WHISKEY RIVER BBQ

WHISKEY RIVER BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 16th of 21 at the Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) (2022). They are ranked #6073 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,073

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1431

peak 1431 · rated over 11 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 13, 2016

latest Aug 5, 2022 · 6.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1182

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 84%

overall standings

Best overall

642.0684 / 720

Master · Original SD BBQ Championships

Perfect 180s

Current form

619.40 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 626.37 (-6.97)

Walk rate

18%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

169.7256

Chicken · The Original SD BBQ Championships

Consistency

±13.30

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 160.24 · weakest Brisket (151.16)

Road miles

1,966

across 11 mapped stops · furthest 878 mi

Schedule strength

56%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1572)

Purse competed for

$14K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

626.37 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard (3-meat) avg

493.65 / 540

1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

Storylines (5 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−9.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 9.08 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 9%.

Brisket avg 151.16
Chicken avg 160.24
0 calls in 10 entries

The comeback

3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) (Aug 5, 2022).

last seen Jul 19, 2019
back Aug 5, 2022

Chicken nemesis

9 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS ahead 90% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS has out-cooked them in 9 of 10 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±2.17% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.17% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 87.4% of a perfect score
11 contests

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1199 (203 pts)	#970 (323 pts)	#1247 (218 pts)	#1332 (183 pts)	#1276 (198 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1822 (120 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1794 (120 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1182 (251 pts)	#1166 (286 pts)	#1044 (336 pts)	#1209 (276 pts)	#1338 (231 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to WHISKEY RIVER BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Limp Brisket

#6,063 of the rated field

1431 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1431

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to WHISKEY RIVER BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team WHISKEY RIVER BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Mar 21, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Get Your Grill On

#6,064 of the rated field

1431 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1431

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Drum Smoke BBQ

#6,068 of the rated field

1431 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1431

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BREWBQUE

#6,066 of the rated field

1431 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1431

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

LIP SMACKIN OINKERS

#6,072 of the rated field

1431 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1431

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen May 12, 2023

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PoCo Porkers

#6,070 of the rated field

1431 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1431

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 Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SIN CIRCLE BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Borgy the BBQ Butcher	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
RICHIE Z's	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
LAST CALL HEROES BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Hogline	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Pigtamer BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Backroads BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
TIMBONE BARBECUE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Eggspert BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	1	169.7256	150.8228	160.24	top 71%
Pork Ribs	11	0	169.6800	142.7888	157.99	top 74%
Pork	11	1	167.3828	151.3716	158.66	top 77%
Brisket	10	0	159.9772	143.9200	151.16	top 83%

“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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	4	0	top 79%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 86%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
SD	7	top 84%
MN	3	top 85%
AL	1	top 76%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Cookin On Kampeska	3	37	0	top 92%	Jul 19, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 2.2 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in SD 7 of 11 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 9 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 207 finished ahead 70 times, behind 354

Longest layoff 3 yrs Jul 19, 2019 → Aug 5, 2022

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

20222 milestones

Aug 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score493.6456 Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
Aug 5 Most recent contest Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)

20191 milestone

Jul 19 10th tracked contest Cookin On Kampeska

20182 milestones

Jun 1 First call The Original SD BBQ Championships
Jun 1 Career-best single call (Chicken)169.7256 The Original SD BBQ Championships

20163 milestones

May 13 First tracked contest Minnesota in May
May 13 Peak power rating (1493) Minnesota in May
Jun 3 Career-best overall score642.0684 Original SD BBQ Championships

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	SMSU Smokefest	Aug 18, 2017
-10.1	Cookin On Kampeska	Jul 14, 2017
-9.9	Cookin' on Kampeska	Jul 15, 2016
-7.5	Minnesota in May	May 13, 2016
-7.2	Cookin On Kampeska	Jul 19, 2019

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	1	100%	top 76%	91.4%	91.4%
2019	1	0%	top 93%	87.9%	87.9%
2018	3	33%	top 82%	87.3%	86.6%
2017	2	0%	top 97%	86.2%	84.3%
2016	4	0%	top 78%	89.2%	88.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 5, 2022	Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL	16 / 21 (493.6456)	18 (160.5600)	14 (165.7028)	10 (167.3828)	—
Jul 19, 2019	Cookin On Kampeska 🏅 Watertown, SD	37 / 40 (633.0168)	36 (154.2744)	25 (165.1428)	35 (158.2284)	35 (155.3712)
Sep 7, 2018	Ribs, Rod & Rock'n Roll Vermillion, SD	18 / 25 (625.5084)	17 (157.6800)	15 (164.5256)	22 (153.0628)	19 (150.2400)
Jul 20, 2018	Cookin On Kampeska Watertown, SD	39 / 45 (628.4572)	40 (155.3944)	38 (154.8000)	36 (158.8456)	29 (159.4172)
Jun 1, 2018	The Original SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	29 / 33 (617.6340)	6 (169.7256)	32 (142.8228)	30 (154.8456)	29 (150.2400)
Aug 18, 2017	SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN	40 / 41 (592.3660)	40 (150.8228)	41 (142.7888)	40 (151.3716)	37 (147.3828)
Jul 14, 2017	Cookin On Kampeska Watertown, SD	46 / 48 (620.9712)	32 (165.6800)	45 (155.9544)	46 (153.1084)	47 (146.2284)
Jul 15, 2016	Cookin' on Kampeska Watertown, SD	37 / 41 (631.8056)	34 (158.2628)	16 (169.6800)	36 (159.9428)	39 (143.9200)
Jun 24, 2016	Smoke on the Waterfall Redwoodfalls, MN	21 / 26 (635.9200)	14 (166.8572)	13 (165.1428)	22 (157.6456)	25 (146.2744)
Jun 3, 2016	Original SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	28 / 44 (642.0684)	32 (161.0856)	28 (162.2400)	19 (166.2400)	32 (152.5028)
May 13, 2016	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	54 / 71 (635.9428)	39 (162.2968)	69 (149.1088)	32 (164.5600)	42 (159.9772)

WHISKEY RIVER BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard (3-meat) avg

Storylines (5 found in their record)

A tough matchup

The weak link

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

The metronome

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

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

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

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