This course gives the candidate an in-depth overview of Irish Whiskey. The candidate will explore the history and business of Irish whiskey, before learning the whole production and maturation processes. The candidate will also learn about legal requirements and how to run a sensory analysis of Irish whiskey. Below are the learning outcomes assessed in the EWA assessment.

1) Irish Whiskey History
     a)  Chart the history of distillation.
     b)  Understand the development of poitín and the whiskey industry in Ireland.
     c)  Understand how the Irish Whiskey market has developed throughout the years.
     d)  Identify the impact of political events on the industry.
     e)  Identify recent developments within the industry.

2) The Business of Irish Whiskey
      a)  Explore the Irish Technical File.
      b)  Learn who’s who in the Irish Whiskey industry.
      c)  Identify planned and future developments in the industry.
      d)  Identify key threats to the industry.

3) Production Process
      a) Identify key grains and understand the different mashbills used for each style of whiskey.
      b) Identify and understand the different parts of the production process.
            • Malting, Milling, Mashing, and Fermentation.
      c) Identify the types of equipment used dependent on the mashbill recipe and the style of spirit desired.

4) Pot Still Spirit Production
      a)  Understand the importance of Pot Still production in Ireland.
      b)  Outline the processes involved in pot still spirit production. • Milling, Mashing, Fermentation, and Distillation.
      c)  Identify the requirements for Malt spirit production and Grain spirit production in Ireland.
      d)  Understand the continuous distillation process and how it differs to pot still production.

5) Maturation
      a) Understand the regulations and requirements for maturing Irish Whiskey.
      b) Explore the world of non-oak maturation and identify key woods used.
      c) Identify the different warehousing systems in use in Ireland.

6) Blended Irish Whiskey
      a) Understand the process used to produce blended Irish Whiskey.
      b) Identify the different combinations of blended Irish Whiskey in line with their definitions.

7) Bottling & Labelling
     a) Identify pre-bottling options
     b) Identify and understand the labelling requirements for Irish Whiskey.

8) Sensory Analysis
     a) Explore activities and learning aids to develop sensory appreciation.
     b) Understand how to nose and taste whiskey.
     c) Identify the general aromas and flavours of the four major categories of Irish Whiskey.