The Council of Whisky Masters, a global whisky educational institution, will hold the 2024 Master Examination on the Isle of Raasay in Scotland, selecting nine new Masters of Scotch, two Masters of Bourbon, and six Masters of Whisk(E)Y.
Ai Kuroda of And Spirits Co., Ltd. (Head office: Meguro-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Ai Kuroda, hereinafter referred to as "And Spirits") has become the first Japanese person to pass the MASTER OF SCOTCH exam.

The examination panel consists of highly-respected and experienced experts from around the world.

<List of judges>
Steve Beal, Dave Broom, Martin Duffy, Sébastien Gavillet, Monique Huston, Charles MacLean, Becky Offringa, Hans Offringa, Martin Duffy, Tobias Gorn, Arthur Nägele, Bernhard Schäfer, Dan Crowell, Adam Edmonsond, Nik Kosobucki, Siddharth Sawkar, Guy Sporbert , John Wabeck, Sam Wright, Tom McCormick

⚫︎A difficult challenge that requires the ability to communicate specialized knowledge in English⚫︎
The prestigious MASTER exam is held alternately every year in Scotland, the home of whiskey, and the United States. Therefore, not only basic English skills but also specialized knowledge and insights must be given in both oral and written English, making it even more difficult for people whose native language is not English.

The exam consists of three parts: a blind tasting, an oral examination, and an essay test. Candidates are assessed on their comprehensive understanding of all aspects of whisky, including its history, geography, production process, characteristics of major distilleries and brands, industry knowledge, tasting ability, and proposal skills.

The judges will evaluate all candidates individually and select the new MASTER based on certain criteria set by the COUNCIL. To become a candidate for this master program, you must first pass Level 1 and Level 2 of the program through online distance learning. (Details: www.WhiskeyMasters.org)

For the 2024 Master's Program, Kuroda from &Spirits passed the exam under rigorous screening and was announced as the new MASTER OF SCOTCH.

⚫︎Kuroda's comment⚫︎
There are two main reasons why I decided to take this exam.
The first reason is that I wanted to learn about whisky from the ground up in English so that I could talk about it on an equal footing with people from all over the world.

It was a tough and challenging experience, and I often felt like I couldn't do it, but I eventually got to the point where I was able to discuss and give tasting comments in English in a foreign land like Scotland, and I was able to build strong relationships with the wonderful judges and other candidates, which was an invaluable experience that went beyond the result of passing.

The second reason is that I wanted to gain some confidence and persuasiveness.

I am a business owner and a mother with a daughter in the fourth grade of elementary school. When my daughter started elementary school and I had a little more free time, I wanted to work in the alcohol industry, which I love and which supported me during the difficult times of raising my child and enriched my life, so I jumped into the alcohol industry with no experience at all. It's only my third year in the industry, and I feel that I still lack the skills and experience, but I have continued to work hard every day despite the struggle of balancing my work with raising my child. I didn't want to be humble or use my short history and lack of experience in the industry, or my limited time, as an excuse, so I wanted to achieve something big. Passing this exam has given me a lot of confidence, and I am not satisfied with this and I strongly intend to continue to work hard and act to the best of my ability.

I passed the Level 1 "CSP (Certified Scotch Professional)" in March 2023, and the Level 2 "CWS (Certified Whisky Specialist)" in September 2023, having spent over a year devoting myself to whisky and studying hard.

The judges, all of whom are at the forefront of the industry and came from all over the world, looked at my work very seriously, and I am certainly proud to have been recognized by them.

I will continue to pour my love and passion into whiskey and distilled spirits, which continue to change my life, and move forward.

Ai Kuroda
Born in 1989 in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Graduated from Keio University's Faculty of Letters, majoring in English and American Literature.

In June 2022, he became independent and became the CEO of &SPIRITS Co., Ltd. In addition to running two liquor stores and bars, "&SPIRITS" in Nakameguro and "SAKE COLLECTIVE &SPIRITS" on the first basement floor of Maru Building, he is also involved in import and wholesale business, original product development, event planning and management, etc. His favorite alcoholic drinks are all distilled spirits. His favorite cocktail is Rob Roy.

And Spirits Co., Ltd.:https://corporate.andspirits.com
THE COUNCIL OF WHISKEY MASTERS:www.whiskeymasters.org/whiskey-masters