FAQ
Finest Beer Selection – what you need to know!
CONCEPT
What distinguishes the Finest Beer Selection from the usual beer competitions?
Unlike the usual beer competitions, the Finest Beer Selection is not a competition in which beers are compared with other beers in each category. Rather, each beer is analyzed individually – not in comparison to other beers – and evaluated on the basis of a transparent 100-point scheme. Only the best beers of a year with a Finest Beer Score of 90 points or more make it into the exclusive circle of the Finest Beer Selection. This is how the Finest Beer Selection becomes the new, reliable quality compass for breweries, gastronomy, retail and all beer consumers.
Who organizes the Finest Beer Selection?
Meininger Verlag and Doemens are two absolute experts behind the innovative concept with many years of experience in the sensory analysis and evaluation of beers and the implementation of highly professional beer tastings. Among other things, Meininger Verlag organized the “Meininger’s International Craft Beer Award” from 2014 to 2022. Doemens has been the leading institution for national and international beer sommelier training since 2004 and has gradually expanded its sommelier expertise in recent years (water, fruit juice, distillates). In addition, the Gräfelfinger Getränkeinstitut (beverage institute located in Gräfelfing, Bavaria, Germany) has 20 years of experience in organizing large beer tastings.
PARTICIPATION
Who can take part in the Finest Beer Selection?
All commercial producers and marketers of beer and mixed beer drinks worldwide are eligible to participate, provided the products are approved for direct human consumption.
What do I have to do to register beers?
After the one-time creation of a user account, the beers are registered one after the other. A suitable style can be selected from the structured list of beer styles in just a few clicks, some additional data completes the registration for the beer. If you cannot find your beer style or your sample is a creative brewing experiment that goes beyond the established styles, switch to the free beer style entry and enter the attributes for your beer there.
How many beers can a submissioner register?
Each submitter may hand in any number of samples for a Finest Beer Selection tasting, provided the beers comply with the production and designation regulations of the respective third countries or the regulations of the European Union. However, one and the same beer may only be registered once (and not with the naming of different beer styles).
What happens after registration of my rehearsals?
After you have registered your rehearsals, check the information for your correctness again. If all values are correct, print the product pass of your sample. Send this product pass with your beers to Doemens. Please make sure that the product passes are included in the respective samples.
BEER STYLES/ STYLE GUIDE
Where can I find the style guide to register my beer in the right category?
The Finest Beer Selection does without a style guide with dedicated analytical information such as EBC, IBU, alcohol levels, etc. We believe that rigid category descriptions and analytical thresholds are detrimental to the ideas of the brewers and an unbiased tasting focused on beer quality. Instead, the benchmark for the tasting is the self-assessment of the brewery as to which style their beer corresponds to, and the many years of expertise of the expert jury.
How should I register my beer without a style guide?
Register your beer the way you stylistically intended it. If you think it corresponds to an established beer style, you will find the appropriate category in our structured beer style listing. If you cannot find the right beer style or your beer cannot be assigned to a specific beer style due to special ingredients or processes, you can register it individually using the free beer style registration.
TASTING
Who tastes the beers?
The tasting is carried out by a selectively elected, international jury made up of renowned beer experts with a high level of technical expertise and tasting experience. This Finest Beer Expert Jury is intensively trained in advance on the concept and the tasting sheets.
How does the jury tasted without style guide?
The style information that the brewery provides when registering its beer is passed on to the tasters as a sensory guide. Based on this information, paired with the high level of technical expertise of the individual tasters, the Finest Beer Expert Jury describes and evaluates the samples.
How does the tasting work?
Each beer is tasted individually, evaluated and not judged in a ranking comparison with other beers. The blind tasting takes place in two stages: First, an aroma profile is created using individual descriptors that match the specified beer style: the Finest Beer Profile. In a second step, an assessment value, the Finest Beer Score, is determined on the basis of a 100-point scheme.
When and where does tasting 2024 take place?
The tasting will take place from June 11 to 13, 2024 in Gräfelfing at Doemens.
RESULTS/ AWARD
Which beers are awarded?
All beers that receive a Finest Beer Score of 90 or more points (based on a 100-point scheme) from the jury are included in the Finest Beer Selection of the respective year.
Who will be „beer of the year“?
“Beer of the Year” (national and international) are those beers that were awarded the highest Finest Beer Score by the jury over the entire competition.
What does the tasting result look like?
After all results are evaluated, you will receive the result by email promptly. In this email there is a link in order to be able to download the result chart with the individual Finest Beer profile (aroma wheel), an overview of the distribution of points, the objective tasting results and, if necessary, the respective certificate.
Are there any further awards?
Yes, in addition to the Finest Beer Selection, i.e. all beers with a Finest Beer Score of 90 or more points, we choose the “Beer of the Year” nationally and internationally as well as the “Brewery of the Year” nationally and internationally.
Who will be „brewery of the year“?
This title is awarded to those breweries that make it into the Finest Beer Selection with at least five beers and achieve the highest average Finest Beer Score among the successfully placed beers.
How do I get the Finest Beer Selection seal if I was successful?
You will also receive the printable file of the seal for download as part of the result notification.
MARKETING
How are the winners made known on the part of the organizers?
The beers of each year included in the Finest Beer Selection are presented to the public with a wide range, among other things, via the company’s own website www.finest-beer-selection.com , Doemens’ global communication channels and Meininger publications. The beverage trade publications from Meininger Verlag particularly address the important B2B channels of beverage trade, gastronomy, sommeliers and the bar industry. This gives you the chance to gain the cross-industry attention of decision-makers.
How can I promote my award myself?
You can use the Finest Beer Selection seal to advertise your beer, for example on the website, in sales documents and also on the beer label, without any additional usage fees.
COSTS & SERVICES
What does participation in Finest Beer Selection cost?
The registration fees per beer stagger as follows:
- Registration with early bird discount: € 230
- Registration without an early bird discount: € 260
- Per beer when registering at least 3 beers with early bird discount: € 200
- Per beer for registration of at least 3 beers without an early bird discount: € 230
- The early bird discount applies until 15.03.2024.
All values net, German brewers plus VAT, brewer from the EU without VAT if you record tax ID. Breweries outside EU without VAT when presenting a suitable support of the entrepreneur.
What services do I get for the participation fee?
- First, an independent, professional description and assessment of your beer by an experienced, international jury. The result includes the point evaluation, the Finest Beer Score, and an aromatic profile, the Finest Beer Profile, of your sample.
- Secondly: In the event of admission to Beer Selection, your beer is part of the high-circulation and wide-ranging marketing (see “How are the winners made known on the part of the organizers?”).
- Third: A professional, high-resolution image of your beer (product exemption) for free use.
- Fourth: As part of a award ceremony, winning pictures are produced, which the respective brewery can use free of charge for their media work.
LOGISTICS
When do I send the samples for tasting where?
Please send your samples between 06.05. and 04.06.2024 to the following address:
Doemens Academy GmbH
Finest Beer Selection
Lohenstrasse 3
82166 Graefelfing
Germany
The logistics chains are still disturbed worldwide, which is why beers from outside of the EU are recommended at the latest on April 10, 2024.
What else do I have to consider when shipping?
The label with which it is sold must be applied to each bottle. Each bottle should be packed using blister packing material, the bottles placed upright in shipping cartons with adequate clearance, filling the voids with suitable packing material and clearly labeling the cartons “Fragile” and “This Side Up”.
What happens to the rehearsals when they arrive at Doemens?
After we have received your shipment, we compare all relevant data with our database. You will then receive a confirmation of receipt from us by email. We store your beers upright, protected from light and at the right temperature in our cold stores until the tasting begins.
How many bottles/cans are required to tast the beer registered?
Bundle size < 0,5 l: 10 bottles/cans
Bundle size = 0,5 l: 8 bottles/cans
Bundle size > 0,5 l: 6 bottles/cans
What do I have to consider when processing customs?
Beers from outside of the EU need a pro-forma calculation with the following data for customs processing:
- Beer Brand
- Number of Bottles
- Alcohol (ABV%)
- Product Value (for example € 1.00 per bottle)
- Original Gravity (°P)
Beer delivery from outside the EU
- Beer brands:
- Number of bottles:
- Bottle content in ml:
- Alcohol level (ABV %):
- Product value (e.g. € 1,00 / bottle or can)
- Original gravity (°P)
PAYMENT
How can I pay the registration fees?
We offer you several payment options. On the one hand, you can pay the outstanding amount by bank transfer after receiving the invoice. You can also pay the invoice amount directly online. Here we offer you the option of using PayPal or your credit card to transfer the outstanding amount to us.
When do I get the invoice?
After your samples have been registered, we will send you the invoice promptly by email. We send the invoice to the email inbox that is stored when registering the samples.