Writers' Tears Red Head Irish Whiskey
Writers' Tears Red Head Irish Whiskey is the sherry-cask outlier in the Writers' Tears family: while its stablemates blend single pot still and single malt, Red Head is 100% triple-distilled Irish single malt, matured entirely in hand-selected Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof), 750mL, with no chill filtration and no added color, it pours a deep ruby red — the hue that named it — with orange peel and sherried plums on the nose, nutty Oloroso and spicy raisins through the palate, and a long, complex, orange-lifted finish. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV / Size: 46% ABV (92 proof); 750mL (global 700mL — see flag)
- Style: triple-distilled Irish single malt; 100% Oloroso sherry-butt maturation
- Presentation: no chill filtration, no added color; limited to 12,000 bottles
- Producer: Walsh Whiskey, County Carlow, Ireland (est. 1999)
- Profile: orange peel, dried fruit, sherry plum, nutty Oloroso, creamy oak
The Red Head of the Family
Writers' Tears is a tribute to Ireland's literary tradition — the idea that whiskey was a faithful companion to writers like James Joyce and Brendan Behan, and that the tears in question are the writer's, not the drinker's. Walsh Whiskey, founded in 1999 by husband-and-wife team Bernard and Rosemary Walsh in County Carlow, built the brand on the classic Irish style of single pot still and single malt, triple-distilled in copper pot stills with no grain whiskey. Red Head breaks the mold: single malt only, sherry butts only — and the ruby color the Oloroso gives it is no accident. Shop more Irish whiskey or browse everything from Writers' Tears at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Official and retailer consensus: the nose offers orange peel, dried fruits, and sherried plums with toffee and dark chocolate underneath; the palate is nutty Oloroso and spicy raisins over creamy oak, silky and full-bodied at 46%; the finish is long and complex, with a flourish of orange and lingering warm spice.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip to catch the full sherry-driven aromatics. A drop of water softens the 46% and opens the dried-fruit depth. The sherry richness also makes it a superb after-dinner pour alongside dark chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Red Head?
The deep ruby-red color comes entirely from maturation in Oloroso sherry butts — no coloring is added. That red hue is the expression's signature and its name.
Is Writers' Tears Red Head a single malt?
Yes — unlike the core Writers' Tears expressions (single pot still + single malt blends), Red Head is 100% triple-distilled Irish single malt, matured exclusively in Oloroso sherry butts.
Is it chill-filtered or colored?
Neither — it's bottled at 46% without chill filtration and with no added color, limited to 12,000 bottles.
Sherry-cask Irish single malt, in full color — order Writers' Tears Red Head from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.