Review: Writers Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey   (90/100)
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted July 06, 2017

Bernard and Rosemary Walsh began producing their own independent Irish Whiskey brands in 2007 with the introduction of The Irishman 70 (aka The Irishman Original Clan in the USA) and The Irishman – Single Malt. In 2009 they expanded the portfolio with the introduction Writers Tears, a boutique brand which was created to bring additional nuance to the Irish Whiskey Category.

The subject of this review, Writers Tears Copper Pot Irish Whisky, is a vatting of Single Malt and Single Pot Still whiskeys (60% Pot Still and 40% Single Malt), triple-distilled, and aged in American Oak ex-bourbon casks.

The spirit is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume without chill filtering.

In the Bottle 4/5

As you can see from the picture to the left, the Writers Tears Copper Pot arrives in a standard bar-room style whiskey bottle. These bottles are very popular especially for bartenders as they are easy to grab from the bar shelf and easy to pour into the bar glass. An attractive display box adds to the ambiance of the presentation. The only obvious flaw is the metallic screw cap which closes the bottle. I dislike those metallic caps as they are quite flimsy, and will sometimes lose their thread before the bottle is finished.

I was told when I received my sample bottle that the Writer’s Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey had replaced Writers Tears Pot Still Irish Whiskey, in the Walsh Whiskey line-up. In my review for the POt Still version of the whiskey (see here), I was troubled by the brand messaging which alluded to great Irish Poets who would turn to a bottle of whiskey for inspiration as a cure for writer’s block. I am happy to report that what I saw as misguided messaging on the display box the whiskey arrives in has been replaced by a more complete product description of the whiskey. I am much happier. (I am of course curious my criticism played any part in the decision to change the brand messaging.)

In the Glass 9/10

I began my examination of the new Copper Pot Whiskey by pouring a small amount into my glencairn glass. I give the copper coloured whisky a slow tilt and twirl and when I inspected the crest which formed I saw moderately fat droplets forming which slowly dropped medium-sized legs back down into the whiskey. The initial aroma from the glass brings combined scents of honeyed butterscotch, fine wood and oak spices, graham wafer, vanilla and almond into the air. There is light but firm indication of corn as well as hints of citrus orange peel. As the glass breathes the wood and oak spices gain momentum. Rich nutty smells of barley grain well up, as do lovely leather-like aromas, and scents and smells which remind me of a freshly cut autumn hay field.

I really like the nose which seems very well-balanced with just the right amounts of spice and sweetness. Although the oak and barley-like scents dominate, they do not smother the lighter nuances which continue to wind their way into the breezes above the glass. This is quite lovely.

In the Mouth 54.5/60

One of the problems I had when writing this review was that I found the Writers Tears Copper Pot Whiskey extremely easy to enjoy. I would site down with my pen and paper to jot down my taste descriptors, but found myself enjoying the whiskey too much to worry about written notes. After several tasting sessions the bottle had a huge dent made to its fill line, but all I had written was, “Fine oak spice melded beautifully into light butterscotch and almond.” There was of course much more going on and I finally had to force myself to pay more attention to the task at hand.

The fine oak spices carry hints of ginger and cinnamon with perhaps a touch of nutmeg. The light butterscotch brings to mind Halloween toffee and light hints of corn syrup. And the nutty almond moves towards marzipan bringing along an impression of hazelnut. Despite the light sweetness, a ripple of rye-like bitterness comes forward as well and this impression of bitterness seems to dry the palate tempting me to take another sip. Bits of leather and a light grassiness can also be found in the flavour profile of an Irish whisky which I would describe as nuanced and easy to enjoy.

In the Throat   13.5/15

During the exit I find my palate and tonsils heated by wood spice. There is a light ebbing bitterness dries the throat, and induces another sip. The combination of light heat and dry bitterness is very appealing especially as there is just enough sweetness to bring balance through the exit.

The Afterburn 9/10

Writers Tears Copper Pot is complex, yet approachable; full of barley goodness, yet also rife with the nuances of the bourbon barrel. Simply put it is a wonderful Irish Whiskey; although it is perhaps just a little dangerous. This is because it is so easy to enjoy, and one glass tends to leads to another.

My final score is 90/100 which means it has reached that plateau where I begin to become selfish and want to hoard the bottle for myself. I probably will share it with my best friends; but only if they make their way over to see me quite soon.

You may read some of my other Whisky Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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Munster Cocktail

2  oz Writers Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey
1/4 oz Orange Curacao
1/8 oz Sugar Syrup
dash Angostura Bitters
Ice
Orange Peel

Place the four ingredients into a mixing glass
Shake until the outside of the shaker begins to frost
Strain into a chilled rocks glass with Ice
Garnish with Orange Peel

Enjoy Responsibly!

If  you are interested in more cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

As always you may interpret the scores I provide as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74   Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79   You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84   We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89   Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94   Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+        I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be more familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)