Category: Informations

Click the button below to go to the judge registration form.

Mead Madness Cup

Entering mead into competition

• To enter a competition, you must correctly fill in a registration form and pay an entry fee. The form is available on www.meadmadnesscup.com website or by clicking this [link].
• The entry fee: 184,99 PLN (around 43,99 Euro) for a PRO entry and 43,99 PLN (around 10,99 Euro) for HOME entry need to be paid in full as a part of registration process. After the payment is received, you will get a confirmation email with the instructions and address to which mead need to be sent.
• There is a limit of maximum 15 entries (3 entries per one category). The same mead can be entered in just one category.
• The list and description of categories can be found on www.meadmadnesscup.com website or by clicking [HERE]. Standard MJP mead categories apply.
• It is important to enter your correct contact details, most importantly a postal address and email. Any prizes won in the MMC will be posted and scoring sheets will be emailed.
• The competition is divided into 2 versions: PRO- for commercially produced meads available for general sale, and HOME- for meads crafted in domestic environment and not for sale.
• Mead entered into PRO competition must be entered under the commercial name of the meadery/brewery/enterprise which produces them. Mead entered into HOME competition must be entered under the name of the persons who made them in domestic environment.

Number of bottles for the competition

• The minimum amount of mead for each entry is 2 x 330ml bottles. In case the bottles are smaller, you should send enough bottles to make a combine minimum of 660ml.
• One 330ml bottle will guarantee your mead to be judged in one round. In case your mead will progress to another round or grand final (best of show contest), another bottle will be necessary.
• Two bottles are also a protection in case one of them will break during transport, storing or competition itself. The Organisers are not responsible for any broken or lost bottles.
• All samples send for the competition becomes a property of Organisers and won’t be returned under any circumstances.
• Preferred size of the bottles is 330ml, however any size will be accepted. 

Preparing bottles for shipment 

• Each bottle must have a correct competition label attached to it. Link to download your individual labels will be sent in a confirmation email after successful registration. There is no need to remove your existing labels. Competition label should be secured by using an elastic band.
• Any bottles send for PRO competition must be an original retail packaging, complete with label (competition label need to go over it).
• Please do not wax seal your corks just for the competition purposes. If your bottles are already sealed, that’s fine, but we prefer no wax.
• Bottles must be packed appropriately and securely to minimise a risk of breaking
• We suggest (especially for shipment from outside of EU) to write on the parcel and in any transport documentation an information saying: Free samples, not for re-sale and not to mention a competition.
• In case of international shipment (mainly from outside of EU) there is a possibility of Polish customs to apply extra fees (excise, duty etc). Entrant is required to pay any additional fees should they occur. Organisers will not pay any fees in order to obtain the package. Any dispute about un-delivered parcels should be taken to shipping company. 

Scoring, prizes and feedback

• The competition may be run in few rounds (depending on number of entries). Only in first round judges will use scoring sheets. Number of points will only determine a place of mead in a specific round. In case of progression into another round, judges will pick best meads based on tasting, discussion and open voting. There may be a situation, where one mead will score for example 88 out of 100 points, but in the final round will lose to a mead that scored for example 84 points. Judge’s decision  is final and there is no way of appeal.
• Scoring sheets from first round will be sent to contestants via email. In competition there will be only 1 scoring sheet, containing comments and opinions of all judges. Points score will be an average score from all of the judges.
• Prize for first 3 places in each category is medal. Prizes will be posted to the address provided during registration process. It is important to provide correct address, with all the necessary information (post code, town, etc).
• Medal winners in PRO competition will also receive via email a graphic representation of awarded medal. We encourage to use this symbol in marketing, promotional and information purposes. Graphic representation of the medal should be only used with information about the year of the competition and a category.
• Winning meads from each category will take part in best of show contest. Judges, during additional degustation, will pick the best mead of both PRO and HOME competition and will award them a GRAND CHAMPION title. In case of tie a head of jury has a casting vote.

Fee in PRO competition is set to 184,99 PLN (around 43,99 Euro) and in HOME competition to 43,99 PLN (around 10,99 Euro). Cut-off date for entering meads into competition is 31.01.2025. After that date, the entries will not be registered.

Click the button below to go to the entry form.

M1- traditional mead (with no additions)

• M1A Dry
• M1B Medium (semi sweet/semi dry)
• M1C Sweet 
• M1V Varietal (only single variety of honey can be used) – Category restricted for professional competition only (PRO)

Meads in M1 category should not contain any additional ingredients. It is allowed to use small quantities of hops and/or tea if they not influence the aroma and taste (mainly for tannins). Oak ageing is allowed, it is not an ingredient, but it should be declared in the entry form. 

M2- fruit meads (melomels) 

• M2A Pome fruits (apples, pears, quince)
• M2B Pyments
• M2C Berries
• M2D Stone fruits 
• M2E Other fruits 

Mead in M2A category should contain only pome fruits- apples, pears, quince (one or more). Meads in M2B category should contain only grapes (one or more). Meads in M2C category should contain only berry fruit (one or more). Meads in M2D category should contain only stone fruit (one or more). Other fruits or mix of pome, grapes, berries and stone fruits should be entered into M2E category. It is allowed to use small quantities of hops and/or tea if they not influence the aroma and taste (mainly for tannins). Oak ageing is allowed, it is not an ingredient, but it should be declared in the entry form. Every declared fruit should be noticeable in some degree in aroma and/or taste.

M3 – spiced meads (metheglins)

• M3A Fruit and spice 
• M3B Herbal, spiced and vegetable
• M3C Other metheglins (coffee, chocolate, chili, nuts, seeds)

Meads in M3A category should contain one or more fruit and one or more herbal, spiced or vegetable ingredient. Meads in M3B category should contain one or more herbal, spiced or vegetable ingredient. Meads in M3C category should contain at least one type of additions: coffee, chocolate (coco beans, nibs, chocolate), chili, nuts, seeds and additionally can contain other ingredients: fruits or spices/herbs. It is allowed to use small quantities of hops and/or tea if they not influence the aroma and taste (mainly for tannins). Oak ageing is allowed, it is not an ingredient, but it should be declared in the entry form. Every declared ingredient should be noticeable in some degree in aroma and/or taste.

M4 – specialty meads

• M4A Braggot and honey beers
• M4C Experimental and other meads
• M4D Other alcoholic beverages containing honey Category restricted for professional competition only (PRO)
• M4E Bochet
• M4G Sparkling mead (champagne style) – Category restricted for professional competition only (PRO)
• M4P Polish style dessert mead- Category restricted for professional competition only (PRO)
• M4S Session and mead under 7.5% ABV
• M4Z Alcohol free and low alcohol mead (up to 3,5%)– Category restricted for professional competition only (PRO)

Meads and beers in M4A category should have a beer style and/or malt type as well as honey variety declared; other ingredients: spice, herbs, fruits, are allowed. M4C meads must have an experimental nature (other than honey fermentable sugars, unusual ingredients and/or processes, use of other alcohol barrels, but only if it gives dominant profile). M4D category is for alcohols such as: distillates, tinctures, vodka, whisky, liqueurs etc, as long as they show the honey character; alcohol content should start from 18% up; other ingredients (fruits, herbs and spices) are allowed and need to be declared. Bochet mead (M4E) need to be made by using caramelised honey; other ingredients (fruits, herbs and spices) are allowed and need to be declared. M4G meads should be sparkling (champagne method or similar in style), any additional ingredients must be declared. M4P is for sweet (dessert) mead in Polish style (dwojniak or poltorak only); any additional ingredients must be declared. Meads in M4Z category need to be alcohol free or have alcohol level not exceeding 3,5%); any additional ingredients must be declared.

Detailed descriptions of mead styles can be found on Mead Judging Programme website:
http://meadjudgingprogramme.com/ or by clicking [HERE]