As promised (for anyone keeping track), I revisited the Writers'Tears Mizunara Cask side-by-side with the Chivas Regal Mizunara. My initial suspicions were confirmed: comparable whiskies but the Chivas Regal is a $50 bottle while the Writers' Tears was $100. First, I will say that the Writers' Tears is better today than I remember from yesterday, for whatever reason. I do notice more fruity floral qualities with a woodsy smokiness on the end (maybe there is some sandalwood incense after all? 😅). As I noted previously, there's still a harsh quality to this that makes it somewhat unpleasant. I also noticed a cinnamon-esque bite at the end in the finish - but it's an artificial cinnamon in a cinnamon candy kind of way. By comparison, the nose is more mossy and less pleasant on the Chivas - but the mouthfeel and flavor are noticeably better. My wife did this side-by-side with me tonight, and she agrees. The Chivas drinks softer and sweeter. I get a honey quality (mirin maybe?) as well as nuttiness. There's also a slight ocean quality to this that helps round the whole thing out. Honestly, I like this (the Chivas) a lot more than I remember liking it in the past.