Our perfect 10 brisket from Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)

During our recent Best of Texas BBQ Tour, we traveled nearly 700 miles over three days and tasted brisket, pork ribs and sausage at 10 top places in the state.

Each meat was scored on a scale of 1 to 10 (best) by 6 members of Texas BBQ Posse.

Just one received a perfect score: the brisket at Snow's BBQ in Lexington.

"The taste almost explodes in your mouth," said Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins as he savored a bite.

In 2008, Texas Monthly crowned Snow's, which is open only on Saturdays, as the best BBQ joint in the state. The ranking is done every 5 years, so BBQ lovers are anxious to see which place tops the magazine's new list when it is expected later this year.

"They can make you or break you," said Snow's owner Kerry Bexley of the ratings by Texas Monthly and others.

During our visit, he predicted that Franklin Barbecue in Austin would probably unseat Snow's as No. 1 in Texas Monthly's new rankings. But that didn't seem to bother him much. Instead, he was fretting over the  immediate business at hand: different sized chickens that cooked differently and making sure the ribs were done right.

"I just want to put out a quality product," he said.

Snow's BBQ, 516 Main Street, Lexington, (979) 773-4640. Open Saturdays only from 8am til the meat runs out.

Owner Kerry Bexley cuts sausage at Snow's BBQ.   (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)