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Writer's Tears Red Head

spicy woody
4
(2)€40Ireland, Carlow, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

The name Red Head comes from color, not character. Writer's Tears triple-distils this single malt, then rests it fully in hand-selected Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. That full sherry-cask maturation gives the whisky its deep ruby hue. The Walsh family built its reputation reviving old styles of Irish whisky. It pours deep amber and drinks rich, full of dried fruit, cherry, and brown sugar. Spice and toasted almond linger into a long, warming finish. Best enjoyed neat and unhurried, the kind of dram that rewards a slow second pour. It's an easy whisky to return to, comforting rather than showy.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Writer's Tears

Bernard and Rosemary Walsh founded their family whisky business in 1999. Years later, they built a working distillery on the Royal Oak estate in County Carlow, Ireland. Writer's Tears is their tribute to a golden era when Irish pot still whisky led the world. That 19th-century style blended pot still and malt whisky in copper stills, a combination once called the 'champagne of Irish whisky.' Writers of the day, among them James Joyce, W.B. Yeats and Oscar Wilde, were known to enjoy a glass in their local pubs. The Walshes revived the old recipe almost a century after it had nearly disappeared. The brand's name comes from an old legend about those literary drinkers. Legend says they loved this pot still and malt whisky so much that when they cried, their tears were made of whisky. Writer's Tears keeps that story alive today, one dram at a time.

3.9Average rating

10Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Writer's Tears Red Head

Writer's Tears Red Head is a single malt Irish whisky from Writer's Tears, distilled in County Carlow, Ireland. Unlike the brand's flagship blend, this expression is matured completely in Oloroso sherry butts, no bourbon barrels involved. The result is built around sherry character: dried fruit, cherry, brown sugar. A spicy, almond edge rounds it out. At 46% ABV and without chill filtration, it keeps a fuller texture than many entry-level Irish whiskies. It rewards drinking neat rather than mixed. Writer's Tears comes from the Walsh family, founded by Bernard and Rosemary Walsh in County Carlow, Ireland. The Walshes built their reputation reviving older, less common styles of Irish whisky. Every batch of Writer's Tears Red Head is triple-distilled, a traditional Irish method. That produces a lighter, cleaner new-make spirit before cask ageing even begins. For Red Head, that spirit rests entirely in hand-selected Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. That differs from the ex-bourbon wood used for other Writer's Tears releases. Pour Writer's Tears Red Head and the sherry influence is obvious straight away. Dried fruit and cherry sit alongside caramel and brown sugar. A warm streak of cinnamon and allspice runs underneath. Vanilla and a light floral note soften the edges. Even so, the grain still shows through, almost buttery. There's a faint grapefruit tang on the finish, cutting through the sweetness before it fades. It is a rounder, richer single malt than the brand's standard bottling. Most drinkers know Writer's Tears through its Copper Pot blend. Red Head shows a different side of the same house. It swaps blended lightness for something denser and more dessert-like. That makes it a good next step for drinkers who already enjoy dried fruit and spice. Served neat, in a tulip glass, the sherry sweetness has room to unfold slowly. It's a whisky for sipping and thinking, not for rushing through.