The heartbreaker
2.2740
points from the title
Came within 2.2740 points of the Grand Championship at Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival (May 15, 2026).
Blue Smoke Q
Blue Smoke Q is a competition barbecue team with 53 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition (2025), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #664 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1647
peak 1651 · rated over 45 contests5 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
53
in the data
First seen
Aug 20, 2021
latest Aug 7, 2026 · 5 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
1 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
8
17 podiums
Overall top-10s
14
26% of 53 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 43%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
6 🔥
Current form
687.36 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 682.69 (+4.67)
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±16.28
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 172.13 · weakest Brisket (169.70)
Road miles
9,402
across 53 mapped stops · furthest 428 mi
Schedule strength
67%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1584)
Purse competed for
$619K
listed at 45 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 45 state-championship entries
Master avg
682.69 / 720
49 Master contests · 1 GC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #93 (1,429 pts) | #173 (1,094 pts) | #103 (1,444 pts) | #56 (1,584 pts) | #122 (1,249 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #101 (1,591 pts) | #164 (1,278 pts) | #71 (1,793 pts) | #40 (1,943 pts) | #137 (1,326 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #185 (1,083 pts) | #203 (1,058 pts) | #164 (1,193 pts) | #158 (1,173 pts) | #231 (938 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #373 (541 pts) | #370 (616 pts) | #502 (466 pts) | #319 (666 pts) | #336 (646 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #718 (235 pts) | #523 (415 pts) | #800 (235 pts) | #485 (460 pts) | #745 (235 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1579 (51 pts) | #1577 (51 pts) | #1293 (66 pts) | #1574 (51 pts) | #1566 (51 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Blue Smoke Q, each with one reason worth a look.
#662 of the rated field
- Contests
- 38
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1655
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Blue Smoke Q)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Blue Smoke Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#665 of the rated field
- Contests
- 90
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1716
They've been 1716 at their best, 69 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#663 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 48%
- Peak
- 1647
Fewer contests behind them than Blue Smoke Q has cooked, 23 to 53, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#666 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1648
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Blue Smoke Q's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#667 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 79%
- Peak
- 1647
Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 19 contests, alongside a 79% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#675 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 37%
- Peak
- 1666
8–5 in 13 shared contests (62% to Blue Smoke Q)
Level with Blue Smoke Q on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAD ROOSTER BBQ | 42 | 12 | 30 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| ZIPS BBQ | 37 | 14 | 23 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | 35 | 13 | 22 | 37% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 34 | 15 | 19 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| COOL HAND QUE | 32 | 17 | 15 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | 29 | 14 | 15 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| Stewbabys BBQ | 27 | 10 | 17 | 37% | ⚔ compare |
| Kings BBQ Team | 27 | 9 | 18 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 27 | 5 | 22 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Glamping Grillers | 26 | 9 | 17 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| OFF THE CHAIN | 25 | 12 | 13 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke Central BBQ | 25 | 8 | 17 | 32% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 23 | 8 | 14 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | 22 | 10 | 12 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| Organizer Portal | 22 | 7 | 15 | 32% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 50 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 178.8572 | 154.2628 | 170.74 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 52 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 180 🔥 | 153.0744 | 169.99 | top 48% |
| Pork | 49 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 180 🔥 | 154.2172 | 172.13 | top 37% |
| Brisket | 49 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 180 🔥 | 149.0744 | 169.70 | top 47% |
“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) | 23 | 1 | top 51% |
| Large (40+) | 26 | 0 | top 37% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | 4 | 5 | 0 | top 37% | Nov 14, 2025 |
| Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival | 4 | 8 | 0 | top 72% | Aug 16, 2024 |
| South Carolina Festival of Discovery | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 8% | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Falls | 3 | 20 | 0 | top 62% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 3 | 16 | 0 | top 35% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 42% | Mar 6, 2026 |
| Poosa Q | 3 | 15 | 0 | top 36% | Jun 20, 2025 |
| BBQ, Boogie & Blues | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 65% | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Smoke on the Mountain | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 61% | Jul 25, 2025 |
| Honeybee BBQ Competition | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 51% | May 30, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
18 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
8.8
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
GA
24 of 53 contests · 9 states in all
Contests visited
29
10 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
52 entries · 2 wins · 15 calls
First title
Apr 11, 2025
Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition
Opponents faced
1,088
finished ahead 1,889 times, behind 1,567
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20264 milestones
- First Reserve Championship Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival
- 50th tracked contest 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026)
- Peak power rating (1651) South Carolina Festival of Discovery
- Most recent contest Battle of the Blue Ridge
20256 milestones
- 25th tracked contest 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam
- First Grand Championship Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition
- First state championship Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition
- Biggest field won (31 teams) Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition
- Career-best overall score706.2284 Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition
- 5th perfect 180 The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival
20242 milestones
- First overall top-10 South Carolina Festival of Discovery
- First overall podium South Carolina Festival of Discovery
20231 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Honeybee BBQ Competition
20224 milestones
- First call Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival
- First category win (Pork) Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.9940 Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival
20211 milestone
- First tracked contest Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +20 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery | Jul 11, 2024 |
| +17.8 | Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition | Apr 11, 2025 |
| +16.6 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Nov 15, 2024 |
| +14.6 | Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival | May 15, 2026 |
| +14.4 | Poosa Q | Oct 5, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14.3 | Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival | Aug 20, 2021 |
| -12.5 | BBQ Boogie & Blues | Apr 29, 2022 |
| -9.6 | Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival | Aug 19, 2022 |
| -8.7 | Smoke on the Mountain | Jul 25, 2025 |
| -7.9 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Nov 18, 2022 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 64% | top 36% | 97.3% | 95.8% |
| 2025 | 18 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 78% | top 32% | 98.1% | 95.8% |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 55% | top 40% | 97.7% | 95.3% |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 86% | top 53% | 96% | 93.8% |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20% | top 86% | 92% | 90.7% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 100% | 86.2% | 86.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2026 | Battle of the Blue Ridge 🏅 Swannanoa, NC | 22 / 41 (678.7772) | 30 (167.9656) | 5 (176.5716) | 27 (166.8228) | 20 (167.4172) |
| Jul 9, 2026 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 5 / 75 (694.8344) | 17 (174.8572) | 53 (167.4172) | 17 (175.4172) | 7 (177.1428) |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 12 / 29 (687.9544) | 8 (174.8572) | 6 (174.8572) | 21 (166.2400) | 10 (172) |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 34 / 82 (696.5144) | 32 (175.4172) | 14 (177.7144) | 38 (174.2628) | 62 (169.1200) |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 87 / 117 (678.7316) | 53 (173.1200) | 75 (169.6916) | 97 (166.2400) | 63 (169.6800) |
| May 15, 2026 | Bloomin' BBQ Music & Food Festival 🏅 Sevierville, TN | 2 / 33 (695.9316) | 5 (175.4172) | 14 (171.9888) | 2 (177.7028) | 12 (170.8228) |
| May 8, 2026 | 20th Annual Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off 🏅 Waynesboro, GA | 18 / 42 (684.4572) | 16 (173.1200) | 1 (177.7144) | 27 (168.5372) | 28 (165.0856) |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 22 / 36 (686.7544) | 24 (170.8228) | 25 (168.5372) | 14 (173.1200) | 15 (174.2744) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 16 / 125 (698.8000) | 81 (169.6684) | 13 (177.1544) | 16 (176.5716) | 27 (175.4056) |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 18 / 44 (687.3256) | 13 (174.8456) | 39 (162.8000) | 9 (175.4172) | 7 (174.2628) |
| Jan 22, 2026 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 7 / 63 (700.5260) | 9 (177.7028) | 15 (175.4172) | 4 (177.7144) | 30 (169.6916) |
| Dec 5, 2025 | Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 3 / 21 (701.1088) | 15 (168.5488) | 4 (177.1544) | 2 (177.7028) | 2 (177.7028) |
| Nov 14, 2025 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 17 / 56 (693.6344) | 49 (166.2284) | 21 (174.2744) | 2 (180) | 18 (173.1316) |
| Oct 3, 2025 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA | 5 / 32 (697.0744) | 13 (171.9772) | 10 (173.1316) | 1 (180) | 16 (171.9656) |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Bands and BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 11 / 29 (684.4456) | 1 (176.5600) | 2 (176.5600) | 14 (169.6800) | 24 (161.6456) |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Pigs & Peaches 🏅 Kennesaw, GA | 8 / 27 (693.6344) | 16 (168.5372) | 2 (176.5716) | 5 (177.7028) | 12 (170.8228) |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 28 / 37 (671.8400) | 18 (170.8344) | 35 (160.5028) | 15 (169.6800) | 20 (170.8228) |
| Jul 10, 2025 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 8 / 66 (694.7656) | 28 (170.8228) | 1 (180) | 12 (174.2628) | 35 (169.6800) |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 15 / 42 (692.4684) | 25 (173.1200) | 6 (176.5600) | 26 (170.8228) | 17 (171.9656) |
| May 30, 2025 | Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA | 10 / 26 (683.3028) | 19 (168.5372) | 19 (167.3944) | 1 (177.7028) | 11 (169.6684) |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 49 / 106 (687.9200) | 20 (176.5600) | 101 (163.3944) | 17 (176.5600) | 51 (171.4056) |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 50 (159.9428) | — | — |
| May 9, 2025 | Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off 🏅 Waynesboro, GA | 9 / 42 (690.7888) | 11 (174.2744) | 4 (174.2860) | 7 (174.2628) | 19 (167.9656) |
| Apr 25, 2025 | BBQ & Boogie 🏅 Calhoun, GA | 20 / 32 (674.7316) | 23 (169.6800) | 9 (173.7144) | 10 (170.8344) | 29 (160.5028) |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 1 / 31 (706.2284) | 13 (174.2628) | 17 (173.1084) | 4 (178.8572) | 1 (180) |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 16 / 100 (695.9428) | 56 (170.8344) | 26 (173.7028) | 3 (179.4400) | 36 (171.9656) |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 38 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 7, 2025 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 10 / 45 (694.7540) | 33 (168.5256) | 7 (176.5600) | 10 (175.4056) | 6 (174.2628) |
| Jan 9, 2025 | 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 🏅 Elkton, FL | 22 / 38 (674.2056) | 36 (159.3828) | 24 (168) | 4 (174.2628) | 11 (172.5600) |
| Nov 15, 2024 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cuming, GA | 5 / 58 (697.6456) | 4 (178.8572) | 33 (170.2628) | 14 (174.2628) | 12 (174.2628) |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 30 / 59 (681.6684) | 36 (169.1200) | 31 (169.1428) | 14 (174.2856) | 29 (169.1200) |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA | 8 / 26 (693.0628) | 16 (167.3828) | 2 (180) | 12 (173.1200) | 13 (172.5600) |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 15 / 32 (685.0516) | 14 (169.6916) | 16 (166.8344) | 6 (176.5600) | 12 (171.9656) |
| Jul 11, 2024 | South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC | 3 / 76 (703.3944) | 2 (178.8572) | 5 (178.2972) | 43 (169.6800) | 7 (176.5600) |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 56 / 118 (683.9088) | 24 (175.4288) | 70 (169.6800) | 61 (170.8228) | 74 (167.9772) |
| May 10, 2024 | 18th Annual Boss Hog State Championship Cook-Off 🏅 Waynesboro, GA | 16 / 42 (686.7772) | 10 (174.8572) | 27 (167.3944) | 10 (173.7028) | 20 (170.8228) |
| Apr 26, 2024 | BBQ, Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA | 12 / 34 (683.9204) | 18 (169.6916) | 5 (174.2744) | 14 (171.9772) | 23 (167.9772) |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 20 / 31 (679.8740) | 13 (175.4172) | 17 (169.6800) | 26 (165.0856) | 14 (169.6912) |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 72 / 93 (667.3144) | 61 (169.6800) | 55 (167.4172) | 71 (165.1200) | 70 (165.0972) |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 14 (172.5716) | — | — |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 16 / 60 (691.3600) | 47 (166.2628) | 21 (173.1316) | 1 (178.8572) | 18 (173.1084) |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 16 / 73 (687.9316) | 22 (171.9772) | 37 (168.5372) | 10 (175.4400) | 26 (171.9772) |
| Aug 18, 2023 | Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA | 20 / 27 (669.6000) | 11 (173.1084) | 27 (159.4172) | 7 (175.4172) | 24 (161.6572) |
| Jun 2, 2023 | Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA | 17 / 27 (674.1488) | 6 (173.1316) | 22 (161.6572) | 15 (168.5372) | 14 (170.8228) |
| Apr 28, 2023 | BBQ Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA | 20 / 32 (671.8856) | 23 (167.3828) | 18 (169.1544) | 27 (162.2284) | 7 (173.1200) |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 24 / 39 (663.8400) | 24 (166.2400) | 22 (166.8228) | 32 (159.9544) | 10 (170.8228) |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 40 / 65 (670.1256) | 33 (168.5372) | 41 (166.8228) | 33 (168.5256) | 36 (166.2400) |
| Nov 18, 2022 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 47 / 57 (648.4232) | 54 (156.5488) | 56 (153.0744) | 18 (170.2628) | 24 (168.5372) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival 🏅 Grovetown, GA | 41 / 51 (662.1488) | 24 (171.9656) | 47 (155.9660) | 38 (166.8228) | 29 (167.3944) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival - One Meat Chicken Grovetown, GA | — | 13 (172.5600) | — | — | — |
| Aug 19, 2022 | Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA | 25 / 30 (656.9940) | 28 (159.3828) | 26 (163.3828) | 1 (180) | 29 (154.2284) |
| Apr 29, 2022 | BBQ Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA | 36 / 37 (644.3772) | 20 (170.2628) | 35 (158.8000) | 37 (154.2172) | 31 (161.0972) |
| Aug 20, 2021 | Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 🏅 Kennesaw, GA | 26 / 26 (620.9256) | 25 (154.2628) | 22 (163.3712) | 26 (154.2172) | 26 (149.0744) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.