Bourbon Barrel BBQ

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

Power ranking

#1134

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1591

peak 1592 · rated over 16 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-06-07

latest 2026-01-22

Best ToY finish

#324

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 17 contests

Avg finish

top 29%

overall standings

Best overall

685.1432 / 720

Master · Smokin' on the River

Perfect 180s

Current form

669.54 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 671.19 (-1.65)

Walk rate

65%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.1428

Chicken · Bands & BBQ at the Point

Consistency

±11.10

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.76 · weakest Brisket (163.12)

Road miles

1,792

mi across 17 mapped stops · furthest 718 mi

Schedule strength

24%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1533)

Purse competed for

$100K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

671.19 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

478.91 / 360

4 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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.

⚔ 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.

Happy hunting ground

Top 14% average finish here

Bands & BBQ at the Point is their spot: an average finish in the top 14% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 4th
average top 14%

They almost always walk

65% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 11 of 17 contests

A top-10 category call in 65% of their 17 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

685.1432 career-best overall

95.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 685.1432 at Smokin' on the River — 95.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
2013-06-14

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Pappy Q has finished one call ahead of Bourbon Barrel BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

9–2 behind in the head-to-head

WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS ahead in 82% of their meetings

WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS has come out ahead in 9 of their 11 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.64 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 38%.

Brisket avg 163.12
Chicken avg 167.76
3 calls in 16 entries

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Extra Mile BBQ in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

4 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4 years, then back at Lakeland Pig Festival (2024-01-26).

last seen 2020-01-24
back 2024-01-26

Chicken nemesis

7 of 7 shared chicken entries lost

YELLOW RIVER BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, YELLOW RIVER BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 7 shared chicken entries.

Boom or bust

±26.33% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±26.33% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 103.2% of a perfect score
best 175.9%

A September team

Top 20% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 20% across 3 contests, versus top 29% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 29% the rest of the year

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.

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

BACK PORCH Q

#1136 of the rated field

1591 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1591

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2014-10-02

⚔ Head-to-head

Goudas Barbecue

#1138 of the rated field

1591 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1591

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 16 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2025-08-09
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

Flat Tire BBQ

#1132 of the rated field

1591 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 71%
Peak: 1591

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 71% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE RING AND BARK

#1137 of the rated field

1591 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1591

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 10 years after Bourbon Barrel BBQ did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-07-09

⚔ Head-to-head

BEER PRESSURE

#1139 of the rated field

1590 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 80%
Peak: 1590

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Bourbon Barrel BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests
on a 7-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

RIO VALLEY MEAT

#1130 of the rated field

1591 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1591

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2025-05-31

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	10	8	1	80%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
Pappy Q	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
ALL OUT PIG OUT	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
MONTY PIGTHON & THE HOLY GRILL	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
BIG JT'S SMOKIN BBQ	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
DOLF'S BBQ	7	7	0	100%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
YELLOW RIVER BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
HISTORIC BBQ	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
HOBBIE BAR-B-Q	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	16	6	0	3	177.1428	154.2628	167.76	top 35%
Pork Ribs	16	4	0	3	176.0228	153.1428	166.00	top 37%
Pork	16	8	1	1	177.1428	145.6456	166.15	top 37%
Brisket	16	3	0	2	174.8916	142.2172	163.12	top 42%

“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
KY	6	top 24%
FL	4	top 43%
IN	4	top 22%
OH	1	top 24%
IL	1	top 40%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	5	0	top 25%
Large (40+)	11	0	top 31%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Lakeland Pig Festival	4	14	top 43%	2026-01-22
Bands & BBQ at the Point	2	4	top 14%	2014-09-05
Smokin' On The River	2	3	top 17%	2014-06-13
Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff	2	12	top 38%	2014-06-06

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 12.6 yrs 2013-06-07 → 2026-01-22

Busiest season 2014 7 contests

Contests a season 2.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KY 6 of 17 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 10 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 16 entries · 0 wins · 6 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 167.76 · weakest Brisket (163.12)

Walk rate 65% a top-10 call in 11 of 17 contests

Overall top-10 rate 35% 6 of 17 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 671.19 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 478.91 out of 360 · 4 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 569 652–309 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,792 17 mapped stops · furthest 718 mi

Schedule strength 1533 average field rating faced — tougher than 24% of rated contests

Purse competed for $100,000 listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 4 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 4 yrs 2020-01-24 → 2024-01-26

Power rating 1591 peak 1592 · #1134 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jun 7 First tracked contest Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff
Jun 7 First call Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff
Jun 7 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.2858 Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff
Jun 14 First overall top-10 Smokin' on the River
Jun 14 First overall podium Smokin' on the River
Jun 14 Career-best overall score685.1432 Smokin' on the River
2014
Mar 28 First category win (Pork) Grills Gone Wild BBQ Festival
Jun 13 10th tracked contest Smokin' On The River
Sep 5 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1428 Bands & BBQ at the Point
Sep 5 Peak power rating (1592) Bands & BBQ at the Point
2026
Jan 22 Most recent contest Lakeland Pig Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15	Smokin' on the River	2013-06-14
+14.4	2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out	2014-04-03
+13	Bands & BBQ at the Point	2013-09-06
+12.3	Grills Gone Wild BBQ Festival	2014-03-28
+9.4	Bands & BBQ at the Point	2014-09-05

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.3	Lakeland Pig Festival	2020-01-24
-2.2	Lakeland Pig Festival	2019-01-25
-0.9	Smokin' On The River	2015-06-12

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	100%	top 22%	94.3%	94.3%
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 30%	92.5%	92.5%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 74%	169.5%	169.5%
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 48%	175.9%	175.9%
2018	1	0	0	0%	—	—	—
2015	1	0	0	0%	top 47%	91.7%	91.7%
2014	7	4	1	86%	top 23%	95.1%	93.3%
2013	4	2	0	100%	top 22%	95.2%	93.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-01-22	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	14 / 63 (339.3600)	8 (170.8228)	21 (168.5372)	9 (170.8456)	2 (172.0000)
2024-01-26	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	18 / 61 (333.0972)	20 (165.0972)	16 (168.0000)	56 (145.6456)	46 (150.2056)
2020-01-24	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	39 / 53 (610.1144)	38 (154.2628)	34 (155.9772)	32 (157.6572)	42 (142.2172)
2019-01-25	Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL	28 / 58 (633.0856)	38 (158.2284)	27 (160.0344)	22 (160.5372)	27 (154.2856)
2018-01-26	Lakeland Pig Festival Lakeland, FL	—	—	—	—	—
2015-06-12	Smokin' On The River Jeffersonville, IN	28 / 59 (660.4572)	20 (168.5256)	35 (162.2628)	43 (162.2516)	21 (167.4172)
2014-09-05	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	6 / 36 (680.4684)	3 (177.1428)	2 (172.5716)	19 (167.3712)	16 (163.3828)
2014-06-13	Smokin' On The River Jeffersonville, IN	15 / 52 (666.7884)	27 (165.1200)	12 (167.4400)	6 (174.2628)	29 (159.9656)
2014-06-06	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff Bardstown, KY	12 / 34 (675.4400)	18 (169.7028)	2 (176.0000)	23 (165.7372)	17 (164.0000)
2014-05-16	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	9 / 38 (664.5256)	4 (172.5600)	9 (166.8800)	9 (167.9656)	27 (157.1200)
2014-04-25	Wabash Ribberfest Barbecue Championship Mt. Carmel, IL	20 / 50 (655.3260)	39 (157.1088)	25 (163.3828)	22 (163.4172)	14 (171.4172)
2014-04-03	2nd Annual Parkinson's Smoke Out Evansville, IN	3 / 64 (677.7252)	14 (167.4284)	3 (176.0228)	19 (167.9656)	17 (166.3084)
2014-03-28	Grills Gone Wild BBQ Festival London, KY	5 / 42 (684.5372)	23 (166.2400)	16 (166.2628)	1 (177.1428)	3 (174.8916)
2013-09-27	Grillin and Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	14 / 45 (673.0740)	16 (170.2628)	20 (165.7256)	8 (172.5600)	23 (164.5256)
2013-09-06	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	4 / 34 (680.5144)	5 (176.0000)	18 (164.5716)	7 (170.2628)	8 (169.6800)
2013-06-14	Smokin' on the River Jeffersonville, IN	3 / 52 (685.1432)	3 (176.0000)	12 (169.1430)	8 (171.4286)	15 (168.5716)
2013-06-07	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff Bardstown, KY	12 / 30 (650.2858)	3 (169.7142)	25 (153.1428)	9 (163.4288)	15 (164.0000)

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
2014 ↗	Master	#324 (1115 pts)	#418 (900 pts)	#274 (1245 pts)	#374 (985 pts)	#459 (830 pts)