Writer's Tears Double Oak
A Pallet of Irish - Part VII of VII
3 287
Review by @talexander
- Nose22
- Taste22
- Finish21
- Balance22
- Overall87
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- Brand: Writer's Tears
- Type: Irish
- ABV: 46%
Our 7th and last Irish, timed perfectly with March 17! This is the new expression of Writers' Tears, courtesy of Walsh Whiskey (whose The Irishman Founders Reserve I wrote about a few days ago). This one is also a blend of Irish pot still and single malt, but matured in both Kentucky bourbon barrels and Cognac French oak casks. Non-chill-filtered.
The colour is a buttery gold. On the nose there is a fair amount of toffee, cinnamon, caramel apple, papaya, grape and Anjou pear. Quite fruity with a toffee-vanilla theme running through. Much like some of the other Irish I've had in the last few days, water brings out the maltiness. Not bad but too caramel-y.
On the palate it is quite sweet with more toffee and vanilla, which are way upfront. Syrupy mouthfeel. The fruitiness is still there, with a bit of pineapple thrown in with the apples and berries. With time, some of the nuttiness from the pot still comes through - and water really helps with that. But still a bit too sweet.
The finish is spicy with the caramel continuing to overpower. Given its position of #10 in the 2019 Top 20 in Whisky Advocate, I was expecting a bit more than an overly-familiar bourbon-barrel caramel-vanilla profile. The spice (which I guess partly comes from the French Cognac oak) is a welcome addition - and it does improve with time in the glass. But compared to the other Irish I've tasted over the last few days, it is a bit of a letdown. Oh, and one more thing - Happy St Patrick-Covid-19 Day!
@talexander An excellent and very helpful run through some Irish whiskeys. You’ve got me rethinking my anti Irish bias. Unfortunately, I have nothing Irish for St. Paddys Day. Had to go with Springbank 10 and Ardbeg 10 while listening to an excellent vinyl pressing of Miles Davis’s E.S.P. Finishing up with Kilchoman 100% Islay and Wes Montgomery, Smokin’ at the Half Note. Maybe next year it will be Black Bush and the Pogues.
Cheers