Master the AWS Flavor Data Board and the 10 Core Flavor Descriptors, so you move from vague words like “smooth” to precise, traceable tasting notes, and can explain exactly why a whiskey tastes the way it does.

Learn the TTB Standards of Identity cold: the six legal pillars of bourbon, what “straight” and “bottled-in-bond” actually guarantee, and how to read any label's fine print like a regulator.

Trace American whiskey from limestone water and mash bills through fermentation, distillation, barrel char, and bottling, then walk through the Whiskey Rebellion, Prohibition, and the cocktails that built the category.

About the course

This is the complete American Whiskey Scholar Level One experience: all 10 core modules, covering sensory evaluation, federal regulations, food and cocktail pairing, world whiskey styles, production science, and the history of American whiskey from the Colonial era through Repeal. Work through hands-on tasting exercises, label-reading practicums, and a working knowledge of the chemistry happening inside every barrel. Level One concludes with a final exam. Pass it, and you'll be certified as an American Whiskey Scholar, Level One, complete with a certificate and an official AWS membership lapel pin. This certification is built for bartenders, retailers, hospitality professionals, and serious enthusiasts who want credentialed, comprehensive expertise, not just a single topic.

Your Instructor: Susan Reigler

Susan Reigler wrote the book on American whiskey. Eight of them, actually. She's the author or co-author of eight books on bourbon and American spirits, an adjunct professor of Beer & Spirits at Eastern Kentucky University, and a working spirits judge, which means she's spent decades doing exactly what this course teaches you to do, at a level most drinkers never reach. She's judged whiskeys against each other by the hundreds, trained hospitality students on the science behind every barrel, and turned some of the industry's driest regulations into stories people actually remember. That's the instructor behind every module in American Whiskey Scholar: someone who has done the tasting, read the fine print, and can tell you, precisely, why your glass tastes the way it does.

Curriculum

12 Chapters · 155 Lessons

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to the American Whiskey Scholar Program: Level 1

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Shopping List

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Flavor Board & Components

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Sensory Anatomy and Perception - The Five Basic Tastes

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Sensory Anatomy and Perception - Olfaction: Aroma vs. Flavor

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      II. The Core Flavor Categories

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      American Whiskey Scholar Flavor Board

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      III. The American Whiskey Flavor Board and Its Use

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Sensory Training: Isolating Aromas

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Sensory Training: Isolating Aromas - Equipment

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Sensory Training: Isolating Aromas - The "Nose-Memory" Connection

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Sensory Training: Isolating Aromas - Isolating Aromas in the Glass (The Protocol in Practice)

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Nosing & Tasting

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Standardized Sensory Protocol (Visual, Smell, Taste)

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Standardized Sensory Protocol - Stage 1: Visual Inspection (The "Look")

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Standardized Sensory Protocol - Stage 2: Olfactory Analysis (The "Nose")

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Standardized Sensory Protocol - Stage 3: Gustatory/Tactile Evaluation (The "Palate" and "Finish")

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      VI. Outside Study: Tasting Practice

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      VII. Glossary of Key Sensory and Regulatory Terms

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      VIII. Review

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      IX. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Bottle Profiles & Identification

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Federal Standards of Identity: The Definition of Whiskey?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Federal Standards of Identity: Spelling, Grain Definition, and Label Designations

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      II. The King Category: Bourbon Whiskey - Legal Requirements for Bourbon (The Six Pillars)

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      II. The King Category: Bourbon Whiskey - Subcategories of Bourbon

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      II. The King Category: Bourbon Whiskey - The "Straight" Designation (Applicable to All)

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Other Major American Whiskey Categories - Grain-Named Whiskeys

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Other Major American Whiskey Categories - Tennessee Whiskey & The Lincoln County Process

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Other Major American Whiskey Categories - American Whiskey (The Catchall)

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Bottle Identification and Tasting Practice

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Practicum: Read the Label

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Practicum: Identifying Mash Bills and Style

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Practicum: Identifying Mash Bills and Style - Practicum Goal and Scope (30 Key Bottles)

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      V. The Practicum: Identifying Mash Bills and Style - Sensory Guidelines for Style Identification

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      VI. Glossary of Key Regulatory and Production Terms

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      VII. Review

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      VIII. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Food & Cocktail Pairing

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. The Regional Connection: Southern Ingredients

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      II. The Six Focus Whiskeys

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Basic Pairing Principles

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Food Pairing Scorecard

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Exercise I: The Flavor Dissection Plate

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Flavor Intensity Scale

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      V. Exercise II: Building the Flavor Profile for Each Whiskey

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      VI. Food Pairings and Ingredient Application

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      VII. The Role of Proof and Viscosity in Pairing

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      VIII. Classic Cocktails: The Old Fashioned and The Manhattan: How Food Pairings Translate to Cocktail “Food” Flavors

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      IX. Exercise III. Building Pairing Menus

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      IX. Exercise III. Building Pairing Menus

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      The Secrets of Food Pairing

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      The Secrets of Food Pairing - The Chew Down

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      X. Glossary of Key Regulatory and Production Terms

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      XI. Review

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      XII. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to World Whiskey Styles

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Bourbon Refresher

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Scottish Whisky

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      III. The Scottish Whisky Regions

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Irish Whiskey

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      V. Japanese Whisky

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      VI. Canadian Whisky

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      World Whiskey Styles

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      VII. Glossary of Key Terms

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      VIII. Review

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      IX. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Raw Materials and Fermentation

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. The Four Ingredients - Water

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      I. The Four Ingredients - Grain

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Exercise 1: Comparing Bourbons with Rye in their Mash Bills to Wheated Bourbons

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      I. The Four Ingredients - Yeast

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      I. The Four Ingredients - Wood

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Processes - Malting

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Exercise 2: An Enzyme Experiment Just for Fun

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Processes - Milling

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Processes - Mashing

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Raw Materials & Fermentation

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Glossary of Key Terms

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Review

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      V. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Distillation & Maturation

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Distillation

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Distillation - The Column Still

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Distillation - Bubble Cap Trays

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Distillation - The Pot Still

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Maturation

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Maturation - Seasoning and Cooking the Barrel

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Maturation - Warehouse Environment and The Angel’s Share

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Distillation & Maturation

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Glossary of Key Terms

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Review

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      V. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Finishing & Bottling

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Secondary Barreling and Finishing

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      I. Secondary Barreling and Finishing - The Art of the Finish

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      II. Exploring Alternative Wood Species

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      III. Filtration

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      IV. Proofing

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      V. Batching and Blending

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      VI. Bottling and Preservation

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      VII. Glossary of Key Terms

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      IX. Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Colonial Era to The Taft Decision

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      The Colonial Era - Rum

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      The Colonial Era - Rye

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      The Colonial Era - The Whiskey Rebellion

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Settling the Frontier - Farm Distilling West of the Appalachians

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Settling the Frontier - Kentucky Whiskey Becomes “Bourbon”

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      After the Civil War: Distilling Goes Commercial - From Barrels to Bottles

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      After the Civil War: Distilling Goes Commercial - The Rectifiers

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Whiskey Regulations - Bottled-in-Bond, 1897

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Whiskey Regulations - Pure Food & Drug Act, 1906

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Whiskey Regulations - Taft Decision, 1909

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Colonial America Era to The Taft Decision

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Timeline of American Whiskey Events

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Review Questions

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Drinking Culture & Cocktails

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Intro to Drinking Culture & Cocktails: Colonial America to 1920

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Punch

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      The Mint Julep

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Bitters

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      The Cocktail Gets a Name

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Jerry Thomas and Bartenders Guide

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      American Bars in the Late 19th Century

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      The Old Fashioned

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      The Manhattan

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      The First Cocktail Party

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Drinking Culture & Cocktails - Colonial America to 1920

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Timeline of Punch & Cocktails

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Review

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Prohibition

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Temperance Movements

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      The 18th Amendment

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      The Volstead Act

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Bootleggers and Moonshiners

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Speakeasies

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Repeal

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Prohibition

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Timeline of American Whiskey Events

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Quiz

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Review

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Recommended Reading

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Final Exam

Earn your Level One pin.

Enroll in the complete American Whiskey Scholar Level One Certification, 10 modules, a final exam, a certificate, and your official AWS lapel pin.

$495.00

Enroll now