Good day all,
I enrolled in the BBS course under a recent promotion and began class in January. I am also interested in how the current curriculum will translate to the new test and am anxiously waiting for the AHA to release the on-line portion so I can take that test.
I will say this, the course does a very good job delivering testing strategies, ways to study, and techniques for breaking down information such as recipes and processes. They also force you to taste and evaluate different styles of beer, and hear what other people taste and smell. I have found that to be a great asset. I've done some sensory analysis training in the past and there is no substitute for having a group taste the same beer and share their impressions.
I am sure you could tackle a lot of the information yourself but the BBS guys do a good job presenting the material and highlighting testing strategies. When the test changes, I am sure they will be supportive to those of us who have studied under the old syllabus.
I am only one person, but I am pretty happy with the class so far. If I had to note one complaint it would only be that at times their responsiveness to e-mailed questions and homework is a bit slow. This is really a minor complaint and may very well be isolated to just me.
Overall, Charlie and the rest of the BBS folks put on a really solid and well focused course. I am a satisfied customer after Week 10.