Vent: A guy at the Memphis in May contest told me my brisket was 'too smoky' for his taste.

He said it right after taking a bite, then handed the sample back and walked off. Has anyone else had a judge or guest just flat-out reject a flavor profile you worked hard on?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_julia20d ago

Yeah, that "it's subjective but feels dismissive" part hits hard. You spend all that time getting the smoke just right, and someone treats it like a bad sip of wine they can just spit out. I'd be fuming if they handed it back without even finishing the sample, like your work isn't worth their full attention. It's one thing to get a low score, but that kind of rude rejection just sucks the fun out of it.

patking20d ago

Ugh, that's brutal. I've had a judge say my ribs were "too peppery" before, just a one-off comment and a low score. It stings because you balance that rub for hours. Sometimes you just get someone who personally hates black pepper or, like, the taste of hickory smoke. It's subjective, but it feels so dismissive when they don't even finish the bite.