2021-06-11 – 2021-06-12 · Absarokee, MT · 📍 Woodard Ave · State championship
Reps: DEL ANDERSON, FORREST BRUCE
Grand Champion: Texas Smoke Whisperer (708.5600) · 27 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Bushmaster BBQ
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.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2022 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
708.5600 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 701.7144 MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ set in 2016.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100
Texas Smoke Whisperer came in rated below the field's top team, HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
3 of 9 tracked editions
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS has won this contest 3 times across its 9 tracked editions.
Chicken places 1–2: LC BBQ and Bushmaster BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: Salt City Barbecue and PARROTHEAD SMOKERS tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: Bushmaster BBQ and Rhythm n QUE tied on 177.7372 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
AMERICAN HEROES BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8800 that had stood across 7 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: PARROTHEAD SMOKERS (won 2014, 2017, 2019), MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ (won 2016), HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ (won 2018).
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-06 | Absarokee, MT | Absarokee, MT | 22 | 650.2858 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS |
| 2014-07-05 | Absarokee, MT | Absarokee, MT 59001 | 25 | 694.3316 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | SUNRISE BBQ |
| 2015-07-03 | Absarokee, MT | Absarokee, MT 59001 | 29 | 696.5828 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | JO-BAWB'S BBQ |
| 2016-06-25 | Absarokee, MT | Downtown Absarokee | 29 | 701.7144 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | JO-BAWB'S BBQ |
| 2017-06-24 | ABSAROKEE, MT | Hwy 78 | 35 | 701.1200 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | YOU QUE'D ME ALL NIGHT LONG |
| 2018-06-23 | Absarokee, MT | Hwy 78 | 26 | 695.9660 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS |
| 2019-06-22 | Absarokee, MT | Hwy 78 | 29 | 699.9196 | Parrothead Smokers | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ |
| 2021-06-11 ← this one | Absarokee, MT | Woodard Ave | 27 | 708.5600 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | Bushmaster BBQ |
| 2022-06-10 | Absarokee, MT | Woodard Ave | 27 | 693.6112 | Stoake-D-Fire.com | OWENS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4400 | 171.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 176.5716 | 170.2744 |
| Pork | 179.4400 | 177.7028 | 171.9772 |
| Brisket | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 169.6800 |
27 entries · top 708.5600 · median 669.0288
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 2 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 3 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | LC BBQ | |
| 5 | Salt City Barbecue | |
| 6 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 7 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 8 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 9 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 10 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 11 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 12 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 13 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 14 | 202 BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | Southern Hospitality | |
| 17 | BURNINTHE BONE BBQ | |
| 18 | Cowboys Restaurant | |
| 19 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 20 | Absarokee Ambulance | |
| 21 | Cotta Custom Catering | |
| 22 | Linda Heimer | |
| 23 | Boot Legger BBQ | |
| 24 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 25 | Shane Ridge Hellians | |
| 26 | Hot Wheels | |
| 27 | Montana Big Sky BBQ |
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LC BBQ | |
| 2 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 3 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 4 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 5 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 6 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 7 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 8 | Salt City Barbecue | |
| 9 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 10 | 202 BBQ | |
| 11 | Southern Hospitality | |
| 12 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 13 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 14 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 15 | Montana Big Sky BBQ | |
| 16 | BURNINTHE BONE BBQ | |
| 17 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 18 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 19 | Cowboys Restaurant | |
| 20 | Absarokee Ambulance | |
| 21 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 22 | Boot Legger BBQ | |
| 23 | Linda Heimer | |
| 24 | Cotta Custom Catering | |
| 25 | Shane Ridge Hellians | |
| 26 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 27 | Hot Wheels |
27 entries · top 180.0000 · median 166.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 2 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 3 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 4 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 5 | LC BBQ | |
| 6 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 7 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 8 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 9 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | 202 BBQ | |
| 11 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 12 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 13 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 14 | Salt City Barbecue | |
| 15 | Southern Hospitality | |
| 16 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 17 | BURNINTHE BONE BBQ | |
| 18 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 19 | Cowboys Restaurant | |
| 20 | Hot Wheels | |
| 21 | Boot Legger BBQ | |
| 22 | Linda Heimer | |
| 23 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 24 | Absarokee Ambulance | |
| 25 | Cotta Custom Catering | |
| 26 | Shane Ridge Hellians | |
| 27 | Montana Big Sky BBQ |
27 entries · top 179.4400 · median 161.6572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 2 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 3 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 4 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 5 | Salt City Barbecue | |
| 6 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 7 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | LC BBQ | |
| 9 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 10 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 11 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 12 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 13 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 14 | 202 BBQ | |
| 15 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 16 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 17 | Cotta Custom Catering | |
| 18 | Absarokee Ambulance | |
| 19 | Southern Hospitality | |
| 20 | Linda Heimer | |
| 21 | Hot Wheels | |
| 22 | Shane Ridge Hellians | |
| 23 | BURNINTHE BONE BBQ | |
| 24 | Cowboys Restaurant | |
| 25 | Montana Big Sky BBQ | |
| 26 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 27 | Boot Legger BBQ |
27 entries · top 180.0000 · median 162.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 2 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 3 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 5 | Salt City Barbecue | |
| 6 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 7 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | LC BBQ | |
| 9 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 10 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 11 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 12 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 13 | 202 BBQ | |
| 14 | Blue Line BBQ MT | |
| 15 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | BURNINTHE BONE BBQ | |
| 17 | Southern Hospitality | |
| 18 | Cowboys Restaurant | |
| 19 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 20 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 21 | Absarokee Ambulance | |
| 22 | Boot Legger BBQ | |
| 23 | Cotta Custom Catering | |
| 24 | Hot Wheels | |
| 25 | Shane Ridge Hellians | |
| 26 | Linda Heimer | |
| 27 | Montana Big Sky BBQ |
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.
12 entries · top 180.0000 · median 176.8744 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 2 | Cotta Custom Catering | |
| 3 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 4 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 5 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 6 | Absarokee Ambulance | |
| 7 | BURNINTHE BONE BBQ | |
| 8 | Cowboys Restaurant | |
| 9 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 10 | Hot Wheels | |
| 11 | 202 BBQ | |
| 12 | Linda Heimer |