Writers’ Tears Copper Pot / Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT 

40% ABV 

Whiskey

Ireland

At the apex of Irish whiskey’s dominance in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Emerald Isle’s chief export could be found in the most far-flung corners of the world. 

“I was surprised when I looked at the export records from the 1860s and 70s and I saw sales to Brazil, Mauritius, Panama, Honduras, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada,” Carol Quinn, the archivist for Irish Distillers, said in a 2019 interview with The Irish Times. I don’t think there was another product from Ireland at that time that had such a worldwide reach, and it wasn’t being sold cheaply in shebeens or taverns. It was an expensive product for the connoisseur.” 

During roughly that same time, Irish novelists, poets, and playwrights like George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, and Bram Stoker were making profound waves in the literary world. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923 and Shaw in 1925. These transcendental writers would often find solace from their hardships and inspiration for their writings in their local public house or tavern. It was Oscar Wilde who famously wrote what is perhaps the cleverest and most thought-provoking line about drinking, “Work is the curse of the drinking class.” 

It’s from this time of world-class whiskey, geo-political struggles, and profound writings that Walsh Whiskey took inspiration for Writers’ Tears. The whiskey is produced in the uniquely Irish style of triple-distilling malted and unmalted barley and aging it in charred ex-bourbon barrels. The result is a whiskey that has brought home numerous accolades including winning gold twice at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as winning gold three times in the International Spirits Challenge. 

Pairing by: Erik Calviño

Tasting Notes: Writers’ Tears Copper Pot

The whiskey has a beautiful golden color in the glass and delivers an enticing nose of spiced apple, biscuit, honey, and a touch of vanilla. The mouthfeel is crisp and light with rounded flavors of honey, tropical fruit, soft spices and oak. It is elegant and ultra-smooth, making it easy to enjoy neat or with just a splash of spring water. 

Cigar Pairing: Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT 

Be mindful of the whiskey’s light and delicate nature when choosing the cigar. Overly earthy and peppery cigars will likely overwhelm the Writers’ Tears. We recommend the balanced but flavorful Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT. The cigar’s core of cedar, lightly roasted nuts, and vanilla cream over a subtle base of earth bring out a decadent, rich vanilla cream in the whiskey while the whiskey’s oaky finish has a mouth-watering effect that adds a different dimension to the smoke. 

This article appeared in the Sep/Oct 2023 issue. Subscribe today to get the magazine in your mailbox.

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