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Whiskey Review: Iron Fish Mad Angler Whiskey

We review Iron Fish Distillery's Mad Angler Whiskey, a four-grain whiskey made to pay homage to Michigan's avid fishing culture.

OVERALL RATING

7
$67.00
  • Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer.
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Iron Fish Mad Angler (image via Debbie Nelson)

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Amber, tending toward brown.
Nose:
This smells less sweet than its sister Two Peninsulas Whiskey, which is the opposite of what I’d expect based on the mash bill. There’s an earthiness to it, like a grain barn or field of wheat. You can detect a bourbon-like familial resemblance, which makes sense with 26% corn. But the relatively low rye content means that the wheat takes precedence.
Palate:
Citrus notes right away, reminiscent of orange zest and, if there is such a thing, spicy honey. It settles in the mid-palate into flavors of fig, chocolate, and almonds. A hint of rye spiciness comes back with the relatively long, pleasant finish. Mad Angler is more consistent throughout the palate than Two Peninsulas, which tends to hit hard and fade fast. This one lingers nicely.
Finish:
Comments:
The Iron Fish founders went to Louisville and met early on with Maker’s Mark Chairman Emeritus Bill Samuels Jr., who had been president and CEO of the Kentucky bourbon brand for 35 years. Samuels is a sixth-generation distiller, and Anderson said he told the newcomers to imagine Iron Fish as a 300-year-old brand. What will it be known for, what is the essence of the whiskies and the experience, what will stand the test of time? These questions, Anderson said, continue to guide Iron Fish as it moves beyond startup status and into expansion plans for the future.rnrnI taste a lot of whiskey from young distillers, and the lack of experience often shows. If this first iteration of Mad Angler is any indication, that’s not much of an issue with Iron Fish. It’s not a perfect whiskey, but it’s a pretty decent one. The fact that they can do an estate whiskey of this quality this quickly is a promising sign.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Scott Bernard Nelson

Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer based in Portland, Oregon. While currently working in higher education, he previously dedicated 22 years to journalism, covering impactful events such as 9/11 in Manhattan, crossing into Iraq with U.S. Marines, and contributing to The Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of abuse in the Catholic Church, which inspired the film "Spotlight." Since 2019, Scott has shared his insights as a whiskey reviewer for The Whiskey Wash.  

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