The WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits is an advanced-level qualification for professionals working with distilled beverages. The qualification is designed to:

· give you a broad ranging and in-depth understanding of the world of spirits

· improve your tasting skills and your ability to write compelling quality arguments.

It is recommended that you hold the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits or equivalent knowledge before enroling on this course.

Upon successful completion of the examaination students will receive a WSET Awards issued certificate and lapel pin and be able to use the associated certified logo.

Spirit Categories Covered

Group 1

The following categories are covered in detail:

· Scotch Whisky, Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, Tennesee Whiskey

· Cognac, Armagnac

· Caribbean Rum

· Tequila, Mezcal

· Vodka

· Gin

Group 2

The following categories are covered in outline:

· Wheat Whiskey (USA), Corn Whiskey (USA), Irish whiskey, Canadian whisky, Japanese whisky

· Baijiu, Shōchū, Soju

· Brandy de Jerez, Chilean pisco, Peruvian pisco, South African brandy, Grappa, Calvados, European fruit spirits

· Cachaça

· Bacanora, Raicilla, Sotol

· Genever, flavoured vodka, aniseed spirits, aquavit, bitters, spiced rum, flavoured whisky, liqueurs

· Vermouth, americano, quinquina/chinato

For a full outline of learning outcomes please view the specification

Self-Study

You will need to prepare for the classroom sessions. The focus of your study should be on factual content such as laws, labelling terms and production details. If you take the time to do this then you will be well placed to get the most out of the interactive nature of the classroom session which will focus on more advanced skills.

In order to support you during this self-study period you will receive a study guide by email once your place is confirmed. This will give you hints and tips about what to study and how to prepare. It will also outline the format of the examinations. You will also have access to the WSET Online Classroom which will include tools you can use to test your knowledge. All the materials including lessons and examination will be delivery by English.

In total we recommend that you spend about minimum of 52 hours or self-study both before and during the classroom course.

Classroom sessions

These sessions are designed to:

· develop your ability to describe and explain production techniques as well as account for the style and quality of Group 1 spirits.

· develop your ability to taste accurately and form compelling quality arguments using the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits. You will taste in excess of 60 spirits samples over the 6 day course, included in the course cost.

Day 1: 2 December (Monday), 9:00am-5:00pm

· Session 1: Tasting Technique

· Session 2: Spirits’ Production Part 1

· Session 3: Spirits' Production Part 2

Day 2: 3 December (Tuesday), 9:00am-5:00pm

· Session 4: Scotch Whisky

· Session 5: American Whiskey

· Session 6: Other Whiskies

· Review of the Theory Examination (how to tackle short answer questions)

Day 3: 4 December (Wednesday), 9:00am-5:00pm

· Session 7: Cognac and Armagnac

· Session 8: Other Fruit Spirits

· Session 9: Asian Spirits

· Mock Tasting Examination

Day 4: 5 December (Thursday), 9:00am-5:00pm

· Session 10: Caribbean Rum

· Session 11: Agave Spirits

· Review of Distillation (including worked examples)

· Mock Short Answer Examination

Day 5: 6 December (Friday), 9:00am-5:00pm

· Session 12: Vodka and Gin

· Session 13: Other Flavoured Spirits and Aromatised Wines

· Review of Post-distillation Options

Date 6: 7 December 2019 (Saturday), 9:30am-12:30pm

· Tasting Examination: 30 minutes – you will need to taste, describe, identify and assess the quality of two blind samples.

· Theory Examination: 2 hours – you will need to answer 50 multiple-choice questions and 10 short answer questions.

· Students must bring photo ID to the examination

Result

Candidates will need to pass both parts of the theory examination (Unit 1), and the tasting examination (Unit 2), to achieve the qualification.

In order to gain a pass grade in Unit 1 and Unit 2 a candidate must gain a mark that is equal to 55 per cent or more.

The final result is the mean average of the three individual pass marks expressed as a percentage.

On successful completion of the examination you will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin, and will be able to use the associated certified logo.

Costs

Course fee includes:

· All Tuition

· Textbook and study materials

· Access to WSET Online Classroom pre study

· All in-class spirits samples (approximately 60 provided)

· One attempt at examination

· Certificate and Lapel Pin on successful completion of examination

Any travel, accommodation or examination resits are at students own cost.

Are there ID or minimum age requirements?

Attendees must be of leagal drinking age at time of attendance. Photo ID is required on the day of your examination.

Reasonable Adjustments

Candidates who have special examination requirements, which are supported by independent written assessment, are requested to notify the examinations officer at their APP of any such requirement at the time of enrolment. Further guidance for examination officers and candidates is available from WSET Awards as required.

It is the policy of WSET Awards that such candidates should not be placed at a disadvantage in the examinations. Candidates are responsible for informing their APP of any such requirement at the time of enrolment.

Data Protection

WSET Awards has a legitimate interest in collecting and processing personal data including a candidate’s name(s), date of birth, gender and email address for the purposes of examining and awarding WSET qualifications and collecting feedback from candidates. In some cases, additional information (which may include sensitive personal data relating to health) will be collected to support requests for reasonable adjustments and special consideration. Such personal data will be supplemented by the results of examinations and assessments undertaken by the candidate.

A candidate’s personal data will only be collected from APPs in the context of examination registrations and/or certification claims. It will not be used by WSET Awards other than for the administration of the examinations process, conducting assessments and certifying results. Personal data within candidate’s work will be collected and processed by WSET Awards for the purposes of marking and issuing examination results and providing candidates with post-results services.

WSET Awards has appropriate measures in place to ensure the data held on our systems is secure. In the event of an unauthorised use of data or data loss, the individuals concerned will be notified and a recovery plan implemented.

We keep your information safe by storing your information securely and restricting access to authorised users only.