Advanced Diploma 2025: Participant Reflections

Ever wondered what it’s like to dive deep into the world of Scotch whisky, from grain to glass, alongside some of the most experienced minds in the industry? Our Advanced Diploma for educators offers just that: a week-long journey through the heart of Speyside, combining in-depth classroom learning, hands-on distillery visits, cooperage insights and a blending new make spirit exercise.

In this video, hear directly from participants as they reflect on their experience: the challenges, the surprises, the unforgettable moments and why they describe the course as thorough, intense and incredibly fun. Whether you’re a whisky enthusiast, an aspiring educator, or simply curious about the craft, this glimpse into the Advanced Diploma shows why it’s a one-of-a-kind educational adventure.

Transcript

Rachel Rempel (Global VIP, Education & Hospitality Manager, Chivas Brothers): "It's been an amazing week. I've learned a huge amount. Each day has been quite different in terms of the speakers. We had such a variety of speakers with incredible amount of experience in each of their areas, which I think really brought to life the different areas and the kind of depth that we went into."
 
Mark Hickey (National Spirits Academy Manager, Australia): "Being very informative, incredible lecturers along the way as well. Some of the things that you learn here are some things that you don't understand, especially in far distances like Australia. So it's incredible to understand the complexity."

Kyle McHugh (Edinburgh Whisky Academy Market Director, Americas): "I got to see places in Scotland, even though I've worked over here for many, many years, that never been able to see, places that most people don't get access to, and been able to share all of those experiences with not only some of the most accomplished people in the Scotch whisky industry, but some of the most accomplished and passionate educators and those who care and support the whisky industry across the world who are here as candidates as well."

Miguel Santiago (Academia De Whisky alumni, Puerto Rico): "It has been awesome. I mean, the amount of detail I have right now, it's like a new bag of tools to describe the spirit."

Gina Fossitt (Founder, Dandelion BevEd, USA): "Real in-depth classroom time and then followed by some really great distillery experiences and experiences at a cooperage and like just all sorts of things that give it a lot of variety and a lot of different angles to some of the same topics we get different perceptions on."

Jorge Marquez (Academia De Whisky alumni, Puerto Rico): "Oh, it's been a tremendous week.We have learned a lot from distilling, from grains. From fermentation, from moderation, and it brought my knowledge in all those areas."

Rachel added "Some of the highlights I think just connecting with some of the other students and learning from each other as well."

Howard Yu (Founder, Spirits & Wisdom, Taiwan): "The one that I enjoy the most is the part we blended the new make because most of the time the distilleries, they're not gonna just give you all of the material for you to try. This is something that I think I probably, I kind of remember for my whole life."

Dan Crowell (Glenmorangie National Brand Ambassador – US, Moët Hennessy): "It's been fantastic across the board. You hear these people talk who have had decades and decades and decades of experience in the industry and the way that they output that knowledge and explain it to you is not only infectious but also drives the ambition to at least try to get somewhere in the ballpark of that at some point."

Mark: "I think the distillery too is a really big part of it because it ties in the education you're learning from Vic and Gordon as well, and it really does bring more holistic appeal to what it is."
 
Rachel: "Just kind of getting a good behind the scenes look, most incredible distilleries and the people behind the most well."

Kyle: "The experts that were here at the advanced diploma were amazing. I mean, being able to focus on the entire process really from start to finish is unlike any other educational experience I've gotten to share. It's an opportunity that is very, very hard to find anywhere in any other parts of the spirits business."
 
Jorge: "Hearing this legends that you hear about it in the whiskey community and hear from them direct, it was Very great."

Howard: "Everyone is awesome because they are all best of the best in this specific field."

Dan: "Having an opportunity to talk to an innovative distiller about what is happening at InchDairnie, to talk to the Speyside Cooperage people about just the dynamics of how they do what they do. Those kinds of insights, you need to dive in and and absorb and just sort of immerse yourself in it when the opportunity is afforded to you. Game changer. Absolutely."

Kyle: "Two to three words to describe the advanced course here for the EWA. I'd say thorough, challenging, and at the same time, really fun."

Rachel: "Insightful, intense, and enjoyable."
 
Mark: "Incredibly fun and a great adventure."

Howard: "It's a whiskey course that you will never forget in your whole life. That's it."