What category do I put this beer into?

[WiseEyes]

Hi I brewed this up 6 weeks ago and I have to say it is by far the best lager I have ever done. The reason I am asking is I think I would like to enter this beer in a local contest. It was one of those beers that I was trying to use up some old bulk malt and hops and just thru together. The recipe is deceiving b/c when I brewed this I came on here and looked up how other people have used the honey malt and I thought that I used way to much, but I think that the way I mashed this beer really helped balance the sweetness of the honey malt.

Recipe:
10 Lb american 2-row
1 Lb Honey Malt
1 oz cascade 50 min 6.1%
1 oz crystal 20 min 3.9%
pitched on saflager-25 fermented at 47 degrees rest at 55 then back down to 38 for about four weeks

I mashed at 152 for 100 minutes then I decocted 1/3 of the mash brought to a boil and added it back to the mash to get mash out temperature. Sparged at 175.

My numbers were

21 Ibu
SG- 1.057
FG- 1.010
SRM 7

It is malty and a little sweet with a clean lager finish good body but is well balanced by the hop flavor. I don't know if this is a Marzen Oktoberfest type beer or More of a Dortmunder ish beer? Also Beer Smith says 7 SRM but I think that it is a little lighter in color than that.

 

[BenS]

If it's less than 7 SRM, I might try and fit it into the Munich Helles category. Dortmunder Export is supposed to have more of a firm bittering component. Kinda like a pilsner and a helles mixed together. If your beer is "softer, more rounded", then I think Helles would be the place to put it. The best thing you can do is get a BJCP style guideline book, and drink your beer while reading various categories that you are thinking about entering it as. Or you could just enter it in multiple categories and see where it does the best.

 

[WiseEyes]

Never thought of that... Helpful advice