
Writer's Tears is a blend of pot still and malt whisky from the emerald isle. It's available world wide, as far as I can tell, and is priced fairly competitively here in the UK (around £30). This is my second bottle of Writer's Tears and had I been reviewing the last bottle I had the following would have a markedly different tone. Let's find out why . . .
This bottle has been open two months or so, almost half gone and has been decanted twice. Pour here is neat but sat around 15 minutes.
Nose: Lovely. Unmistakable pot still character of dusty copper notes, creamy vanilla and green apple, with a hint of cardamom and a little cinnamon. A little fudgy toffee as well (it's taken some time to get to here though it must be said)
Taste: Wait a minute. No, wait. Wait . . . no, it's just not there! Seriously, even now after over two months air exposure and decanting all I'm getting is a little alcohol (less than there was initially), some tart apple and a wee hint of the pot still base. Thin mouthfeel.
Finish: Some slight cinnamon and tannins. Vanilla? Short.
As you can probably tell, this whiskey hasn't impressed. I've been super patient and even handed with it - even willing and encouraging it to blossom but, alas, this one is simply a bit below par. I will say it has got better with time and air, but not hugely; however, given the price it's not that big of a gut punch. I think what hurts the most is that the last bottle was really good and I'd have recommended it to anyone. This one will now serve as my 'whistle whetter' in the place of a standard blend (or get blended itself). Shame, could just be a bad bottle, who knows?
I was SOOOO excited to bring home a bottle of this from Northern Ireland in 2014.
And I was SOOOO disappointed when I opened it.
It must have been the context but I quite enjoyed my first taste of Writers' Tears. My soon political mentor came over after a nice dinner out, and he brought this bottle I had bought him for his birthday (the day after the 2014 Provincial election in which he had run). He was/is a fan of Irish Whiskey. So we sat in my basement and poured a generous dram (his Glencairn was refilled a few times) and most of the bottle was gone (and he took the rest home). I remember it being fruity and pleasant.
I've since tasted it and not been as impressed. I've opened a bottle of the CS version which I thought tasted a little less refined than the Redbreast 12 CS, and I think I tasted some of the regular stuff somewhere and was not awed.
I have a bottle of this gifted by the wife of a patient. I was always trying to get him to switch from Tullamore D.E.W. (which his previous palliative doctor had recommended - he got one of those from her). That one I'm loath to open as it was a gift, and I think that this review tells me it's value is more as a gift than as a dram...