The Council’s challenging Level I certifications are the respected benchmark in professional level Scotch and Bourbon expertise. The Level I program allows candidates to focus either on Scotch or Bourbon—becoming knowledgeable in the great single malts of Scotland, or in the important grain spirits of the United States. Passing either Level I program is a prerequisite for enrollment in Level II.

Enrollment in the Certified Scotch Professional (CSP) and Certified Bourbon Professional (CBP) programs is now open! Review program details, sample questions and registration info here for the CSP and here for the CBP.

THE COUNCIL OF WHISKEY MASTERS has launched a new professional education and certification program dedicated to spirits judging, consisting of a theory exam, based on a dedicated study guide, and a practical exam where candidates demonstrate effective judging ability.

THE TASTING ALLIANCE —the organization behind the largest and most respected spirits competitions in the world, including the San Francisco World Spirits Competition— and the INTERNATIONAL WHISKY COMPETITION® —the most prestigious and followed whisky-only competition in the world— have committed that they will adopt this new program.

The Certified Spirits Judge (CSJ) credentialing program is open to candidates globally, and all parts of the certification process can be performed remotely. The curriculum is delivered in a 70-page pdf book format to all candidates and covers all topics relevant to active spirits judging: Production methods and expressions of all major spirit types, systematic tasting methods, detailed competition process and evaluation protocol, as well as key ethics issues in judging. Once candidates feel prepared, they take a 100-question exam online to earn the certification, a score of at least 75 is required to achieve a passing level on the theory exam. A practical exam covers blind tasting of 3 different spirits.