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Whiskey Review: Iron Fish Two Peninsulas Whiskey

We review Iron Fish Two Peninsulas Whiskey, a two-grain whiskey from Michigan made from rye and wheat that was inspired by a trip to Islay.

OVERALL RATING

6
$60.00
  • Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer.
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Iron Fish Two Peninsulas (image via Debbie Nelson)

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Dark amber, tending toward reddish brown.
Nose:
For a wheat whiskey, it smells surprisingly bourbon-like. It made me think of Blanton’s, with hints of caramel, butterscotch, brown sugar, and fondant.
Palate:
Far spicier than you’d expect, either from the fact that it’s a wheat whiskey or based on the nose. It’s a little boozy, though it burns off quickly as it heads for a gentler finish. Think cinnamon candy and cough drops initially, before it fades into a more earthy mid-palate, with hay, grass, and wheat flavors. The rye certainly comes through prominently, in any case.
Finish:
Comments:
The State of Michigan is formed by a pair of peninsulas surrounded primarily by the Great Lakes. The Upper Peninsula is bordered on the southwest by Wisconsin and the Lower Peninsula is bordered on the south by Indiana and Ohio, and otherwise surrounded by water. This whiskey is named, obviously, in honor of its home state. It may not be a label that lasts long, however. Anderson says Mad Angler Bourbon, Mad Angler Rye, and Mad Angler Four-Grain Whiskey will become annual flagship releases in the estate series – but Iron Fish is still trying to decide what to do with this blend.rnrnRegardless, as a first shot out of the barrel for a young distillery looking to implement a grain-to-glass ethos, this whiskey shows promise. Despite not having the history of Islay on its side, the team at Iron Fish is working hard to do things the right way.

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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