A wood- or barrel-aged pale to amber beer is any lager, ale or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood, that meets the criteria for color shown below. Entries are aged with the intention of imparting the particularly unique character of the wood and/or what has previously been in the barrel. New wood character is often characterized as a complex blend of vanilla and unique wood character. Used sherry, bourbon, scotch, port, wine and other barrels are often used, imparting complexity and uniqueness to beer. Ultimately a balance of flavor, aroma and mouthfeel are sought with the marriage of new beer with wood and/or barrel flavors. The brewer should explain the special nature of the beer to allow for accurate judging. Comments could include: type of wood used (new or old, oak or other wood type), type of barrel used (new, port/ whiskey/ wine/ sherry/ other), base beer style or achieved character. Beer entries not accompanied by this information will be at a disadvantage during judging.