Along with The Irishman, Writers’ Tears falls under the Walsh Whiskey umbrella. In the traditional Irish Copper Pot style, this whiskey contains both malted (60%) and un-malted (40%) barley. It’s non-age stated, sourced from an unnamed distillery and then blended and bottled by Walsh Whiskey at 40% abv.

Many thanks to Darryl for supplying this sample and the photo. You can follow him on Instagram at @whiskeysith.

Nose: Classic Irish Copper Pot character. When I first poured this into my glass, I got a white wine note, like a Chardonnay. After a while in the glass, this has faded substantially. This is replaced by juicy, fresh cut apple and graham crackers. I’m guessing that these are first fill Bourbon casks as I still get a good dose of cinnamon and a touch of vanilla. This is a little bit floral as well. The oils from a freshly expressed orange peel round this out. Quite an expressive nose for such a low ABV.

Palate: The entry is oily and coats the mouth immediately. Very strong high-quality apple juice vibes (like the stuff you find in hoity-toity organic food markets) initially and that carries through to the end of the experience. Subsequent sips dial that back a bit, however. The vanilla and cinnamon reassert themselves during the development. The peel and flesh of a navel orange as well as ripe pear float on top. The spice and citrus make the tongue tingle a bit. Smacking my lips reveals a slight toasted walnut note at the end of the development

Finish: A nice dark chocolate starts to form at the beginning of the finish. The sweetness from the apple, the bitterness from the chocolate and the fading spice end the experience with a nice balance.

Conclusion

I’ve been meaning to try Writers’ Tears for a long time and now I see why this whiskey has such a devout following. It drinks beyond its proof, has a lovely mouthfeel and possess a nice, balanced finish. Darryl has sent me a number of core expressions and special releases from this brand and I’ll pepper them in here and there to see what different maturations and barrel finishes do to this impressive base.

Instagram: @paul.bovis