Tastes

Nose - Shortbread cookies, berries, cinnamon and other baking spices, a hint of oak/vanilla, and cooking fruits (apples/pears). Palate - Full-bodied and incredibly rich. Cereal and graham crackers, dark berries, milk chocolate, toffee, cinnamon spice, and pepper. Finish - Long-lasting. Coats your tongue and is not overly harsh. Excellent combination of complex flavors. I enjoyed Irish Tears' Copper Pot, but I felt that with a name like "Writers' Tears", there should be drama. It should be something complex enough to warrant the name. I found Copper Pot's smell underwhelming. The flavors were good but almost overly-sweet and vanished quickly. Looking at Double Oak side by side with Copper Pot, Double Oak is much darker in color and looks more like Green Spot. Double Oak also comes in a higher ABV at 46% (non-chill filtered) instead of Copper Pot's 40%. Some of my favorite whiskies are experimental whiskies finished in different barrels, so between the finishing and higher proof I was very earger to try this one out. The good news is that Writers' Tears Double Oak delivers on all 3 criteria with more of everything. It has an intriguing aroma. Where Copper Pot smelled like green apples and malt, Double Oak is reminiscent of freshly baked apple pie with all of the notes of sugar, browned pie crust, baked apples, and cinnamon. On the palate, Double Oak is packed with interesting flavors that sit in harmony without being overly sweet. The flavors also coat your mouth and stay with you for much longer on the finish. I was not expecting enough changes to justify the price gap between Copper Pot and Double Oak, but I was pleasantly surprised. Like Teeling, this is another interesting twist on standard Irish whiskey and I like it.

Nose - Cinnamon, oak, fruit and floral notes, rye spice, and some vanilla. Taste - Savory flavors, rye bite, oak, honey, and dried fruit. Finish - Short, warming, some oak spice. On the nose, this initially smells like a normal sweet bourbon. Letting it sit for a few minutes, I picked up on more subtle floral notes and fruity aromas. Tasting the whiskey, you are hit with a wall of various flavors similar to a high proof Knob Creek or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, but without the added alcohol burn. With every sip, you pick up on another savory flavor that makes you want to go back for another. I bet this would scale well at a higher proof. This is a fantastic whiskey. It ticks several boxes: it is affordable, complex, and interesting. I want to try a barrel strength version and the various recipes Four Roses offers, but they are not available near me, unfortunately.

Nose - Green apples, oak spice, and sweet vanilla. Hint of coconut. Taste - Corn syrup, fruity. Finish - Medium to long length. Metallic/vodka aftertaste. On the nose, this smells like a wheated bourbon blended with Irish shortbread. Very sweet and pleasant. On the palate, there's an initial burst of flavor and ethanol bite, but it's immediately turned down, sort of like when you start your car, but you forgot how loud the stereo was and you rush to turn the volume down. The finish is sweet and clingy. It tastes like a sugar and syrup solution. There's a hint of the metallic taste I get from Jameson that I typically associate with neutral spirits/vodka. I prefer the Teeling Small Batch to this, but it is still an enjoyable whiskey. I would call it simple compared to Teeling's other offerings, but more complex than many of the other, cheaper Irish whiskies I have tried

Nose - Caramel, vanilla, and oak spices. Taste - Butterscotch candy, some oak, fruit, and sweet vanilla. Finish - Medium length, well-balanced flavor and spice. Cost is factor in how I rate my whiskey tastes. I am fortunate enough to have this readily available at $22, which is a bargain, because it tastes more expensive than it is. It is so well-balanced that it could be a gateway drink for anyone to experience bourbon without the kick in the teeth. On the nose, it smells like a standard bourbon. There are the normal bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, but there is something else that is more alluring that makes you want to breathe it in deeply. It smells so good that I would love to have a cologne made from it, but that might raise a few questions at work. On the palate, the same smells follow into the taste. The sweetness is still there, but it is combined with fruit, oak and rye spice in a balanced concoction. There is a little bit of everything to please a wide audience.

Nose - Sweet aroma, shortbread biscuit, white wine, red apples and oranges. Taste - Caramel kettle corn, smooth butter, sweet vanilla, a hint of oak, and mango fruit. Finish - Mmm. In college, I was introduced to Irish whiskey with cheap, blended whiskies. They were smooth, but they all had a similar profile (the signature Irish shortbread cookie flavor) with no complexity. Teeling has made Irish whiskey interesting with different wine and rum cask finishes and a higher proof. I have not yet had a Teeling that I did not enjoy and this single malt is a damn good whiskey. On the nose, I get a very pleasant aroma of white wine and various fruits. Specifically, red apples and oranges come to mind. There is also a faint hint of vanilla bean. On the palate, this tastes like caramel kettle corn, vanilla, and salty butter. On the finish, the sweet and savory buttery taste follows to an extremely smooth finish. This is a complex whiskey that drinks much lower than its proof. On every sip you will find different things.

Nose - Butter biscuit, fruit, berries, and spice. Palate - Green apples, honey, tangerines, and vanilla. Finish - Cocoa, graham crackers. Green Spot is an Irish single pot still whiskey aged in both bourbon barrels and sherry casks and the result is a wonderful combination of shortbread malt, fruit, oak spice, and vanilla. On the nose, this smells like a traditional Irish pot still whiskey with the normal shortbread cookie aroma, but then you pick up on more subtle notes of dried berries and fruit from the sherry casks. The taste is warm and well-balanced considering there are a handful of different flavors to sift through. Every sip presents another layer of complexity. It tastes like it is much higher proof than it actually is. Putting Green Spot side by side with Redbreast 12 is an apples to oranges comparison. Both are excellent Irishy whiskies and each brings their own unique smell and taste.

Nose - Caramel, vanilla, cherry, brown sugar and oak, and almost no alcohol vapor. Taste - Gingersnap cookies, marshmallows, dark chocolate, a small amount of spice burn. Finish - Medium-to-long. Lingering brown sugar taste with a hint of oak spice. It smells like maple syrup and pancakes. The taste is thick and chewy, and reminds me of Christmas cookies. It is 115 proof and it does not taste like it. It isn't entirely smooth but it is incredibly balanced with a wall of different flavors. Adding a dash of water helps bring out additional marshmallow sweetness. This is a surprising whiskey. I read fantastic things about it and I was expecting it to be all hype, but I could not have been more wrong. It is a complex, delicious bourbon with just the right amount of kick. I was surprised to see the Distiller expert score for this is only 85. The scores are subjective, but they have no credibility with me when Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon is sitting at 96. If you enjoy bourbon then try this whiskey. You will not be disappointed.

Nose - Candied vanilla, several herbal notes. Taste - Oily, some oak, Christmas spice, brown sugar, gin/juniper. Finish - Long, slight spice burn. This is an extremely well-rounded rye whiskey that is not overpowered by rye spice. Every sip is a smorgasbord of different flavors that are hard to identify. This is a funky adventure that is a good sipper and would make an excellent cocktail.

Nose - Sweet honey, oranges, and brown sugar. Taste - Caramel sweet, orange citrus, some oak spice, very subtle smoke. Finish - Long and sweet. This is my third Scotch whisky. Coming from Ardbeg smoke and Monkey Shoulder sweetness, this is a good balance between both ends of the spectrum. This is a very approachable, well-balanced whisky that is not overly sweet or smoky. The peat is there but it never draws attention to itself. The slight orange aroma on the nose carries over to the taste as a pleasant addition.

Nose - Rich aroma, some coastal brine, musty mulch, burning brush smoke, rich and dark, earthy. Taste - Medium-bodied, smoked ham, pepper, hint of oak spice, coffee. Finish - Long and smooth, buttery, fruit notes. This whisky is a fun adventure. This was my first peated whisky after an in-depth tour of bourbon and it is quite a dramatic change of pace. The nose conjurs memories of family get-togethers on the farm, burning brush and wood scraps, and my Dad and uncle smoking cigars. I believe it is the phenol aroma from the peat smoke that reminds of the kerosene used to burn brush. The taste gives a fresh, rush of flavors without being overly complex. They all come together nicely in a smooth ride. The finish is light, buttery smooth finish similar to a white wine. It is a weird, fun combination.