FIRST SIP: Writers' Tears Double Oak from Walsh Whiskey

Husband and wife team Bernard & Rosemary Walsh founded Walsh Whiskey in County Carlow in 1999. They previously owned the Royal Oak distillery, also in County Carlow, in a partnership with Ilva Saronno (makers of Disaronno), an arrangement that ended in 2019. In addition to Writers' Tears, Walsh also produces The Irishman line of single malt and pot stilled whiskeys.

Writers' Tears pays homage to Ireland's reputation as the home of some of history's most prominent authors including James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde & W.B. Yeats. 

The Writers' Tears Double Oak whiskey is triple distilled in American Oak, French Oak, and cognac casks. Other Writers' Tears varieties include the Copper Pot, the Cask Strength, the Red Head (finished in Spanish sherry butts) & a Limited Edition Japanese Cask that is matured in a single Mizunara oak cask. 

A bit of spicy goodness! We definitely pick up some notes of cinnamon and vanilla. There is also a tasty (but not overpowering) peppery spiciness that stays on your tongue well after the liquid hits your stomach. A bit of citrus contributes as well. Writers' Tears Double Oak isn't too spicy-- just enough so that it has a little bite to keep your interest for a taoscán (or two). 

There's a lot to appreciate about the Double Oak, especially on a chilly night where the pleasant spiciness helps warm you up. It retails for $57-70 here in the U.S.

Writers' Tears Double Oak: 92 POINTS