Whiskey families
Bourbon, rye, corn whiskey, malt whiskey, wheat whiskey, Irish whiskey, Scotch whisky, Tennessee whiskey, and how standards and traditions shape identity.
Level 2
Category & Production Deep Dive
Level 2 moves from “I recognize the categories” to “I understand how style, standards, and production choices create difference.”
The next layer after fundamentals
Level 1 teaches the shared chain behind spirits. Level 2 expands that chain into deeper category study. Students compare more styles, learn more exact standards, and connect production decisions to what they smell and taste.
This is where whiskey stops being one thing, rum stops being one thing, gin becomes more than “juniper,” and vodka becomes more than “neutral.”
Completion item
Planned Academy-issued Level 2 completion recognition: lapel pin or equivalent course completion item.
Expanded study areas
What Level 2 can cover
Bourbon and barrel decisions
Mash bill, entry proof, char, barrel placement, age, finishing, proofing, and why charred new oak matters.
Rum styles
Molasses, cane juice, pot still, column still, fermentation length, tropical aging, Spanish/French/English-style teaching shorthand, and place-based identities.
Gin methods
Distilled gin, redistilled gin, compound or mixed methods, juniper, botanicals, Old Tom, London Dry style, and botanical balance.
Vodka and neutrality
Rectification, filtration, water, texture, raw material, and why neutral does not have to mean characterless.
Brandy and agave spirits
Fruit distillates, Calvados/Armagnac/Cognac-style context, agave cooking, fermentation, distillation, and regional recognition.
Tasting work
More comparison. Better language.
Level 2 should use more side-by-side tasting than Level 1. Students practice category comparison first, then style comparison inside a category.
Possible tasting comparisons
- Bourbon vs rye
- Wheated bourbon vs rye-forward bourbon
- Molasses rum vs cane juice style
- Gin vs vodka
- Brandy vs whiskey
- Unaged vs aged expression