Cicerone Certified?

I think I'm going to try the Certified Cicerone test (once I'm familiar with the syllabus and feel I'm adequately prepared) Just skimming through some of the sample, it seems surprisingly not all that difficult. I'm going to starting a Brewing Science certificate program this fall (if finances are not an issue) and I'd think that being a certified cicerone would have at least some benefit to getting a job. (Even if it doesn't, I love learning and bettering myself)

 

I love the idea of taking cicerone courses. However, the cost is too much for me. I'm a Lutheran parish pastor with three kids - buying good beer is enough that I get the look from my wife from time to time - let alone dropping a couple grand on some courses.

Are there any other courses that are available that are free or much less expensive?

 

I would love to get the certification one day, unfortunately, I do not think I am ready at this time......

 

Possibly a stupid question but, Can an expert in the field still like flawed or crappy beer? Are there blind tests along the way that gets everyones taste buds on the same playing field (or is that more BJCP)? Is a certified or master cicerone required to only like the best of the best? Is there subjective taste involved or is it all by the book?

I guess its like asking a chef if they can ever enjoy a five guys burger,or anything lower class.. I'm just interesed in how how some cicerones have couped with their new found knowledge and skillset.

Are there quite a few average and flawed beers out there? My years of merely drinking said beers shows that something is up in a quality department. I think I'd hate drinking if I were always on that judging aspect in the back of my mind.

 

OK, fair questions all and I'd be happy to tackle them and add some insight. It's going to be a long read folks...the TLDR crowd can feel free to skip ahead.

Can an expert still like flawed or crappy beer? Hmmm...interesting. Let's start with flawed. In my opinion, beer flaws come in two types, intentional and unintentional. An example of an intentional flaw would be a brewer who leaves some diacetyl in his Extra Special Bitter on purpose. Now, diacetyl is considered to be a flaw, but a little is allowed under style guidelines and can give the beer some additional character. So, a follow up question might be, is a flaw really a flaw if (any) consumer actually likes the flavor?

Beer with unintentional flaws is a different story. I opened a Blackberry Sour last night that had a nose dominated by what I can best describe as 'baby vomit'. This is normally associated with acetobacter and is usually associated with a sanitation issue. This ended up being a fairly expensive drainpour. I have the same issue with dirty beer lines in a draught system in that I can't get past just how bad the beer smells and will usually (quietly & tactfully) report the situation to management. So, generally speaking, I cannot stomach bad beer much in the same way you most likely are starting to balk at those Easter dinner leftovers.

Now, Crappy beer? I see this as a very subjective line. Do you mean really poorly made craft beer that, while technically flawless, is still drinkable but woefully pedestrian? I'll finish it, but I probably won't be back anytime soon. Or, by crappy, do you mean domestic mainstream lagers? I'll be honest and say that I steer clear of 'light' beers, but have absolutely no problem enjoying an ice-cold Budweiser or Coors Original if it fits the situation (which for me is pure refreshment). I like to think of myself as a geek or a guide, not a snob.

As a matter of fact there are. I received my Professional Beer Tasting & Styles certificate from Seibel back in 2007. It was a full week @ eight hours per day, taught by Randy Mosher and Ray Daniels. While the BJCP has a narrower (and deeper) focus on styles, one of the tasting portions of the exam is to identify whether a particular beer is stylistically correct and worthy of being served to a paying guest. An example of that would be to describe a beer as a Dry Irish Stout and then have the test sample contain an Oatmeal Stout. Sure, it sounds easy on paper...in person it's a whole different ballgame.

Only the best of the best is required? Nah...

As a matter of fact I stopped chasing whales quite a few years ago. Truth be known, Pale Ale, Vienna Lager & Bière de Garde are my favorite styles. I love a clean, fresh, flavorful and true to style example of an everyday drinker and love to get the brewer's insight as to how he or she achieves the magic.

On the topic of 'by the book'; the goal of the instruction is to get everyone close to being on the same page and at least within the same chapter. All taste is subjective. If I say I get pear in a particular Saison and you say you get apricot...who am I to argue? Our tasting descriptors are all based on life experiences and it just could be that the pear I ate in Michigan growing up tastes an awful lot like an apricot grown in New Mexico. The easiest was to experience this is to find a beer competition and just listen to the judges...we converse, argue, and fight for our own tastes while trying to steer someone else away from their own opinion. It's fun, passionate discourse and good sport as well.

Nice analogy. In my experience, everybody is different. Whether we want to admit it or not, beer does have a class structure. Sure, I enjoy a night out now and again with a princess...but can hardly afford that lifestyle on a permanent basis; and no matter what we say publicly, it would get boring. As a result, I tend to hand mostly with the girl next door. Good, clean wholesome fun, generally affordable and I don't have to apologize to anyone for it. Annnnnnnd...every now and again, I'll cross the tracks to the seedier part of town for some cheap entertainment and down-n-dirty fun.

If we look at the situation literally, 50% of all the beers out there are below average.

There has never been a better time for beer in America. We have over 4,000 breweries and probably close to another 1,000 in planning. That said, there is a lot of bad beer out there. It's troubling to me to see start-up projects that don't have a microscope, let alone a QA lab. Those following the hype will be forced to exit at some point, but also keep in mind that most of America doesn't know exactly what good beer should look and taste like.

Ken Grossman said it best at BeerCamp when he stated, "Let's make sure we support all the good beer that is out there".

Looking at the last part of your statement, I could not agree with you more. Beer is my career, it pays the bills and I love what I do. Having said that, every now and then I enjoy nothing more than going to my local sports bar, gabbing some wings and a pint and just enjoy what the experience has to offer. It's important to me to be able to turn it off and relax.

Cheers mate!

 

This is not specific to the topic of Cicerone but I thought you might be interested in something that Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead stated:

“I actually find myself drinking Miller High Life or Budweiser because those beers are perfectly crafted. They’re soft and there are off flavors, but they’re intentional. There are flaws that they intentionally put in the beer in order to continue the flavor profile, but those beers are really easy to drink. Not all beers are easy to drink.”

http://www.classickicks.com/2014/02/shaun-hill-interview/

Cheers!

 

I have the level 2 (Certified Cicerone), and work in the industry as well. While it alone will not get you a "sweet job" in the industry, it is a nice bullet point on the resume. The largest benefit is that is gives you credibility amongst retailers/distributors/brewers, as opposed to the thousands of self proclaimed beer experts. Just don't go over the top in advertising that you know more than anyone else in the room because you have a level 2, because nobody likes that guy!

If you're in the industry it's a worthwhile investment, if only for the depth of knowledge gained during preparation for the test.

Words of advice: Memorize styles (IBU, ABV, SRM ranges) and basic history as those make up a majority of the questions and a large essay question. Also invest in the tasting kit and use a Sam Adams Light as your spiked beer. There's room for error on the written test, not so much on the tasting

Best of luck!

 

Thank you so much sir! Training for the second level will be more of a challenge!

 

Pretty sure they added an advanced level between certified and master.