 30020	18	696.5484	BROS HOG	DRAGON BBQ
2019-06-22	Jesolo, Venezia, 300257	Jesolo, Venezia, 300257	19	683.3140	WHITE SQUIRREL BBQ	EGGHEAD-BARBECUE
2022-06-18	Isola della Scala (VR), 300257	Isola della Scala (VR), 300257	15	697.0972	COOKLOUNGE BBQ TEAM	LUNA SMOKE - Italy
2023-07-01	Isola della Scala (VR), 300257	Isola della Scala (VR), 300257	15	693.0512	White Squirrel BBQ	BUNCH OF SWINES
2024-06-15	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	17	703.9888	Justice BBQ	Smoky Cotte
2024-06-15	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	28	180.0000	Insomnia BBQ	—
2024-06-15	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	24	180.0000	Insomnia BBQ	—
2025-06-14	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	20	701.7260	Average Joe BBQ Team	Bad Influence BBQ - MO
2025-06-14	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	25	176.5600	I cinghiali bbq team	—
2025-06-14	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	28	177.7144	The BBQ Ranch	—
2026-06-20 ← this one	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Peschiera del Garda	25	707.3944	Smoky Cotte	Smoking Butcher
2026-06-20	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	Via Milano, 63	23	177.7144	Smoking Butcher	—
2026-06-20	Peschiera del Garda, 37019	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	180.0000	175.4056	173.1084
Pork Ribs	176.5600	174.2628	171.9772
Pork	178.2972	175.4172	173.7144
Brisket	176.5600	174.8456	169.6916

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

25 entries · top 707.3944 · median 680.5144

#	Team	Score
1	Smoky Cotte	707.3944
2	Smoking Butcher	701.1088
3	SOUTH BRIXIA	699.9772
4	LUNA SMOKE - Italy	694.8000
5	The Antwerp Smokers	693.5996
6	Art Razza Piave Bbq	691.4056
7	Skinny Beans BBQ team	689.6572
8	Onkel Felix BBQ	686.1940
9	BBQ Hot Yard	685.6228
10	Average Joe BBQ Team	683.9432
11	I Cinghiali	681.1544
12	COOKLOUNGE BBQ	681.0288
13	Grill Kings & Queens BBQ	680.5144
14	Barbecoa BBQ Team	679.9312
15	SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	679.3140
16	Griller Unchained	678.2284
17	Gold’s BBQ	677.5656
18	Manu’s American Bbq	677.1084
19	THE GRILL GATHERING BBQ-Team	675.3372
20	Tracica BBQ Team	675.3372
21	Ribs & the gang	670.2632
22	Pyrat BBQ	666.8004
23	Tremens BBQ team	650.1716
24	BOARS BBQ TEAM CANAVESE	647.4284
25	BURROS BBQ	639.8404

Chicken

25 entries · top 180.0000 · median 172.5484 · 🔥 perfect 180

#	Team	Score
1	Smoking Butcher	180.0000 🔥
2	LUNA SMOKE - Italy	180.0000 🔥
3	Skinny Beans BBQ team	179.4400
4	Smoky Cotte	178.8572
5	BBQ Hot Yard	175.4056
6	Griller Unchained	174.8572
7	Art Razza Piave Bbq	174.8456
8	COOKLOUNGE BBQ	174.2744
9	Grill Kings & Queens BBQ	173.1084
10	The Antwerp Smokers	173.1084
11	Onkel Felix BBQ	173.1084
12	SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	173.1084
13	I Cinghiali	172.5484
14	THE GRILL GATHERING BBQ-Team	171.9772
15	SOUTH BRIXIA	170.8456
16	BOARS BBQ TEAM CANAVESE	170.3200
17	Average Joe BBQ Team	170.2972
18	Tracica BBQ Team	169.6800
19	Gold’s BBQ	169.6684
20	Ribs & the gang	168.0344
21	BURROS BBQ	165.6684
22	Barbecoa BBQ Team	163.4284
23	Tremens BBQ team	163.4172
24	Pyrat BBQ	162.2400
25	Manu’s American Bbq	160.5484

Pork Ribs

25 entries · top 176.5600 · median 169.6800

#	Team	Score
1	SOUTH BRIXIA	176.5600
2	Smoky Cotte	176.5600
3	Onkel Felix BBQ	174.2744
4	Tremens BBQ team	174.2744
5	Art Razza Piave Bbq	174.2628
6	Smoking Butcher	173.7260
7	SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	173.7028
8	Manu’s American Bbq	173.1200
9	BBQ Hot Yard	173.1084
10	Barbecoa BBQ Team	171.9772
11	Pyrat BBQ	170.2744
12	Gold’s BBQ	169.6800
13	The Antwerp Smokers	169.6800
14	Average Joe BBQ Team	168.5372
15	COOKLOUNGE BBQ	168.5256
16	LUNA SMOKE - Italy	167.9888
17	Skinny Beans BBQ team	167.9772
18	Griller Unchained	167.9656
19	Tracica BBQ Team	166.8688
20	Ribs & the gang	166.8572
21	I Cinghiali	164.5944
22	BOARS BBQ TEAM CANAVESE	163.4400
23	Grill Kings & Queens BBQ	163.4172
24	THE GRILL GATHERING BBQ-Team	163.4056
25	BURROS BBQ	159.3944

Pork

25 entries · top 178.2972 · median 171.9656

#	Team	Score
1	SOUTH BRIXIA	178.2972
2	Grill Kings & Queens BBQ	176.5944
3	Manu’s American Bbq	176.5944
4	Average Joe BBQ Team	176.5716
5	Smoky Cotte	175.4172
6	The Antwerp Smokers	175.4056
7	Ribs & the gang	174.8572
8	Smoking Butcher	174.2628
9	Skinny Beans BBQ team	174.2628
10	Art Razza Piave Bbq	173.7144
11	Gold’s BBQ	173.1200
12	Griller Unchained	173.1084
13	Barbecoa BBQ Team	171.9656
14	LUNA SMOKE - Italy	171.9656
15	Onkel Felix BBQ	170.8112
16	Pyrat BBQ	170.2744
17	THE GRILL GATHERING BBQ-Team	170.2628
18	COOKLOUNGE BBQ	169.6916
19	I Cinghiali	168.0116
20	SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	167.3712
21	BBQ Hot Yard	164.5372
22	Tracica BBQ Team	163.3828
23	Tremens BBQ team	162.8000
24	BOARS BBQ TEAM CANAVESE	161.6912
25	BURROS BBQ	160.5144

Brisket

25 entries · top 176.5600 · median 168.5372

#	Team	Score
1	Smoky Cotte	176.5600
2	I Cinghiali	176.0000
3	Tracica BBQ Team	175.4056
4	The Antwerp Smokers	175.4056
5	LUNA SMOKE - Italy	174.8456
6	SOUTH BRIXIA	174.2744
7	Smoking Butcher	173.1200
8	BBQ Hot Yard	172.5716
9	Barbecoa BBQ Team	172.5600
10	THE GRILL GATHERING BBQ-Team	169.6916
11	Art Razza Piave Bbq	168.5828
12	COOKLOUNGE BBQ	168.5372
13	Average Joe BBQ Team	168.5372
14	Onkel Felix BBQ	168.0000
15	Skinny Beans BBQ team	167.9772
16	Grill Kings & Queens BBQ	167.3944
17	Manu’s American Bbq	166.8456
18	SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	165.1316
19	Gold’s BBQ	165.0972
20	Pyrat BBQ	164.0116
21	Griller Unchained	162.2972
22	Ribs & the gang	160.5144
23	BURROS BBQ	154.2632
24	BOARS BBQ TEAM CANAVESE	151.9772
25	Tremens BBQ team	149.6800

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 — Rice

13 entries · top 180.0000 · median 176.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180

#	Team	Score
1	LUNA SMOKE - Italy	180.0000 🔥
2	Art Razza Piave Bbq	180.0000 🔥
3	I Cinghiali	180.0000 🔥
4	Smoking Butcher	178.2972
5	BURROS BBQ	177.7372
6	SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	177.7028
7	Grill Kings & Queens BBQ	176.5600
8	Tremens BBQ team	173.7488
9	Manu’s American Bbq	172.6172
10	Pyrat BBQ	172.0344
11	Ribs & the gang	170.8228
12	Tracica BBQ Team	170.2972
13	Onkel Felix BBQ	165.1200

The War of Barbeque

The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)

How the field scored

How the meats cooked

Winning score by edition

Entries

Top score

Winning margin

Field average

Perfect 180s

Tightest race

Top-10 cutoff

Field spread

Most consistent

Double threats

Widest winning margin

How hot was the win?

Form held

Field strength

Top-rated in the field

Storylines (8 found in this contest's numbers)

A new contest record

An upset on the books

A dynasty in the making

Photo finishes

A double category winner

How the title was won

Back to defend

A perfect score on the table

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 →

What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

Chicken

Pork Ribs

Pork

Brisket

Ancillary categories

Ancillary — Rice