Blending Unmatured and Matured Cane Sugar & Fruit Distillates Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply sensory evaluation techniques to assess the characteristics of unmatured and matured cane sugar and fruit distillates.
• Analyze the chemical and physical properties of distillates to determine blending ratios.
• Evaluate the impact of blending on flavour, aroma, and mouthfeel of the final product.
• Design blending protocols that meet product specifications and quality standards.
• Implement blending processes while adhering to health, safety, and hygiene regulations.
• Demonstrate the ability to transfer distillates between vessels without contamination or loss.

Target Audience

This course is designed for distillery operators, cellar masters, and production supervisors involved in the blending and maturation of cane sugar and fruit distillates. It is also suitable for quality assurance personnel seeking to deepen their understanding of distillate blending.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practical sessions allow learners to apply blending calculations, conduct sensory evaluations, and produce small-scale blends. These exercises reinforce theoretical knowledge and develop proficiency in blending techniques and quality assurance.

Practical Activities

• Blending Calculations and Recipe Formulation — Learners use Pearson's square and volume adjustments to calculate blending ratios for a target ABV and flavour profile, then formulate a recipe. (2h)
• Sensory Analysis of Base Spirits and Blends — Learners conduct triangle tests and descriptive analysis on unmatured and matured distillates, then evaluate their own blends. (2h)
• Small-Scale Blending and Filtration — Learners blend base spirits according to their recipe, adjust with adjuncts, and filter the blend to achieve clarity and stability. (3h)
• Quality Assurance Testing and Final Evaluation — Learners perform alcohol content measurement, pH test, and sensory evaluation on their blend, then complete a specification sheet. (2h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.