Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by Walsh Whiskey. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Supposedly, writing and whiskey go hand in hand. There are stacks of books written by notoriously drunk authors, and the tales of their drunken debauchery are much taller. Creating a fine whiskey is similar to creating a literature masterpiece, so it is quite apt that a whiskey be branded Writers’ Tears.
Walsh Whiskey first produced Writers’ Tears in 1999, although it did not hit the U.S. market until 2015. Bernard and Rosemary Walsh vowed to create an Irish whiskey that would change the reputation of Irish whiskey. While Writers’ Tears is a blended whiskey, the blend is from premium aged single pot still and aged single malts. The 2020 Writers’ Tears Cask Strength marks the tenth iteration for this annual release.
In 2016, Walsh Whiskey broke ground in Royal Oak and built a distillery to produce eight million bottles yearly. There are plans for a Writers’ Tears release in 2023 with the all organic, triple distilled spirit from the distillery. Unfortunately, we do not get a taste of it in the 2020 Writers’ Tears Cask Strength. It does, however, have a new label design and packaging for the exclusive, super-premium expression.
Given we are in the digital age, I cannot write my review on my typewriter, so please enjoy my notes below on the 2020 Writers’ Tears Cask Strength.
Tasting Notes: Writers’ Tears Cask Strength (2020)
Vital Stats: 54.5% ABV. Pot still and single malt blended Irish whiskey matured in ex-bourbon barrels. Limited to a total of 3,000 bottles (1,500 for the United States and 1,500 globally). 750ml $150.
Appearance: Coppery amber
Nose: Honeycomb and cinnamon infiltrate the nostrils straight away. Grapefruit peel and lemongrass brighten up the whiskey. The dram seems almost syrupy with dried stone fruits like plum and apricot. A touch of raisin also comes through. Finally, the aroma of praline, butterscotch, and toffee linger on finish.
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Palate: The mouthfeel is slightly oily, but it is soft and full bodied. The whiskey is warm and full of baking spices. Overall, the whiskey is literally liquid malt and grain fully immerses the tongue. It is mellow for a cask strength, let alone an Irish whiskey. The whiskey is peppery and woody. A faint bit of sweetness comes from candied ginger.
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