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WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits goes live

The WSET said the Level 3 Award was developed in response to the “global growth of the spirits industry and the resulting demand for advanced level, brand-neutral spirits category knowledge”.

The course will build on the Level 2 Award in Spirits, offering greater detail on production choices and their impact on style and quality. It will also cover a wide range of global spirits, including Asian spirits: Shōchū, Baijiu and Soju.

The WSET also said content would include technical information on the principles of production - from creating a sugary liquid to fermentation, distillation and post-distillation options - and in-depth coverage of the Scotch, Cognac, Armagnac, Caribbean Rum, Tequila, Mezcal, Vodka and Gin categories.

The exam will include a blind tasting exam and a written paper comprising multiple-choice and written answer questions. The course requires a minimum of 84 hours study time. It’s also recommended that candidates for this course have the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits.

“The spirits industry has been crying out for a more advanced qualification in spirits,” said course developer Nick King DipWSET, WSET Product Development Manager, Spirits and Sake.

“Candidate numbers for WSET spirits qualifications (Levels 1 and 2) have grown significantly in the last 10 years (from 540 in 2009 to 6600 in 2019) and are now taught in 33 countries worldwide reflecting growing global demand.

“We are delighted to now be able to offer the industry a Level 3 Spirits qualification that develops candidates’ knowledge and understanding of the category in great depth and also builds their tasting skills, teaching them to identify the structural and aromatic elements that make up a spirit and to make a compelling quality assessment.”

• wine
• Spirits
• WSET