Price: $75 per session or $260 for the full 4-session journey (save $40)

Why take this course?

Ever stared at a whisky shelf and wondered what actually makes a blended Scotch different from a single malt - or why some drams taste like campfire smoke while others sing with dried fruit and spice? This course is your passport from confusion to confidence.

Over four guided tasting sessions, you'll do more than sip - you'll learn to nose, taste, and describe whisky like a pro. You'll uncover the stories behind the spirit, decode labels, and most importantly, discover the styles you truly love (and why).

What's the point?

By the end of this series, you'll be able to:

• Confidently distinguish major whisky categories and regional styles
• Identify how casks, peat, and production shape flavour
• Build a personal flavour vocabulary you can use at tastings, bars, or bottle shops
• Spot quality (and avoid travel-retail traps)

Think of it as your flavour compass for the world of whisky.

What's the breakdown?

Session 1: Foundations & First Sips - 01-10-26

• A brief, engaging history of whisky
• How whisky is made - from grain to glass
• Choosing the right glassware (and why it matters)
• Mastering the nosing and tasting ritual
• Tasting flight: Irish, blended Scotch, single malt Scotch, bourbon, Japanese, and Australian whisky (6x 15ml whiskies)

Session 2: The Cask - Where Flavour Is Born - 15-10-26

• How wood shapes taste: American vs European oak
• Cask types and sizes explained
• Flavours from the barrel: bourbon, dry sherry, medium sherry, red wine, port, and sweet sherry
• Guided tasting to experience cask influence in action (6x 15ml whiskies)

Session 3: Age, Peat, and Place - 29-10-26

• Age statements vs NAS (No Age Statement) - what really matters
• Peat levels and how terroir changes the smoke
• Regional peat profiles: Highland, Islay, Australian, and sherried peat
• Young vs old: how time changes the dram
• Tasting across peat styles and ages (6x 15ml whiskies)

Session 4: Craft, Character, and Smart Buying - 12-11-26

• Still shapes and how they influence spirit weight and texture
• Recognising faults: methanol, acetone, sulphur (and what's normal)
• Travel retail exclusives decoded (why 1L bottles are often a miss)
• Head-to-head tastings: 3 distillery bottlings vs 3 independent bottlings (6x 15ml whiskies)

Who is this for?

• Curious newcomers who want a structured, friendly introduction
• Social drinkers ready to move beyond "I like the smoky one"
• Gift buyers, hosts, or aspiring home-bar enthusiasts
• Anyone who enjoys learning through taste, story, and conversation

Who is the tutor?

• Jaime Fraser is a Scottish whisky expert with a deep appreciation for the craft, history and character behind every dram. He has a wealth of both hospitality and distilling experience. Drawing on his Scottish heritage and passion for Australia’s growing whisky scene, Jaime brings a friendly, engaging approach to tasting - helping guests explore flavour, provenance and the stories that make each whisky distinctive. As your main tutor for the series, he will guide you through tasting with insight, humour and a genuine love of whisky.
  

Leave with more than notes - leave with a sharper palate, better stories, and the confidence to choose (and talk about) whisky like you belong.