Bourbon Bent BBQ

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

Power ranking

#3549

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1492

peak 1492 · rated over 13 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2024-04-05

latest 2026-08-07

Best ToY finish

#501

Master 2026

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 13 contests

Avg finish

top 67%

overall standings

Best overall

688.4684 / 720

Master · McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual

Perfect 180s

Current form

676.58 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 670.68 (+5.91)

Walk rate

31%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Brisket · Smoke on the Bricks

Consistency

±12.78

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 171.80 · weakest Pork (164.31)

Road miles

486

mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 58 mi

Schedule strength

78%

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

Purse competed for

$198K

listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

670.68 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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.

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
2025-06-06

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

13–0 behind in the head-to-head

Bocephus BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

Bocephus BBQ has come out ahead in 13 of their 13 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.50 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 15%.

Pork avg 164.31
Chicken avg 171.80
0 calls in 13 entries

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Split Borders BBQ in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

10 of 13 shared chicken entries lost

Bocephus BBQ ahead 77% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Bocephus BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 13 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

TORNADO BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An August team

Top 56% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 56% across 3 contests, versus top 67% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 67% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.78% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.78% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.1% 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.

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

DOUBLE DUECE SMOKIN BBQ

#3553 of the rated field

1492 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1510

No shared contest yet.

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 15 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

RUMPLEPIGSKIN BBQ

#3548 of the rated field

1492 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1504

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-07-11

⚔ Head-to-head

Scott’s Smoke Shack BBQ

#3544 of the rated field

1492 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1510

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-06-20

⚔ Head-to-head

Gourmet Rednecks

#3532 of the rated field

1492 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1504

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-01-24

⚔ Head-to-head

Lucky Pig Barbecue

#3545 of the rated field

1492 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1525 at their best, 33 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2025-09-26

⚔ Head-to-head

FIRESTORM

#3564 of the rated field

1492 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1504

No shared contest yet.

18 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 11% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2017-09-15

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Bocephus BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
Barking Dog BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
Who's Cookin'	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
Squealin N Dealin BBQ	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
PARTS 'R' SMOKIN	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Damn Fine Beef & Swine	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
MUNNY'S STOVE	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
Split Borders BBQ	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
TORNADO BBQ	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
TOPEKA BBQ SHOP	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	2	0	176.5600	162.8000	171.80	top 46%
Pork Ribs	13	1	0	175.4172	158.2172	165.94	top 72%
Pork	13	0	0	169.6800	147.9200	164.31	top 75%
Brisket	13	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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 68%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 65%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)	3	77	top 85%	2026-04-10
Smoke on the Bricks	2	26	top 54%	2026-08-07
Smoke on the Water	2	25	top 85%	2025-10-10

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

On the trail 2.3 yrs 2024-04-05 → 2026-08-07

Busiest season 2025 5 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KS 13 of 13 contests

Contests visited 9 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 13 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 171.80 · weakest Pork (164.31)

Walk rate 31% a top-10 call in 4 of 13 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 13 contests

Master average 670.68 out of 720 · 13 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 583 397–667 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 486 13 mapped stops · furthest 58 mi

Schedule strength 1601 average field rating faced — tougher than 78% of rated contests

Purse competed for $197,510 listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 13 state-championship entries

Power rating 1492 peak 1492 · #3549 of 6,413 rated

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

2024
Apr 5 First tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
May 17 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.5432 Tom Brigham Memorial BBQ
2025
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
2026
Mar 20 10th tracked contest 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
Mar 20 Peak power rating (1495) 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship
Aug 7 Most recent contest Smoke on the Bricks

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+7.1	McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual	2025-06-06
+5.2	Smoke on the Bricks	2025-08-08
+5	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2025-11-05
+4.9	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship	2026-03-20
+3.6	Smoke on the River	2024-08-31

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.2	Smoke in the Spring	2024-04-05
-6.7	Smoke in the Spring	2025-04-11
-6.3	Smoke on the Water	2024-10-11
-5.3	Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)	2026-04-10
-5.3	Smoke on the Water	2025-10-10

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	4	25%	top 61%	94.3%	93.9%
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
2026-08-07	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	31 / 52 (675.2916)	31 (169.6800)	43 (163.9544)	34 (167.3944)	15 (174.2628)
2026-06-05	McLouth BBQ Blowout 35th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	17 / 30 (678.8000)	12 (171.4284)	13 (170.8572)	13 (169.6800)	18 (166.8344)
2026-04-10	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)
2026-03-20	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	32 / 68 (677.6228)	18 (172.5600)	40 (166.8572)	59 (162.8000)	10 (175.4056)
2025-11-05	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)
2025-10-10	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	25 / 30 (655.1996)	4 (176.5600)	29 (158.2172)	21 (166.2400)	27 (154.1824)
2025-08-08	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	26 / 53 (686.7428)	10 (176.5600)	39 (166.2516)	40 (166.2284)	3 (177.7028)
2025-06-06	McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	11 / 28 (688.4684)	11 (173.1200)	8 (175.4172)	23 (164.5256)	6 (175.4056)
2025-04-11	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	77 / 92 (657.5544)	31 (173.7372)	75 (166.2400)	84 (158.2056)	78 (159.3716)
2024-10-11	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	27 / 31 (659.2228)	15 (173.1200)	27 (160.5144)	23 (166.2400)	25 (159.3484)
2024-08-31	Smoke on the River 🏅 Burlington, KS	17 / 28 (681.0400)	15 (173.7028)	21 (166.2516)	20 (169.6800)	11 (171.4056)
2024-05-17	Tom Brigham Memorial BBQ 🏅 Iola, KS	25 / 31 (661.5432)	27 (165.0972)	24 (166.2400)	26 (162.8116)	20 (167.3944)
2024-04-05	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	88 / 97 (646.1028)	84 (162.8000)	65 (167.4056)	96 (147.9200)	58 (167.9772)

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
2026 ↗	Master	#501 (275 pts)	#499 (335 pts)	#558 (295 pts)	#510 (295 pts)	#420 (395 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#511 (358 pts)	#394 (583 pts)	#553 (383 pts)	#567 (318 pts)	#382 (578 pts)