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February 9, 2016

Spirits!

Talk about a change of pace! A few weeks ago we began the Spirits section of the WSET Diploma. Most people are surprised to learn that spirits is part of my Somm certification, however the program is called the Wine & Spirits Education Trust! The focus is definitely wine, as five of the six units relate to wine, but we do have one unit on spirits.

A spirit is an alcoholic beverage that has undergone the process of distillation to increase the level of alcohol. This is in contrast to wine which is fermented to a much lower alcohol. Distillation does not take place with wine. Below are the key groups of spirits we are responsible for on the exam:

Fruit-Based Spirits

Cognac

Armagnac

Brandy de Jerez

Pisco

Grappa

Other: Calvados, Poire Williams, Framboise, Kirsch

Grain-Based Spirits

Scotch Whisky

Irish Whiskey

Bourbon

Canadian and Japanese Whiskey

Vodka

Gin and Genever

Sugar Cane Based Spirits

Unaged Rum

Aged Rum

Rhum Agricole

Cachaca

Agave-Based Spirits

Unaged Tequila

Aged Tequila

Mixto Tequila

Mezcal

Other Spirits

Pastis

Absinthe

Bitters

It is quite the list…and to be honest, I’m not much of a spirits gal. I love learning about spirits (the production is quite fascinating) and I love the nose on different spirits, yet the taste is just too much for me. Even if I dilute the spirit with water, I still get the burning, harsh sensation in my mouth. I have learned to use a bit more water than is recommended in order to makeup for my “sensitive” palate.

The Spirits exam is on March 9 and will consist of a blind tasting of 3 spirits and 3 short answer questions. We have 65 minutes to complete both portions of the exam.

Studying for the spirits exam is not much different than studying for the other tasting/essay exams. In regards to the short answer pieces, I have read the textbook as well as a couple supplemental texts on whiskey and rum. I’ve created flash cards for key ideas/topics such as the process of making a spirits, key facts about each spirit category, the main beverage groups, etc. As I get closer to the exam, I’ll probably convert my notes to big flip chart diagrams and bullet points.

In regards to tasting we are in the process of forming our tasting groups. We are going to have a Wine House employee put together about 6 spirits to taste blind. We’ll do the tasting under exam conditions (3 spirits in 30 minutes) and then stop and discuss our answers together. Also, one of our classmates worked with a beverage director friend of his and invited us to his restaurant. The gentleman will put together a flight of 4 spirits blind for us for $40. I plan on doing that as we get closer to the exam to get another exam-like tasting under my belt.

Our two lecture classes have been wonderful. Robert Schibelli has lead the lectures in his fun, yet informative manner. You can listen to this guy talk for hours…and we do. He’s got a no-nonsense way of getting the information across that is very effective, in my opinion.

Over the last 5 years, this unit has had an average 62% passing rate, which is the second lowest passing rate out of the 6 units. The first, of course, being the monster of Unit 3 (Still Wines of the World). What is unique to Unit 3 is that the tasting and theory piece are assessed and scored separately. The tasting portion has had an average 72% pass rate over the last 5 years and the theory portion has had a paltry 47% pass rate over the last 5 years

Let’s just say that I have my work cut out for me in the next 5 weeks of Spirits study. Cheers!

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you’re looking to Up Your Wine Game and Drink Better, consider booking a private in-person or virtual wine tasting experience.
Brianne Cohen Wine Educator
Brianne Cohen is a certified sommelier, wine educator, consultant, and writer based out of Los Angeles.

Since March 2020, Brianne has educated and entertained over 5,000 people through her “Virtual Vino” online wine tastings.

Brianne holds the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Diploma certificate, one of the most coveted wine certifications in the world. When she’s not helping others Up Their Wine Game, she can be found judging at international wine competitions.

Brianne aims to make wine approachable and conversational, to surprise and delight with unexpected, distinctive wine finds, and to give people knowledge (and confidence) about wine in their everyday lives.

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As a wine writer, I frequently accept samples for review on my  website and on my social media channels. Please contact me at brianne@briannecohen.com to discuss sending samples for review. I promise to always be honorable with the samples. I will evaluate all wines in good tasting settings and with no distractions.

All reviews are my opinions, and mine only. Because of the volume of samples I receive, I cannot promise that all samples received will be reviewed, but I will do my best.

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