BOURBON SMOKE BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1996

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1538

peak 1538 · rated over 13 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-03

latest 2017-10-13

Best ToY finish

#788

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

673.0628 / 720

Master · Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)

Perfect 180s

Current form

662.44 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 650.32 (+12.12)

Walk rate

85%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

178.2972

Pork Ribs · Wabash Ribber Fest

Consistency

±15.71

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.22 · weakest Brisket (157.64)

Road miles

1,705

mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 423 mi

Schedule strength

28%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1538)

Master avg

650.32 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (11 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

They almost always walk

85% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 11 of 13 contests

A top-10 category call in 85% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

673.0628 career-best overall

93.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.0628 at Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) — 93.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2017-04-28

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE has finished one call ahead of BOURBON SMOKE BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 32%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 32%

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

One2BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

One2BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.58 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 23% of the time against 46%.

Brisket avg 157.64
Chicken avg 165.22
3 calls in 13 entries

A strong matchup

7–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 88% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKIN' WET BBQ in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

7 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

One2BBQ ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, One2BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BONEHEAD BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An April team

Top 36% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 36% across 4 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.

4 April contests
top 48% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.18% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.18% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.3% of a perfect score
13 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

80 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

C & J BACKYARD SMOKERS

#1986 of the rated field

1539 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2019-09-27

⚔ Head-to-head

MEAT MITCH

#1983 of the rated field

1539 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1553

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2018-09-15

⚔ Head-to-head

MANNY'S BBQ

#1999 of the rated field

1538 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1538

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 29% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2016-10-29

⚔ Head-to-head

Pig Time BBQ

#2003 of the rated field

1538 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1546

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2018-05-04

⚔ Head-to-head

SOMETHING BORROWED SOMETHING BLUE BBQ

#2002 of the rated field

1538 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1538

No shared contest yet.

Level with BOURBON SMOKE BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2015-10-09

⚔ Head-to-head

SAUCY SWINE-O'S

#1981 of the rated field

1539 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2017-06-23

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKEY'S Q	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' WET BBQ	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HOG CATLIN, IL	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
QUAU	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
MONSTER-QUE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
RURAL ROUTE BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	6	0	1	175.4400	152.5144	165.22	top 43%
Pork Ribs	13	8	1	2	178.2972	147.4288	164.92	top 41%
Pork	13	4	0	0	170.8456	151.9772	162.54	top 51%
Brisket	13	3	0	1	173.1200	136.0000	157.64	top 60%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IL	11	top 43%
MO	1	top 67%
AR	1	top 85%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 64%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 39%
Large (40+)	7	top 48%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Central Illinois Bragging Rights	3	12	0	top 39%	2015-10-09
Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)	2	5	0	top 24%	2017-04-28

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.4 yrs 2013-05-03 → 2017-10-13

Busiest season 2014 4 contests

Contests a season 2.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in IL 11 of 13 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 10 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 13 entries · 0 wins · 6 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 165.22 · weakest Brisket (157.64)

Walk rate 85% a top-10 call in 11 of 13 contests

Overall top-10 rate 23% 3 of 13 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 650.32 out of 720 · 13 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 265 252–208 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,705 13 mapped stops · furthest 423 mi

Schedule strength 1538 average field rating faced — tougher than 28% of rated contests

Longest layoff 1 yrs 2016-04-22 → 2017-04-28

Power rating 1538 peak 1538 · #1996 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
May 3 First tracked contest Smokelawn
May 3 First call Smokelawn
2014
Apr 25 First category win (Pork Ribs) Wabash Ribberfest Barbecue Championship
Jun 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.2056 Legacy State BBQ Championship Cook-Off
Jul 4 First overall top-10 Fin to Fur Red White and Blue BBQ Blowout
2015
Apr 24 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.2972 Wabash Ribber Fest
Oct 9 10th tracked contest Central Illinois Bragging Rights
2017
Apr 28 Career-best overall score673.0628 Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)
Oct 13 Peak power rating (1538) CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ
Oct 13 Most recent contest CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.4	Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL)	2017-04-28
+10.3	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	2015-10-09
+8.5	Wabash Ribber Fest	2015-04-24
+8.3	Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship	2016-04-22
+5.7	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	2014-10-10

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.9	Smokelawn	2013-05-03
-3.8	Legacy BBQ Championship	2013-06-27
-3	Wabash Ribberfest Barbecue Championship	2014-04-25
-1.5	Fin to Fur Red White and Blue BBQ Blowout	2014-07-04
-0.1	Legacy State BBQ Championship Cook-Off	2014-06-26

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2017	2	1	0	100%	top 29%	93.5%	92.5%
2016	1	1	0	100%	top 30%	89.4%	89.4%
2015	3	0	0	100%	top 32%	93.2%	92.6%
2014	4	1	1	100%	top 59%	91.4%	89.7%
2013	3	0	0	33%	top 68%	89.4%	87.7%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-10-13	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	17 / 41 (658.2172)	19 (167.3944)	8 (169.1772)	33 (154.2284)	16 (167.4172)
2017-04-28	Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Mt.Carmel, IL	5 / 29 (673.0628)	9 (167.9772)	7 (171.4400)	22 (160.5256)	6 (173.1200)
2016-04-22	Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Championship Mt. Carmel, IL	9 / 30 (643.9428)	22 (152.5144)	8 (164.0000)	12 (158.8800)	3 (168.5484)
2015-10-09	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	12 / 48 (671.3368)	9 (171.9656)	5 (173.1428)	17 (166.8800)	30 (159.3484)
2015-05-01	Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Dwight, IL	15 / 40 (665.6344)	9 (170.2628)	6 (173.1316)	25 (159.9656)	21 (162.2744)
2015-04-24	Wabash Ribber Fest Mt. Carmel, IL	15 / 46 (662.8000)	20 (166.8572)	3 (178.2972)	8 (170.8456)	42 (146.8000)
2014-10-10	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	15 / 37 (649.1772)	9 (168.6516)	30 (154.2744)	9 (164.5600)	18 (161.6912)
2014-07-04	Fin to Fur Red White and Blue BBQ Blowout Thayer, MO	8 / 12 (635.9204)	5 (162.8344)	10 (147.4288)	6 (166.8344)	8 (158.8228)
2014-06-26	Legacy State BBQ Championship Cook-Off Effingham, IL	11 / 18 (658.2056)	2 (175.4400)	12 (165.0972)	14 (160.5600)	15 (157.1084)
2014-04-25	Wabash Ribberfest Barbecue Championship Mt. Carmel, IL	33 / 50 (640.5260)	41 (155.4172)	1 (176.0344)	17 (166.2856)	45 (142.7888)
2013-10-11	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	27 / 53 (643.3488)	13 (170.2628)	14 (166.8572)	43 (151.9772)	34 (154.2516)
2013-06-27	Legacy BBQ Championship Effingham, IL	19 / 28 (634.8562)	23 (156.5712)	23 (155.4282)	15 (161.7144)	17 (161.1424)
2013-05-03	Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR	35 / 41 (617.1424)	25 (161.7140)	35 (149.7142)	10 (169.7142)	39 (136.0000)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017 ↗	Master	#1107 (279 pts)	#1330 (229 pts)	#1103 (314 pts)	#1759 (129 pts)	#1164 (274 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1674 (140 pts)	#2283 (70 pts)	#1716 (150 pts)	#1872 (120 pts)	#1339 (230 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#922 (345 pts)	#926 (375 pts)	#654 (595 pts)	#1062 (315 pts)	#1370 (200 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#788 (432 pts)	#615 (627 pts)	#654 (582 pts)	#740 (512 pts)	#863 (397 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1431 (158 pts)	#1351 (198 pts)	#1400 (193 pts)	#1432 (178 pts)	#1451 (168 pts)