Hi all! I have the opportunity to take the Certified Sake Adviser Course and Exam and was wondering if anyone else has and what your experience was like. I have studied sake for the CMS exams, but not much deeper than that. What other information should I seek out to study and how deep do I need to go before taking the course?
Thanks!
I took it with Timothy Sullivan a few years ago and thought it was great. The knowledge I gained from the course material and instruction caused me fall in love with sake. I'd highly recommend it to anyone with even a slight interest in the beverage.
I agree whole-heartedly with Jeremy in this one. I’m not sure if Tim is back to teaching the course after his year spent with Hakkaisan, but it’s definitely worth it.
Thank you so much! I feel like it is one of m weakest subjects and I am in a shop that moves quite a bit of sake. What kind of preparation do you think is necessary?
I believe the course material and lecture will be plenty of necessary information to pass exam. I began the study of sake in 2008 with John Gauntner. He also offers an Advance course in Tokyo. You tour many breweries while there. This is a great option if you choose to go beyond the Sake Advisor Certification. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to study in Japan in 2009. It also led me to an opportunity to work as a kurabito in Osaka @ Daimon Shuzo with Toji Yasutaka Daimon. Kanpai!
Hey Mark. I just took this course a couple of days ago in Philadelphia and highly recommend it! Timothy Sullivan is teaching it again, and his knowledge about sake is well worth it.
As far as preparing goes, I was in a similar situation as you. I really only knew the basics. The Sake School of America will send you a binder with information once you register for the course, or 2 weeks before the course if you've already registered. It has all the information you need for the course/the exam. Also during the course, Tim will go over every section of the binder, but at a fast pace, so I recommend reading it thoroughly before the course.
As someone who really knew nothing about sake, I learned so much, and you get to taste a ton of really delicious sake! Have fun!