Weeping Gently into the Night

Writer's Tears is an Irish blend of single pot still and single malt whiskies. This was an impulse buy, as the name of the whisky just jumped out at me, probably because I was grading exam scripts over that fateful weekend. It seemed apt that I should drink Writer's Tears while grading Writers' Works, and imbibe all the anguish and pain that my students must have felt when writing those exam scripts. I believe no writers were actually harmed in the process of making this whisky, and I hope my students emerge from the exam stronger. Tears can be the nourishment of a renewed strength.

I wonder about the marketing though. Do writers cry a lot? Or do they turn to whisky when they cry...? I'm sure that's not a healthy coping mechanism...

And I hope the whisky doesn't make me cry. It was a blind impulse buy, after all. Less than $100 from Vom Fass, Ion Orchard, Singapore.

Writer's Tears (40% abv)

Colour - Gold.

Nose - Lots of apples on the nose, with nice notes of vanilla and oak. A rounded honey, caramel backbone runs through this nosing. This seems to be something Irish pot stills have in common. I liked this nosing profile in the Redbreast 12, and I like it here too.

Palate - Mm. Very pleasant and easy to drink. Some light cinnamon comes to mind. Ripe apples, that turns to pretty big banana notes. Ripe bananas. Honey, vanilla. Mangoes, maybe? This is very sweet, gentle and smooth. Some oak in the background, but the sweetness and smoothness is what takes centre stage.

Finish - The finish doesn't leave much of an impression. Easy drinking. Smooth, some oak, a wee bit of wood tannin, but globally a sweet dram right to the end. Honey and ripe apples and bananas.



Overall - This is value for money! And a great name too! Smooth, easy drinking whisky for nights when you don't want something too complex. A good nightcap, I imagine, and a great introduction to Irish whisky. It's going to be hard to dislike this. Would I take this over the Redbreast 12? Hmm. Tough call. I think the Redbreast 12 just edges it slightly with its more complex spice notes. The bananas in Writer's Tears seem to border on being a little too ripe, and I know this is reason to knock off a few points in the books of some reviewers. How these great drinks are selling at $100 or less, I will never understand. Good stuff.

I think there's a cask strength version of this on the market. Time to look out for that.