In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in April 2015 — 1 Apr to 30 Apr.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
April 2015 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
Score of the month
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
UNCULTURED SWINE put up 708.0116 at High on the Hog Festival — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ took 3 Grand Championships in April 2015.
First one ever
UNCULTURED SWINE won their first Grand Championship at High on the Hog Festival, in their 42nd contest in the data.
- 17 Apr
Title defended
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Smoke in the Spring again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2014–2015
- field of 97
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 13% chance
WHISKEY,WOMEN & WIBS won The Best Damn BBQ Contest over top-rated TRUEBUD BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 27 perfect 180s were handed out in April 2015.
- Chicken ×9
- Brisket ×8
- Pork ×7
- Pork Ribs ×3
Closest call
BIG BROTHERS BBQ edged DIRT ROAD BBQ by 0.0228 at Central Iowa Expo BBQ.
- Master Series
Biggest riser
BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD gained 36 rating points across 3 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 3 contests
- now #352 overall
Best debut
RIDDLEQ'S finished 1st at Baseball & BBQ Cookoff — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 379 new teams in Apr 2015
- field of 33
Biggest blowout
Serial Griller won Saltwater Brew 'N' Que by 20.0800 points over BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 18
Biggest field
Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival drew 99 teams, and SAUCE THIS BBQ won it.
- Harrington, DE
Road warriors
Smoke-A-Holics cooked 6 contests in April 2015 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 1 GC
Won without a meat
SAUCE THIS BBQ won Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 3rd.
- field of 99
New on the calendar
Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival ran for the first time on record, drawing 99 teams, and SAUCE THIS BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Apr 2015
- Harrington, DE
Always the reserve
QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N finished second overall 2 times in April 2015 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 3 contests
Busiest weekend
11 sanctioned contests were cooked on 24 Apr alone.
- 24 Apr
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UNCULTURED SWINE High on the Hog Festival |
708.0116 |
| 2 | LEFT COAST Q The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs West VI |
706.2972 |
| 3 | Rhythm n QUE Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) |
702.8576 |
| 4 | TRUEBUD BBQ Smokin' in the Ville |
702.8344 |
| 5 | QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N High on the Hog Festival |
702.8228 |
| 6 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ 10th Annual Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ |
702.3088 |
| 7 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ 10th Annual Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ |
701.6916 |
| 8 | Sharpe's Woodshed The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs West VI |
700.5944 |
| 9 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) |
700.5716 |
| 10 | The Specialists Smoke on the Falls |
699.9884 |
| 11 | Pig Skin BBQ Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief (Judges Full) |
699.9772 |
| 12 | SPICY SPITFIRE 10th Annual Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ |
699.9656 |
| 13 | TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL BBQ Capital Cook-Off |
699.9656 |
| 14 | GETTIN' BASTED Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival |
699.9544 |
| 15 | UNCULTURED SWINE Smoke on the Falls |
699.4056 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×9 💯 | Butts A Blaze Fifth Annual Bull Moose |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×3 💯 | HEAVENLY MANNA BBQ Fifth Annual Bull Moose |
180 |
| Pork ×7 💯 | SWINE CRUE Fifth Annual Bull Moose |
180 |
| Brisket ×8 💯 | PELLET ENVY Smoke in the Spring |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 3 more in April 2015.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Apr 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD No. 352 in the power rankings |
1,711 | +36 |
| Smoke-A-Holics No. 1,038 in the power rankings |
1,601 | +33 |
| TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE No. 606 in the power rankings |
1,658 | +32 |
| Serial Griller No. 167 in the power rankings |
1,772 | +28 |
| UNCULTURED SWINE No. 359 in the power rankings |
1,710 | +27 |
| WANNA B'S No. 1,607 in the power rankings |
1,558 | +27 |
| VICTORY SMOKERS No. 215 in the power rankings |
1,752 | +27 |
| R&R BBQ No. 1,080 in the power rankings |
1,597 | +26 |
| BIG SHOW BBQ COOKIN' TEAM No. 692 in the power rankings |
1,644 | +26 |
| 270 SMOKERS No. 177 in the power rankings |
1,766 | +26 |
| Bubba Q No. 835 in the power rankings |
1,624 | -19 |
| NOTHING BUTT SMOKE PSCA No. 6,386 in the power rankings |
1,396 | -19 |
| BLOWIN' SMOKE No. 5,551 in the power rankings |
1,450 | -21 |
| SMOKE RINGS N' MOONSWINE | 1,478 | -22 |
| KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ No. 646 in the power rankings |
1,651 | -24 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke-A-Holics | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 5 | — | 2 |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| BUTCHER BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| BOOTYQUE | 4 | — | 2 |
| SMOKE ON THIS | 4 | — | 2 |
| SMOKE THIS | 4 | — | 8 |
| BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO | 4 | — | 9 |
| 270 SMOKERS | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| FIRE DANCER BBQ | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| MIDNIGHT BURN | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 4 | 239 |
| Kansas | 4 | 172 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 145 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 131 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 108 |
| Texas | 2 | 95 |
| Alabama | 2 | 94 |
| Virginia | 2 | 90 |
| Georgia | 2 | 83 |
| Iowa | 2 | 47 |
| Delaware | 1 | 112 |
| Indiana | 1 | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 48 |
| Illinois | 1 | 46 |
| California | 1 | 42 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 40 |
| New York | 1 | 33 |
| Colorado | 1 | 30 |
| Nevada | 1 | 30 |
| Utah | 1 | 30 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE |
99 | SAUCE THIS BBQ |
| 10th Annual Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK |
75 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ |
| Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief (Judges Full) Pleasant Hill, MO |
71 | PIGSKIN BBQ |
| Cedar Fest BBQ Cedar Park, TX |
53 | BUTCHER BBQ |
| The Best Damn BBQ Contest Smithville, MO |
52 | WHISKEY,WOMEN & WIBS |
| Bib's Camel City Cookoff (formerly Jammin' Pig) Winston-Salem, NC |
51 | 270 SMOKERS |
| 7th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO |
49 | OKLAHOMA JOE'S SERIOUS QUE |
| The Ironman Shady Grove, PA |
48 | 270 SMOKERS |
| VFW Post 846 7th Annual BBQ Challenge Overland Park, KS |
47 | WANNA B'S |
| 2nd Annual Pickin' N' Pullin BBQ Competition Lanexa, VA |
46 | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Wabash Ribber Fest Mt. Carmel, IL |
46 | BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ |
| The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs West VI Wildomar, CA |
42 | LEFT COAST Q |
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Every contest scored (41 in April 2015)
The Archive
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2026 (338 contests) · the 2026 season in review
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2024 (343 contests) · the 2024 season in review
2023 (376 contests) · the 2023 season in review
2022 (376 contests) · the 2022 season in review
2021 (310 contests) · the 2021 season in review
2020 (134 contests) · the 2020 season in review
2019 (430 contests) · the 2019 season in review
2018 (480 contests) · the 2018 season in review
2017 (517 contests) · the 2017 season in review
2016 (505 contests) · the 2016 season in review
2015 (494 contests) · the 2015 season in review
2014 (469 contests) · the 2014 season in review
2013 (436 contests) · the 2013 season in review
2012 (1 contest) · the 2012 season in review
Every figure here is computed from the public results at kcbs.us, refreshed nightly. The Smoke Ring is not a publication of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.