First Impressions
Writer's Tears Copper Pot — a recreation of a lost 19th-century Irish whiskey style. The fabled 'Writer's Tears' was a pot still/malt blend nicknamed the 'champagne of Irish whiskey,' said to be so good that when the great Irish writers wept, their tears were whiskey.
The Walsh Revival
Created by Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, who founded Walsh Whiskey in 1999 to revive traditional Irish styles. Initially contract-distilled at Bushmills; their own Royal Oak distillery in County Carlow opened in 2016, returning whiskey-making to the county for the first time in 200 years. This is 60% single pot still and 40% single malt — no grain whiskey, triple-distilled, from flame-charred American oak bourbon casks.
Tasting
Fresh apple and vanilla nose with toffee and blood orange. The palate delivers green apple, hazelnut, and creamy vanilla with that distinctive pot still texture. The finish is short and sweet with milk chocolate and orange liqueur. Gold at the International Spirits Challenge. Listed in Ian Buxton's '101 Whiskeys to Try Before You Die.'
The Verdict
Writer's Tears earns a 7 — an accessible, quality entry point to pot still Irish whiskey at a fair price. The no-grain blend gives it more character than typical Irish blends, and the literary branding is charming. At £40, a good introduction to what Irish whiskey can be beyond Jameson.
