Writers' Tears Double Oak

very spicy/fruity and lots going on if a bit harsh.

Writers Tears, in any of its permutations, will always make me smile. This is partially because it's worthwhile to drink, but plenty of it comes down to St. Patrick's Day 2017. I had an almost-three month old at the time, and my wife (who was still in residency) was working an overnight at the hospital. Said baby's godparents were having people over for the holiday, so I decided it was worth bundling the little one up against the chilly Chicago late winter air to venture our way out for Irish stew, soda bread, and very generous pours of whiskey. Not wanting to come empty handed, I brought a bottle of the Writers Tears Copper Pot (the only one available stateside at that point, at least by me). It was gone by the end of the evening, as was the Redbreast 15 that the godmother's mom, incidentally the Presiding Bishop of my denomination, had brought over. And what an evening - good food, better whiskey, and the best friends, up chatting until the wee hours while my little one peacefully slept in her carrier...it couldn't have been better. Good memories aside, this sister bottle of Writers Tears has plenty enough to commend itself. A blend of single malt and single pot still whiskies, it's matured in bourbon and cognac barrels, and the influence of both is easy enough to find, though the cognac barrel inflection stands out the most. There is a mildly citrusy, very sweet note on the nose that reminds me of Circus Peanut candies that I only ever get from cognac barrel aging. The American oak comes through with a whiff of sweet coconut and spice. The spirit itself shines through, though, with lemon zest, frosted cereal, apple, pear, almond, and toasty wheat. The palate is round, rich, and oily in that delightful single pot still way, with sweet fruit leading the charge and drier, spicier notes toward the finish, which is medium length and drier than I expected, but still marked by that cognac barrel quality, which comes out to play just when you think it's all over. Revelatory? Maybe not. The best value ever? Maybe not, but it's fairly priced enough. Delicious, easy-to-drink whiskey? I think so, in that friendly, charmingly subtle way that good Irish whiskey excels at capturing. It's like "Linger" by The Cranberries in a glass...you may not want to listen to it all the time, but it's hard not to like it for what it is.