A new contest record
693.6800
highest overall ever cooked here
693.6800 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 689.1088 Q Haven BBQ set in 2016.
- old record 689.1088
- set 2016 by Q Haven BBQ
The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival 2019
Jul 27–28, 2019 · Windsor, VT · 📍 336 RuthCarngy DR, · State championship
Reps: Don Lovely, Leslie Lovely · Prize money: $6,000
BIG RAZ BBQ won Grand Champion at The Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival on July 27, 2019 in Windsor, VT at 336 RuthCarngy DR,, scoring 693.6800 in a field of 33 teams. SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA took Reserve Grand Champion with 682.7540. Category winners: Chicken — Buckner Brothers Barbeque (178.3200); Pork Ribs — BIG RAZ BBQ (176.5828); Pork — BIG RAZ BBQ (177.1544); Brisket — Hog Heaven BBQ (173.1200). The Open Comp standings were won by SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA with 690.8800. This is the 4th of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2018 edition was won by SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA; the next was held in 2022.
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.
582.07
median 658.78
693.68 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.32
- Pork Ribs 176.58
- Pork 177.15
- Brisket 173.12
135.97
178.32
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2022 — this edition picked out.
Entries
33
4 judged meats · 4 ancillary
Top score
693.6800
Winning margin
10.9260
GC over RC
Field average
655.11
582.07693.68
median 658.78 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Brisket
5.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
665.0972
582.07693.68
10th place overall
Field spread
111.6112
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 59%
beats 41% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
68%
23 of 34 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.62 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,588
avg power rating going in · stronger than 69% 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
33-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 67 times in 100
BIG RAZ BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 33-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1758
- top seed 1883
A statement win
10.9260
points clear of the field
Wider than 90% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.9260 points — a wider margin than 90% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 14 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ and THE 5TH ARTERY tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: THE BASIC BBQ TEAM and BIG RAZ BBQ tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: Boo Boo Qued and THE 5TH ARTERY tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
BIG RAZ BBQ won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BIG RAZ BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 9th.
- Chicken 9th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 4th
A contest record in chicken
178.3200
best chicken ever cooked here
Buckner Brothers Barbeque turned in 178.3200 in chicken — past the 177.7028 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7028
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Q Haven BBQ (won 2016), BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ (won 2017), SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (won 2018).
- Q Haven BBQ · 2016
- BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ · 2017
- SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA · 2018
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 2016 | Windsor, VT | 336 Ruth Carney Dr | 26 | 689.1088 | Q Haven BBQ | IQUE |
| Jul 29, 2017 | Windsor, VT | 336 Ruth Carney Dr | 30 | 677.0740 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | IQUE |
| Jul 28, 2018 | Windsor, VT | 336 Ruth Carney Dr | 34 | 686.3088 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | INSANE SWINE BBQ |
| Jul 27, 2019 ← this one | Windsor, VT | 336 RuthCarngy DR, | 33 | 693.6800 | Big Raz BBQ | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
| Jul 23, 2022 | Windsor, VT | 36 Ruth Carney Dr | 25 | 683.9772 | Insane Swine | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.3200 | 173.1544 | 171.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5828 | 169.7372 | 168.5600 |
| Pork | 177.1544 | 170.2628 | 169.1200 |
| Brisket | 173.1200 | 167.9656 | 165.1084 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
33 entries · top 693.6800 · median 658.7772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 3 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 5 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 6 | Boo Boo Qued | |
| 7 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 8 | STUBBORN BULL BBQ | |
| 9 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 10 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 11 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 13 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 14 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 15 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 16 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 17 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 18 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 19 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 20 | iQue | |
| 21 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 22 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 23 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 24 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 25 | BURNT OFFERINGS BBQ (NORTH) | |
| 26 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 27 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 28 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 29 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 30 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 31 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 32 | Udder Chaos | |
| 33 | CHAIN SMOKERS |
Chicken
33 entries · top 178.3200 · median 167.3944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 2 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 3 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 4 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 5 | Boo Boo Qued | |
| 6 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 7 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 8 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 10 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 11 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 12 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 13 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 14 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 15 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 16 | STUBBORN BULL BBQ | |
| 17 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 18 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 19 | iQue | |
| 20 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 21 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 22 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 23 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 24 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 25 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 26 | CHAIN SMOKERS | |
| 27 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 28 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 29 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 30 | Udder Chaos | |
| 31 | BURNT OFFERINGS BBQ (NORTH) | |
| 32 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 33 | HANDSOME DEVIL |
Pork Ribs
33 entries · top 176.5828 · median 164.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 3 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 4 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 5 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 6 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 7 | Boo Boo Qued | |
| 8 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 9 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 10 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 11 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 12 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 13 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 14 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 15 | Udder Chaos | |
| 16 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 17 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 18 | STUBBORN BULL BBQ | |
| 19 | iQue | |
| 20 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 21 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 22 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 23 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 24 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 25 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 26 | BURNT OFFERINGS BBQ (NORTH) | |
| 27 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 28 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 29 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 30 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 31 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 32 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 33 | CHAIN SMOKERS |
Pork
33 entries · top 177.1544 · median 166.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 2 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 3 | STUBBORN BULL BBQ | |
| 4 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 7 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 8 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 9 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 11 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 12 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 13 | Boo Boo Qued | |
| 14 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 15 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 16 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 17 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 18 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 19 | BURNT OFFERINGS BBQ (NORTH) | |
| 20 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 21 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 22 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 23 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 24 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 25 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 26 | iQue | |
| 27 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 28 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 29 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 30 | Udder Chaos | |
| 31 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 32 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 33 | CHAIN SMOKERS |
Brisket
33 entries · top 173.1200 · median 162.2400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 2 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 3 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 4 | BIG RAZ BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 7 | STUBBORN BULL BBQ | |
| 8 | iQue | |
| 9 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 11 | BURNT OFFERINGS BBQ (NORTH) | |
| 12 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 13 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 14 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 15 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 16 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 17 | Boo Boo Qued | |
| 18 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 19 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 20 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 21 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 22 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 23 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Bone Daddy BBQ | |
| 25 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 26 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 27 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 28 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 29 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 30 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 31 | Udder Chaos | |
| 32 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 33 | CHAIN SMOKERS |
Open Comp
Overall
24 entries · top 690.8800 · median 655.0114 · out of 720, not the usual 720
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 3 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 4 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 5 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 6 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 7 | iQue | |
| 8 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 9 | Udder Chaos | |
| 10 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 11 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 12 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 13 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 14 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 15 | CHAIN SMOKERS | |
| 16 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 17 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 18 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 19 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 20 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 22 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 23 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 24 | Hog Heaven BBQ |
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.
Open Comp — Chefs Choice
23 entries · top 180 · median 170.8112 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 2 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 5 | Udder Chaos | |
| 6 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 7 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 8 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 9 | CHAIN SMOKERS | |
| 10 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 11 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 12 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 13 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 14 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 15 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 16 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 17 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 18 | iQue | |
| 19 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 20 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 21 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 22 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 23 | I Smell Smoke! |
Open Comp — Chicken Wings
24 entries · top 173.7144 · median 165.1142
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 2 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 3 | Udder Chaos | |
| 4 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 5 | iQue | |
| 6 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 7 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 8 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 9 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 10 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 11 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 13 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 14 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 15 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 16 | CHAIN SMOKERS | |
| 17 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 18 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 19 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 20 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 21 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 22 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 23 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 24 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ |
Open Comp — Sausage
24 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 2 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 3 | iQue | |
| 4 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 7 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 8 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 9 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 10 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 11 | CHAIN SMOKERS | |
| 12 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 13 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 14 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 15 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 16 | Hog Heaven BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 18 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | Udder Chaos | |
| 20 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 21 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 22 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 23 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 24 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC |
Open Comp — Strip Steak
23 entries · top 176.5828 · median 163.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIDER BOYS BBQ | |
| 2 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 3 | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 4 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 5 | iQue | |
| 6 | Git R Porked BBQ LLC | |
| 7 | I Smell Smoke! | |
| 8 | Buckner Brothers Barbeque | |
| 9 | FAT MAXINE'S BBQ | |
| 10 | America's Test Chicken | |
| 11 | THE 5TH ARTERY | |
| 12 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 13 | Q Haven BBQ | |
| 14 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 15 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 16 | SQUEELS ON WHEELS | |
| 17 | Udder Chaos | |
| 18 | GREENWITCH QUE CO. | |
| 19 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 20 | SMOKING KEISTER'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Bare Bones BBQ | |
| 22 | BARBECUTIONERS | |
| 23 | CHAIN SMOKERS |