Black Forest is a competition barbecue team with 8 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 76th of 90 at the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) (2025). Also listed in KCBS results as “* Black Forest”.
The teams rated closest to Black Forest, each with one reason worth a look.
Black Forest has 4 rated contests, short of the five a power ranking needs, so its rating is still close to the 1500 every team starts on and 154 rated teams sit within a point of it.
Fewer contests behind them than Black Forest has cooked, 5 to 8, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careersThey turned up 10 years after Black Forest did, first appearing in 2023.
⚔ Compare careersLevel with Black Forest on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFewer contests behind them than Black Forest has cooked, 5 to 8, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careersFewer contests behind them than Black Forest has cooked, 5 to 8, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careersFewer contests behind them than Black Forest has cooked, 5 to 8, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| * Salzburger Barbecue Bulls | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| * Swinefellows | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| INSANE SWINE BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| POLISH Bbq KING - SMOKER | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CAJUN BLAZE | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SPITFIRE | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Cool Smoke | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.2856 | 158.8112 | 163.13 | top 76% |
| Pork Ribs | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 147.9772 | 156.61 | top 91% |
| Pork | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.9884 | 143.9540 | 155.06 | top 87% |
| Brisket | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.1428 | 141.6572 | 154.66 | top 81% |
“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.
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) | 4 | 88 | 0 | top 96% | Oct 26, 2018 |
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | 3 | 76 | 0 | top 88% | Oct 10, 2025 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.2 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | Oct 21, 2016 |
| -8.6 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | Oct 23, 2015 |
| -7.7 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | Oct 27, 2017 |
| -6.6 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) | Oct 26, 2018 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 84% | 93.3% | 93.3% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 87.5% | 87.5% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 87.5% | 87.5% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 87.4% | 87.4% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 97% | 86.5% | 86.5% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 99% | 84.6% | 84.6% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 86.7% | 86.7% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 86% | 85.8% | 85.8% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2025 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 76 / 90 (671.9540) | 85 (162.8456) | 82 (163.9772) | 67 (167.9884) | 6 (177.1428) |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 83 / 87 (630.1716) | 74 (163.9544) | 86 (152.5600) | 80 (158.2972) | 80 (155.3600) |
| Oct 25, 2019 | 31st Annual Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 92 / 97 (630.2512) | 88 (158.8112) | 77 (164) | 74 (162.3428) | 94 (145.0972) |
| Oct 26, 2018 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN | 96 / 102 (629.5084) | 83 (160.5372) | 99 (151.3484) | 69 (162.2628) | 89 (155.3600) |
| Oct 27, 2017 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 92 / 95 (622.6856) | 66 (166.2628) | 88 (158.8344) | 94 (143.9540) | 89 (153.6344) |
| Oct 21, 2016 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 95 / 96 (608.9712) | 89 (159.4056) | 96 (147.9772) | 96 (148.5256) | 87 (153.0628) |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 88 / 93 (624.5484) | 74 (162.9028) | 78 (159.9772) | 93 (145.7028) | 77 (155.9656) |
| Oct 25, 2013 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 83 / 97 (617.5656) | 18 (170.2856) | 86 (154.2400) | 84 (151.3828) | 92 (141.6572) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.