Nose: Floral vanilla, sherry, oak. Buttery rich and earthy. As it rests in the glass a basket of fruity aromas begins to form - apple, pear, apricot, cherry. There's also a faint note of lavender, violets and rose. Palate: The arrival is light and sweet with a barley sugar quality. In the development it gains a lot of gristy cereal notes but also turns slightly bitter with sour green apple and tannic over-brewed black tea notes. A peppery character appears towards the end along with dark bitter cocoa. The texture is a little on the waxy side, but pleasantly so. Finish: Medium. Rather spirity and with a bitter metallic hint. I've always thought the nose on Writers Tears to be much superior to the palate, and this particular tasting did nothing to change my mind. Neat, the nose is full and fragrant and a little reminiscent of the better Jameson expressions. Watered it loses all of its punch. The palate is fresh and sweet but lacking in depth. The addition of water does little to change it, bringing out some maltiness that doesn't quite balance the bitter notes. Writers Tears has never seemed to me to be much more than an over-hyped average whisky and it doesn't justify its price. I wouldn't select it as a sipping tipple and it's too expensive to choose as a mixer. The sour/bitter/cocoa finish seems out of step and overly prominent and is a big let-down for me. "Average" : 77/100 (2.5 stars)