Blumenau judging

Using the sun as my alarm clock, I rise at 6:45. Leaving enough time for some writing before I tumble downstairs for breakfast.

I sit next to Chris with my extremely meagre plate. I don't usually eat in the morning. My appetite isn't great before noon.

As is usual at such events, there's a fair bit of buggering around before we get stuck into the judging. It doesn't help that I didn't read the instructions and haven't brought a laptop with me. And that I've forgotten my judging account password. After a fair bit of fiddling, I can log on with a borrowed tablet.

I have two Brazilians on my table, Ronaldo and Taina. We kick off with Scottish Light Ale. Two beers in the flight. One pale, one dark. After judging the first beer, the tablet won't react. After a while I'm given a laptop. Now we can get going.

Second flight is English Pale Mild. One beer is pale. WTF?

Next is Dark Mild. And one example is pale. Seems a pretty rookie mistake in choosing the category to enter the beer in. Of the five beers, two are actully pretty good takes on Dark Mild.

After a few snacks, the heavy duty work begins: 12 English Barley Wines. Fuck me. These beers are a bit strong, even for me. Some are sticky messes. But almost half the flight is pretty good. So good I polish them off. Maybe not the brightest of ideas on a relatively empty stomach.

Judging finished early - 15:30 - and we're whisked off to Beer Vila. The beer pub in the weird German village. Which freaks out some of the judges who've never been here before.

What to drink? A half litre of Imperial Stout (Lohn Bier Carvoeira) seems like a good idea. After all, I was mostly drinking, sorry, judging Mild earlier. Apart from those 12 Barley Wines.

It's hot. Fucking hot. At least there's a bit of a breeze. My beer turns up first. Unlike my food, for which I'm still waiting when everyone else has finished theirs. I'm halfway through my Double IPA (half litre) when it turns up.

Chris is slightly worried by a threatening thunderstorm. We pay up  and hurry off in the hope of reaching the hotel before the storm breaks.

It's a bit further to the hotel than I remember. I fell quite knacked by the time we get there. I know what will liven me up - a capirinha. I'm feeling a bit ausgebiered. It seems to work the trick. Chris is very critical of their caparinha making skills and insists on more limes. Then spoons in extra sugar, somewhat defeating the point.

Various judges troll up, chat and share beers from their breweries. It's all very jolly.

Martyn, who left Beer Vila early, turns up with more bags of shopping. Iberia still haven't responded to him, let alone find his missing bag.

More capirinhas follow. I'm just about to head off to bed when my arm is twisted to drink another. But That's it. Was it three or four? Enough for tonight. I don't want to be up too late. It's another 8:00 bus tomorrow. And I want to get today written up. Which is what I've just done.

I watch Celebrity Bake Off Brasil.It's a bit weird. one of the presenting team is wearing gloves.

The Laphroaig will be chasing me to slumber soon. Whether I like it or not.

 

Bier Vila
R. Alberto Stein, 199
Sala 100 - Velha,
Blumenau - SC.

My accommodation most of my food and some beer were paid for by Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas Blumenau. All travelling expenses I paid myself.