Sep 8–9, 2023 · Cullman, AL · 📍 1600 St. Bernard Drive SE
Prize money: $2,700
Smokey Bees BBQ - MS won Grand Champion at the Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) on September 8, 2023 in Cullman, AL at 1600 St. Bernard Drive SE, scoring 355.4172 in a field of 19 teams. PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q took Reserve Grand Champion with 344.5488. Category winners: Chicken — Big D's Q (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Smokey Bees BBQ - MS (177.7144). This is the 1st of 3 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2024.
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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 69 times in 100
Smokey Bees BBQ - MS came in rated below the field's top team, LEE LA Q, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 31-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Wider than 92% of the 610 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.8684 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
Chicken places 7–8: Small Batch BBQ - TN edged Deviant Smoke by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 7–8: The Real Squeal BBQ edged LEE LA Q by 0.0116. Chicken places 3–4: PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q edged 2 Swine Crew by 0.0116.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2023 ← this one | Cullman, AL | 1600 St. Bernard Drive SE | 19 | 355.4172 | Smokey Bees BBQ |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Cullman, AL | 1600 St. Bernard Drive SE | 27 | 355.4172 | Brothers Q BBQ Supply |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Cullman, AL | 1600 St. Bernard Drive SE | 16 | 174.2628 | NORALA BBQ TEAM |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 170.8344 | 167.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 167.9772 | 162.8000 |
19 entries · top 355.4172 · median 330.7656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 2 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 3 | Big D's Q | |
| 4 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 6 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 7 | FLOSS & SAUCE | |
| 8 | LEE LA Q | |
| 9 | Secondhand Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 10 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 11 | FOCAS Smokers | |
| 12 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 13 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 14 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 15 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 16 | Codeman's BBQ | |
| 17 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 18 | LWS Smokin Aces | |
| 19 | Ward Brothers BBQ |
19 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big D's Q | |
| 2 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 3 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 4 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 5 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 6 | FOCAS Smokers | |
| 7 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 8 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 9 | LEE LA Q | |
| 10 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 11 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 12 | FLOSS & SAUCE | |
| 13 | Secondhand Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 14 | LWS Smokin Aces | |
| 15 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 16 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 17 | Codeman's BBQ | |
| 18 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 19 | Ward Brothers BBQ |
19 entries · top 177.7144 · median 162.8000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 2 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 3 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 4 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | FLOSS & SAUCE | |
| 6 | Secondhand Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 7 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 8 | LEE LA Q | |
| 9 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 10 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 11 | Big D's Q | |
| 12 | Codeman's BBQ | |
| 13 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 14 | FOCAS Smokers | |
| 15 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 16 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 17 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 18 | LWS Smokin Aces | |
| 19 | Ward Brothers BBQ |