WSET Sake Level 2: Should you do it?

This week, I completed the WSET Level 2 Award in Sake.

I’m not someone who collects certifications just for the sake of it, but if you're a curious Japanese sake drinker, I highly recommend learning the content. Not for the certificate, but for a deeper appreciation of what you're drinking.

What the Course Actually Covers

You start with the basics. Ingredients, production steps, sake styles, but it elevates rapidly. You quickly start thinking like a sake maker:

  • How do you make a cleaner, crisper sake?
  • How do you make it sweeter?
  • What happens if you increase amino acids in the fermentation?
  • What seimai buai (polishing ratio) should you choose for which rice grain?
  • What needs to go on the label?

The course pushes you to understand not just what sake is, but how each decision shapes it. It gives you the framework and language to talk about your sake experiences and gives you the knowledge to connect it to the brewing choices made by the sake makers.

Who It’s For

You don’t need to be a sommelier or in the industry. If you’re curious about Japanese sake and want to understand what’s in your ochoko, you'll love this course.

It runs over three days, includes guided tastings (we had 20 in total), and ends with a multiple-choice exam (50 questions, 55% to pass). The real takeaway is the knowledge and mindset shift to enhance your Japanese sake drinking experience. You’re going to want to revisit every bottle of Japanese sake you've had and run it through what you've learnt.

Why I Recommend It

At Sake Nami, we're curious about the people and decisions behind every bottle. This course gave me even more respect for the sake makers and their craft.

For example: based on the literature, sake fermentation typically finishes at 17-20% ABV and is diluted down to 15-17% post-filtration. But one of my favourites, the Kamokinshu Tokubetsu Junmai 13 is bottled at 13% ABV with no dilution.

Understanding the course material helped me realise what must have gone into it: ultra-low temperature, low-and-slow fermentation, careful management of yeast and sugar development. All deliberate. All precise. Suddenly, I appreciate that sake on an entirely new level.

So yes. The WSET Level 2 Award in Sake is well worth your time. Thank you to Yukino Sensei for sharing your knowledge and time with us!

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