Writers' Tears Copper Pot

Nose: light pear, honey and hay Taste: pear carries through but more of a stewed pear, vanilla, cinnamon, buttery biscuit. Finish: vanilla/honey and spice, short. Very smooth and bright whiskey

Tasted neat from a grappa copita after several minutes of rest. This has a very mild but pleasant nose. I get a wildflower honey, ripe apple flesh, some tart apple skin and a nice lack of ethanol. If one inhales through the mouth and nose some tropical elements emerge, primarily banana and slight kiwi. It's very pleasant and inviting. Not at all challenging, but still entertaining. On the tongue this whiskey offers a bit less of a panoramic experience. Starting with a soft, almost velvety mouthfeel there is a foundation of sweet fermented grain that is accented by vanilla & floral honey. There's a slight citrus note to the back palate with a bitter finish of green banana peel. A soft blush of pepper keeps things from being too soft. This is nice. It's very easy to sip, entertaining but not challenging. It's not complex. It shows all its colors pretty quickly, but it also is very accommodating. Served in a soda highball this was refreshing and well balanced. On ice it's overly tamed, I think. I rate on a bell curve scale. Most production whiskies should score between 2 and 3 with a peak of 2.5. To rate above 3 it would have to show notable value or taste. To rate above 4 is exceptional. I think this is a bit better than average, so it deserves at least a 3. I like this a bit more than Tullamore D.E.W. and I scored that as a 2.5 - right in the middle of the curve. As good as it is, Writer's Tears is also more than twice the price of the Tully. It is an easy sipper, and an okay value. This is tasty neat and adaptable to some cocktail use, but at 80 proof it is a bit spineless. I think for taste this gets a 3.25 balanced against a value of 2.75.