Registration:

Team Registration is open to the public until July 25th, 2023.

Registration Fee: 

To register a team of up to 4 people, a $750 donation to the local charity, Brothers Serving Others, is required. The donation is tax-deductible and goes directly to the charity. 

Event Location: 

The event will take place at The Whiskey Blendery, located at 147 Lloyd's Rd Suite 100, Oak Point, TX 75068. Google maps will take you there.

Blending Sessions:

Each team is responsible to schedule a 90-minute blending session between now and July 29th. No blending sessions are available on Sundays.

Judging Process:

The judging will be divided into three tiers. Teams will be randomly assigned to brackets and compete against five other teams. A panel of three judges will taste and rank the six different team blends in each bracket. The top two blends from each bracket will advance to the semi-finals. The finals will consist of the four highest-ranked blends and industry experts will select the winner. Judging will commence during the first week of August.

Prizes:

1st Place: Each participant on the winning team will receive a complimentary Blending Membership with a team locker in our tasting room, valid for 12 months until Battle of the Blends 2024. The team will also receive a barrel head trophy to keep and another barrel head will be displayed in the tasting room. Additionally, they will earn bragging rights for 12 months. The total value of this prize is over $7,500.

2nd Place: $800 in gift cards to be used in our gift shop.

3rd Place: $400 in gift cards to be used in our gift shop.

4th Place: A firm handshake.

+ Teams must consist of 2-4 people, with one person designated as the Team Lead.

+ The Team Lead is responsible for scheduling the 90-minute blending session before July 29th at The Whiskey Blendery.

+ Each team will receive four 375ml bottles of their custom blend to take home.

+ All teams entered will blend with the same 5 (and very different) single barrels. The details on each single barrel will be unknown to all teams but will be published prior to judging. This increases the difficulty level and requires participants to craft a unique whiskey without any outside influence. Each single barrel will have a different mash bill (grain recipe) and be presented to the teams at cask strength. The barrels used are sourced from MGP and range from 6.5 years to 10 years old.

+ Punctuality is crucial for the Battle of the Blends 2023 competition. The clock will start precisely at the scheduled start time for each team's blending session. It is highly recommended that all team members arrive before the designated start time to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted experience.

+ Each team will get a 90-minute window to submit their custom blend with the following structure. 15 minutes for orientation, 15 minutes to taste the 5 single barrels provided and strategize, and 60 minutes to blend. No blending is allowed in the first 30 minutes. If team members show up late, they are welcome to join their team but no additional time will be given.

+ Teams must include at least 3 of the 5 provided barrels in their blend, but are welcome to use all 5.

+ Distilled water will be available. Blends may be kept at cask strength or proofed down to as low as 80 proof.

+ Participants in the competition cannot be part of the judging panel.

+ After registering, a confirmation email will be sent to the team leader and Andy will be in touch shortly to schedule your team's blending session.