Bourbon Bent BBQ

Bourbon Bent BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 11th of 28 at the McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual (2025). They are ranked #3409 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,409

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1495

peak 1495 · rated over 14 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 5, 2024

latest Sep 30, 2026 · 2.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#506

Master 2026 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

0% of 14 contests

Avg finish

top 66%

overall standings

Best overall

688.4684 / 720

Master · McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual

Perfect 180s

Current form

676.47 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 671.25 (+5.22)

Walk rate

29%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Brisket · Smoke on the Bricks

Consistency

±12.49

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 171.82 · weakest Pork (164.49)

Road miles

516

across 14 mapped stops · furthest 60 mi

Schedule strength

78%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1601)

Purse competed for

$266K

listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

671.25 / 720

14 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

688.4684 career-best overall

95.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 688.4684 at McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual — 95.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 6, 2025

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Pine Tar BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bourbon Bent BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

14–0 behind in the head-to-head

Bocephus BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

Bocephus BBQ has come out ahead in 14 of their 14 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.3 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.33 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 14%.

Pork avg 164.49
Chicken avg 171.82
0 calls in 14 entries

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BALD BEAUTIES BBQ in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

10 of 14 shared chicken entries lost

Bocephus BBQ ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Bocephus BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 14 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

TORNADO BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Show 2 more storylines

An August team

Top 56% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 56% across 3 contests, versus top 66% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 66% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.73% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.73% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.2% of a perfect score
14 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
2026 ↗	Master	#506 (335 pts)	#510 (395 pts)	#571 (355 pts)	#518 (355 pts)	#437 (455 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#511 (358 pts)	#394 (583 pts)	#553 (383 pts)	#567 (318 pts)	#382 (578 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Bourbon Bent BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Jessi James Smoking Guns BBQ

#3,407 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1511

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Bourbon Bent BBQ)

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

rated over 8 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

ZWARTE HAND

#3,431 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1505

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Bourbon Bent BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 14 contests

⚔ Compare careers

BAERL B Q (DE)

#3,417 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1495

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 17 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Sep 22, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

BANG BANG BBQ

#3,411 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1507

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jun 7, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

ALL-STAR BBQ

#3,421 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1495

They were already cooking in 2013, 11 years before Bourbon Bent BBQ's first contest.

rated over 11 contests
last seen May 5, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

ROOSTER'S COMPETITION BBQ TEAM

#3,415 of the rated field

1495 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1515

18 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 6% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 18 contests
last seen May 2, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Bocephus BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
Barking Dog BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
Who's Cookin'	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Squealin N Dealin BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
PARTS 'R' SMOKIN	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
Damn Fine Beef & Swine	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
MUNNY'S STOVE	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
Cities Edge BBQ	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare
Pine Tar BBQ	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
M2 Smokin' Q	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
TOPEKA BBQ SHOP	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
FINGER LEIKAM GOOD	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
KC Meat Sweats	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	14	2	0	176.5600	162.8000	171.82	top 45%
Pork Ribs	14	1	0	175.4172	158.2172	166.33	top 70%
Pork	14	0	0	169.6800	147.9200	164.49	top 75%
Brisket	14	3	1	177.7028	154.1824	168.62	top 48%

“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)	6	0	top 68%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 64%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)	3	77	top 85%	Apr 10, 2026
Smoke on the Bricks	2	26	top 54%	Aug 7, 2026
Smoke on the Water	2	25	top 85%	Oct 10, 2025

More numbers

Busiest season 2026 5 contests

Contests a season 4.7 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KS 14 of 14 contests

Contests visited 10 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 701 finished ahead 569 times, behind 854

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

20263 milestones

Mar 20 10th tracked contest 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
Sep 30 Peak power rating (1495) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Sep 30 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

20253 milestones

Jun 6 First call McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual
Jun 6 Career-best overall score688.4684 McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual
Aug 8 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7028 Smoke on the Bricks

20242 milestones

Apr 5 First tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
May 17 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.5432 Tom Brigham Memorial BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+7.1	McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual	Jun 6, 2025
+5.2	Smoke on the Bricks	Aug 8, 2025
+5	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	Nov 5, 2025
+4.9	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship	Mar 20, 2026
+3.6	Smoke on the River	Aug 31, 2024

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.2	Smoke in the Spring	Apr 5, 2024
-6.7	Smoke in the Spring	Apr 11, 2025
-6.3	Smoke on the Water	Oct 11, 2024
-5.3	Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)	Apr 10, 2026
-5.3	Smoke on the Water	Oct 10, 2025

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)
2026	5	20%	top 59%	94.3%	94%
2025	5	60%	top 60%	95.6%	93.5%
2024	4	0%	top 80%	94.6%	91.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 30, 2026	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest Kansas City, KS	188 / 360 (678.7544)	132 (171.9772)	153 (171.4172)	242 (166.8344)	188 (168.5256)
Aug 7, 2026	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	31 / 52 (675.2916)	31 (169.6800)	43 (163.9544)	34 (167.3944)	15 (174.2628)
Jun 5, 2026	McLouth BBQ Blowout 35th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	17 / 30 (678.8000)	12 (171.4284)	13 (170.8572)	13 (169.6800)	18 (166.8344)
Apr 10, 2026	Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Osage City, KS	81 / 101 (671.8744)	75 (168.5372)	92 (165.0972)	85 (165.1200)	33 (173.1200)
Mar 20, 2026	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	32 / 68 (677.6228)	18 (172.5600)	40 (166.8572)	59 (162.8000)	10 (175.4056)
Nov 5, 2025	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	188 / 401 (679.3144)	44 (176.5600)	311 (163.9544)	206 (169.1200)	158 (169.6800)
Oct 10, 2025	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	25 / 30 (655.1996)	4 (176.5600)	29 (158.2172)	21 (166.2400)	27 (154.1824)
Aug 8, 2025	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	26 / 53 (686.7428)	10 (176.5600)	39 (166.2516)	40 (166.2284)	3 (177.7028)
Jun 6, 2025	McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	11 / 28 (688.4684)	11 (173.1200)	8 (175.4172)	23 (164.5256)	6 (175.4056)
Apr 11, 2025	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	77 / 92 (657.5544)	31 (173.7372)	75 (166.2400)	84 (158.2056)	78 (159.3716)
Oct 11, 2024	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	27 / 31 (659.2228)	15 (173.1200)	27 (160.5144)	23 (166.2400)	25 (159.3484)
Aug 31, 2024	Smoke on the River 🏅 Burlington, KS	17 / 28 (681.0400)	15 (173.7028)	21 (166.2516)	20 (169.6800)	11 (171.4056)
May 17, 2024	Tom Brigham Memorial BBQ 🏅 Iola, KS	25 / 31 (661.5432)	27 (165.0972)	24 (166.2400)	26 (162.8116)	20 (167.3944)
Apr 5, 2024	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	88 / 97 (646.1028)	84 (162.8000)	65 (167.4056)	96 (147.9200)	58 (167.9772)

Bourbon Bent 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

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

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

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)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 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)