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In a comfortable single family home in the rural town of Almonte, a pack of relatively normal adult men — all gainfully employed, mostly married with kids — have gathered to discuss, judge and, yes, drink beer.

Friday was the final judging round for the National Capital Homebrew Competition. Sitting around head judge Barry Beadman’s dining room table, five men were in the middle of a heated debate: what makes a fantastic beer?

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There were more than 270 entries in the contest from across the country, some from as far away as Vancouver and Calgary, and the men at Beadman’s table had the onerous task of determining which one would be crowned best in show. On Friday, it was down to just nine bottles, each chosen because it won its category and scored more than 40 out of 50 overall points. Bottles were marked only by number in order to ensure the objectivity of the judges.

Photo by Robin Levinson / Ottawa Citizen

“There’s a great beer, and there’s a great beer to style,” argued Sean Goddard, who sat on the committee for the competition and was one of its judges.