And in just sayin BRO that if your a judge and your marking down scores on something your told not to judge on in the first place, I'm glad I don't compete in your sanctioning body. Down here there is no appearance Because appearance makes no difference on how it tastes, makes no difference on how tender it is, makes no difference on the overall enjoyment of the meat being sampled by the judge.
Justin, look to the left... I'm in Tx too BRO. Like Texana said appearance is part of the score. Even says so on the scoring sheet. BTW, I've never heard a judging official say to ignore the smoke ring or lack thereof. I can see why you want one, but don't get riled up cause I can spot a really fake looking smoke ring. Also TQ has sugar and salt, they have taste.