Beef Jerky Reviews

The newest flavor from Jeff's Famous Jerky is this Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper. See previous reviews from Jeff's Famous Jerky.

Jeff's Famous Jerky officially opened for business in 2010 and is owned and operated by Jeff's Famous Foods, Inc., led by founder Jeff Richards and CFO Mike Aggarwal, out of Mission Viejo, CA. The company offers ten flavors of jerky, all hormone-free, American beef, without added MSG or preservatives.

This new Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper beef jerky is said to be made from a hot chili pepper sauce they imported from friends on the island of Guam. The sauce is made from the Donne Sali Pepper, also known in Guam as Dinanche. The packaging claims this jerky to be "Medium Hot".

Ingredients

Beef, brown sugar, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, chile sauce, Pacific Red Hot ground chili peppers, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, cayenne pepper, liquid smoke, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cumin.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a chile pepper flavor, with a significant sweetness. There's also the combination of soy sauce and worcestershire coming in right away, along with a tanginess much like vinegar.

The chewing brings in a more tasty sauce flavor, but with more of the chile pepper and vinegar and touches of fruit-like character. The garlic and onion is noticeable too.

For being marketed as "Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper", this seems to hold up well, particularly when described in the product literature as having a unique hot sauce ingredient. I can definitely taste a chile pepper flavor and I also get a fair amount of chile pepper heat too. But there's also a hot sauce flavor in this, perhaps helped along by the vinegar and garlic components.

Otherwise, the flavors that seem to define this jerky starts largely with a strong sweetness, and a chile pepper sauce with a noticeable chile pepper and vinegar taste, and a light fruity character. That fruity character resembles something tropical, maybe mango or guava, but it has a tanginess (which is likely from the vinegar), and perhaps the natural flavors of the Donne Sali Pepper.

After that, the remaining flavors that seem significant is the soy sauce and worcestershire combination and the garlic and onion seasoning.

As for the heat, I'd rank this on my personal heat scale as "medium" (level 3 out of 5), though keep in mind my heat tolerance is a little more than average.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, looking similar to beef brisket, and sliced into strips and chunks.

This is a semi-moist jerky with a slightly sticky surface feel. Biting off chunks seems easy to do, while chewing overall is easy to moderate.

The chewing texture starts out feeling tender, offering only a little chewing resistance. It starts to take on a meaty, though lightly mushy feel. I can also feel some unchewable tissues in much of these pieces. Once chewed all the way down to a soft mass, it feels meaty, not quite steak-like, more like chopped steak cooked medium.

I see some small flecks and streaks of fat on these pieces, but otherwise no visible gristle or tendon. I do, however, encounter a fair amount of stringiness, some of which mats down to unchewable wads.

As for clean eating, it's largely clean, with just faint bits of sticky residue on my fingers, still clean enough to touch my keyboard.

Snack Value

Jeff's Famous Jerky sells this Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper beef jerky from its website at a price of $74.95 for a 12-pack, at 3oz per pack. With shipping & handling added, it works out to a price of $2.44 per ounce.

Compared to major brands of jerky sold in stores, it's a good value. It's priced a little higher, but offers far better flavor, better meat consistency, and better chewing.

As a Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper beef jerky, at the same $2.44 per ounce price, it's also a good value. I'm getting a a fair amount of chile pepper flavor and a flavor that resembles hot sauce, in amounts more than the major brands.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

This Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper beef jerky from Jeff's Famous Jerky dishes out a very delicious flavor of the Donne Sali pepper, but livened up with a dose of vinegar, garlic, onion, and a lot of sweetness, to create a tangy, sweet, spicy hot sauce flavor. Add to that the company's already famous jerky marinade, and it really belts a lot flavors that touches all zones of the tongue.

The meat consistency and chewing is overall good, though we encountered a fair amount of unchewable tissues, largely resulting from the membranous covering surrounding beef brisket meat. Otherwise, it's easy to chew and overall provides a meaty chewing experience.

We love jerky that can assault the palate on all levels, and this seems to do it. The sweet, tangy, spicy, salty, and savory components all there in this new Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper jerky, with a medium level of heat, and in a semi-moist, easy to chew, style.

Rating:

Best

Buy this online:

http://www.jeffsgourmetjerky.com/

Brave Jerky is a new brand that just barely got started, and is still technically in the fundraising mode with a campaign on Kickstarter. It was launched only weeks ago by Brad and Michelle Summey out of Washington DC.

The company aims itself towards the meat snacking crowd who really love spicy hot jerky. According to its tagline, "...our spicy jerky aims to weed out the weak and reward the brave." Hence the name of the company, Brave Jerky.

It has also developed a unique marinade based on a Cuban recipe.

Thus far, the company plans to launch with four flavors, Mojo, Jalapeno/Serrano, Habanero, and Ghost Pepper Buffalo. We were sent samples for review, but because the company is not selling live to the public, we're withholding ratings. If you want to donate to their funding campaign, visit their Kickstarter Page.

Taste

Mojo: The first flavors that hit my palate is a lightly sweet and fruity blend of garlic, lime, and cilantro, in that order. I can pick up other seasonings, and I want to say oregano and/or thyme, and I think even some vinegar.

The natural meat flavors in the Mojo variety show up in light amounts, and I don't really pick any smokiness.

For being the company's mild entry, this Mojo is not bland by any means. It's packs a good deal flavor, but a flavor unlike what you'd find with other brands. It's largely a garlic flavored jerky, with swashes of lime and cilantro, and other Cuban-influenced seasonings.

Jalapeno/Serrano: This one starts similarly as the Mojo, but adds in a noticeable chile pepper flavor. The heat ramps up to a Medium level (level 3 out of 5 on my personal heat scale), but I get more of the pungent chile flavor in this versus the milder flavor in the Mojo.

The natural meat flavors are light in this, just like the Mojo.

For people who like jerky with some heat and the natural flavors of chile peppers, this Jalapeno/Serrano variety does a good job of both. It comes off mostly as a combination of jalapeno/serrano peppers and garlic. I don't quite get the full richness of Mojo's base flavors, I think because the jalapeno/serrano chiles tend to dominate.

Habanero: Right away I taste the signature flavor of habanero chiles. I can also pick up Brave Jerky's base Mojo flavor but less so. It's largely the habanero chile flavor that comes out, along with a noticeable garlic, and some of the Cubanesque flavor profile that the company is focused on.

I can actually taste more of the natural meat flavors in this Habanero variety than compared to their Mojo and Jalapeno/Serrano.

As far as the heat is concerned, it's not quite as hot as I would have expected with a gourmet Habanero brand. It's perhaps a step hotter than the company's Jalapeno/Serrano, but not the big leap that their associated scoville units would have you expect. But overall, if you're a habanero lover just for its recognizable flavor, and you also like garlic, this is a great jerky to try.

Ghost Pepper Buffalo: Starts out with a chile pepper flavor, but not quite as well-defined as in the Habanero. The company says this variety is supposed to offer the flavor of classic buffalo wings with the intense heat of ghost pepper chiles. I don't taste anything in this that resembles classic buffalo wing sauce. However, I do taste the flavor of ghost pepper chiles, but at a light-to-moderate level. I also taste a significant garlic.

The natural meat flavors in this are light as with the Mojo and Jalapeno/Serrano.

The heat of this Ghost Pepper Buffalo jerky is rather disappointing, not nearly as hot as I would have expected. For something labeled "ghost pepper", I expect it to be seething hot, and the level of heat is just not there. I'd still rank this as "hot" on my personal heat scale (level 5 out of 5), but it produces only a misting of moisture on my scalp, not enough to drip down my face.

Brave Jerky - Jalapeno/Serrano Jerky

Meat Consistency

These are made from slices of whole meat, sliced into strips and slabs of medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a semi-moist and slightly oily surface feel. Biting off chunks is somewhat easy, but chewing is labored, perhaps a little tough, and enough to tire the jaws.

The chewing texture starts off with a fair amount of initial chewing resistance, but once the chewing gets going it takes on a meaty, steak-like feel. It takes some work to get this chewed down to a soft mass, but once you get there it feels like just a piece of steak.

I don't see any bits of fat on these pieces nor any tendon or gristle. I find only light bits of stringiness, and otherwise no unchewable tissues. It's very meaty.

As for clean eating, my fingers pick up light amount of stickiness and oiliness, enough to require a light licking and wiping before touching the keyboard.

Summary

I really like Brave Jerky's idea of using the traditional flavorings of Cuba as its base marinade. It really makes this jerky stand out from the rest and I couldn't help nodding my head in approval as I sampled their varieties. Perhaps the biggest common denominator in all four of the initial offerings is the strong garlic flavor. Add to that the lime, cilantro, and onion, and you a flavor profile that really knocks your socks off.

Between the four samples they sent me, I'd have to say their Habanero and Jalapeno/Serrano are the top two, with perhaps the Habanero taking the slight edge. These varieties did a great job of representing their featured chile pepper ingredient with a good dose of flavor and heat. The Habanero wasn't quite as hot as I would expect for habanero chiles, but it did a great job of giving you the rich habanero flavor with the company's Cuban-style marinade.

The Mojo was also quite good if you'd prefer to stay in the mild zone, but this is a marinade that really needs to stand behind a featured chile pepper, so the Mojo was like a supporting cast without a leading star. The Ghost Pepper Buffalo, interestingly, fell kinda flat. First, it didn't at all taste like classic buffalo wing sauce that the company claimed it would, and it wasn't anywhere close to being as seething hot as I would expect from a "ghost pepper" labeled jerky. It did however, bring out the ghost pepper flavor, and the strong garlic.

If you'd like to get in on the Brave Jerky action, just make an investment into their Kickstarter Campain: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kbsummey/brave-jerky

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by a Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

Knowing that many people have a negative connotation with jerky, he sought to market Krave to the "non-jerky eater". He designed packaging that didn't look like traditional jerky packaging, and came up with flavor names that would appeal to women and gourmet foodies. He also promoted the health qualities of his jerky, and stayed away from selling Krave in traditional markets like convenience stores and gas stations.

This Garlic Chili Pepper beef jerky is described as the company's spicy offering, with "a robust garlic and chili marinade" topped with real chili flakes, resulting in a "tasty jerky that teases your taste buds with flavors of garlic, light salt, medium soy sauce, and a crescendo of spices."

Ingredients

Beef, evaporated cane syrup, low sodium gluten-free soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, spices, garlic powder, sea salt, celery juice powder.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a strong sweetness, followed by a chile pepper flavor. A lot of garlic flavor also comes in.

The chewing brings in a strong chile pepper sauce flavor and a stronger garlic. The sweetness also seems to create a lightly fruity flavor. There's a natural meat flavor that comes in towards the end.

For being labeled as "Garlic Chili Pepper", this seems to hold up well. I can taste a lot of garlic and chile pepper flavor, as well as a chile pepper sauce flavor, having touches of vinegar. It even seems to have light touches of black pepper.

Otherwise, the flavors that seem to define this jerky overall is a strong sweetness, and then followed by the chile sauce flavor, garlic, and chile pepper flavor. The natural meat flavors also make a significant contribution towards the end.

The natural meat flavors have more of a roast beef flavor than a steak flavor.

The level of heat in this feels to be at a medium level on my personal heat scale (level 3 out of 5).

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into slabs of small, medium, and large sizes, and sliced medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a slightly moist surface feel, and with a tender, easy chew. It doesn't chew dry, but feels slightly moist.

The chewing texture starts out feeling tender and soft, offering very little chewing resistance. It chews down easily and takes on a meaty feel, similar to thick sliced deli roast beef, but not quite as moist. Once chewed down to a soft mass, it feels very much like real meat, more comparable to roast beef.

I don't see any fat on these slices and no tendon on gristle. The chewing reveals a light amount of stringiness, but otherwise offers no unchewable tissues.

As far as clean eating goes, my fingers pick up some red pepper flakes, but otherwise no significant stickiness.

Snack Value

Krave Jerky typically sells for $6.99 per 3.25oz package in most stores. That works out to $2.15 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.15 per ounce price, it's a good value. I'm getting a flavor that I find to be much better than other major brands, and a meat consistency that's easy to eat, chews like real meat, and offers pure meaty chew.

As for being a "Garlic Chili Pepper" beef jerky, at the same $2.15 per ounce, it's also a good value. I'm getting a lot of garlic and chili pepper flavor, at a medium level of heat.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Garlic Chili Pepper beef jerky from Krave Jerky offers up a tasty blend of chili sauce, natural chili pepper flavor, a well-noticed garlic, all slathered with a strong sweetness. Add to that a meaty, roast beef-like flavor, and it create a very addicting jerky snacking experience.

But Krave also puts together a tender, easy chewing that chews and feels like eating real beef, without any stringiness or unchewable tissues.

Compared to other major brands of jerky, this Garlic Chili Pepper from Krave definitely has set itself apart of the competition in both taste and meat consistency.

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

https://www.kravejerky.com/

We first reviewed Divine Bovine 5 1/2 years ago, back when the company was relatively new. Since then, the company has eliminated its original Honey Teriyaki-based recipes and replaced them with all new recipes, as well as introduced new packaging.

Divine Bovine's beef jerky is based on beef brisket, which it claims to be more tender and sweet. The company describes it's story as beginning in Southern Italy when a butcher discovered a great recipe and cut of meat for jerky, who eventually handed it down to his grandson, who started the Divine Bovine brand.

This Spicy Jalapeno flavor is labeled, "Gluten Free", and is described as being "...drenched in a mild blend of savory spices and “Pop’s” unique recipe, an exotic blend of spicy jalapeno, with an irresistible kick of cayenne."

Ingredients

Beef brisket, soy sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce, lemon juice, black pepper, jalapeno powder, granulated garlic.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a lot of sweet. There's a light soy sauce flavor, and touches of garlic.

The chewing brings in a little more garlic, while the soy sauce ramps up a bit. A little bit of black pepper is noticeable, along with a little bit of tanginess.

For being labeled, "Spicy Jalapeno", this doesn't really hold up well. I can pick up light amounts of spiciness, and touches of heat, but it doesn't really taste like jalapeno, or any other kind of chile pepper. The black pepper seems to contribute some spiciness.

As far as heat goes, it seems to register on my personal heat scale as Mild Medium (level 2 out of 5). The packaging rates this as "Medium".

Otherwise, the flavor that seems to define this jerky is a heavy sweetness with a light soy sauce. There's a light garlic and some black pepper for spice, as well as a touch of tanginess.

I don't pick up much natural meat flavor.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be slices of whole meat, sliced into strips and bits of small to medium sizes.

This is a semi-moist jerky with moist and sticky surface feel. These pieces are very flexible and soft, and chewing is very easy.

The chewing texture starts out feeling very soft, tender and moist. It takes on a mushy texture right away, and by the time it's chewed down to a soft mass, it feels mushy, and more comparable to ground beef cooked rare.

I can see some small spots of fat on some pieces, but otherwise its unremarkable. I don't see any gristle or tendon either. I do, however, encounter a good deal of stringiness, much of which mats down into unchewable wads.

As for clean eating, I pick up light amounts of stickiness on my fingers, requiring some licking and/or wiping before touching the keyboard.

Snack Value

Divine Bovine sells this Spicy Jalapeno beef jerky from its website at a price of $27.96 for a four-pack, with each package at 3.25oz. Shipping is free if you buy two or more orders. That works out to a price of $2.15 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, it's a decent value. Compared to major brands of jerky sold in stores, it has a better flavor, and it's more tender and easy to chew, but it feels mushy and it contains too much stringiness, leaving a lot of unchewable wads.

As a Spicy Jalapeno beef jerky, at the same $2.15 per ounce price, it's a weak value. I don't really taste any jalapeno flavor, and I get only a light amount of heat. If anything, the black pepper tends to create more spiciness.

Rating

I'm giving this an average rating.

This Spicy Jalapeno beef jerky from Divine Bovine packs in a lot of flavor with a strong sweetness, light soy sauce, black pepper, and garlic.

It's not quite as spicy as I would have expected with a jerky labeled "Spicy Jalapeno", it tends to vary between mild and medium, and often it seems the black pepper is what generates most of the spiciness. I couldn't really taste much jalapeno flavor, perhaps adding more would have helped rate this higher.

This jerky chews moist and tender, however the texture felt mushy and not really meaty. There was also too much stringiness in this, with much of it matting down into unchewable wads.

Rating:

Average

Buy this online:

http://www.divinebovinejerky.com/

Next in the series on Lawless Jerky is this Hawaiian Teriyaki beef jerky. See my previous review of their Japanese Curry beef jerky.

Lawless Jerky is a new brand created by a licensed attorney named Matthew Tolnick of Santa Monica, CA. Making jerky started from his days in college when he and his fraternity boys needed sustenance through long evenings of ~~partying~~studying. But today, Lawless Jerky has grown into a thriving business and Tolnick has moved full steam ahead with it, producing his jerky in a USDA inspected facility.

This Hawaiian Teriyaki is described by Tolnick as the best of American and Japanese cuisines blended together, sweet from brown sugar and 100% pure Hawaiian pineapple juice, it's spiced with ginger, garlic, and onion, with some Asian inspired vinegar for tanginess.

Ingredients

100% US Beef, soy sauce, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, onion.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a soy sauce flavor with a light sweetness. I can pick up trace amounts of garlic and ginger.

The chewing flavor starts with a more defined soy sauce flavor along with a good deal of natural meat flavors. I get a touch of tanginess in the chewing, and can pick up the garlic a little more.

For being marketed as "Hawaiian Teriyaki" it seems to fit the bill, but more so as just Teriyaki. It has what I would consider a distinctive teriyaki flavor with its sweetness, a defined soy sauce flavor, a tanginess in the chewing, and touches of pungent ginger and garlic. The only ingredient I see that would make this uniquely Hawaiian is the pineapple juice, and I don't really identify a pineapple flavor. But to be honest, I've been to Hawaii and have had Hawaiian-style teriyaki, and I'm not sure there's any difference between that and just teriyaki. So I'm not sure how to define Hawaiian Teriyaki.

Otherwise, the flavors that seem to define this jerky is the distinct, authentic teriyaki flavors and the natural meat flavors. Both seem to balance each other out quite well. The natural meat flavors are rich, oozing out a steak-like flavor that's hard to miss.

The level of saltiness in this seems somewhere between light to moderate.

Overall, it's a mild tasting jerky in that there's no heat or heavy spiciness, but not mild in terms of flavor.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, cut into chunks mostly of bite-sized pieces.

This is a dry jerky with a semi-moist surface feel. Chewing seems labored, slightly tough, requiring a good deal of chewing to get through.

The chewing texture starts out with a good deal of chewing resistance, but very quickly takes on the feel of real meat, though still slightly tough. But it does chew down to a softer, easier chew, and by that point it feels like eating a piece of steak, one cooked medium-well.

I don't see any pieces of fat on these chunks, nor do I see any gristle or tendon, but here and there I did feel some stringiness in the chewing, and I did encounter some unchewable tissues on some chunks.

As for clean eating, it seems quite clean. Even though it's semi-moist on the surface, my fingers still seem clean enough to type on the keyboard.

Snack Value

Lawless Jerky has a price of $25.00 for a one pound package. Tolnick doesn't mention shipping prices, but considering the box he sent me had a $6.80 postage label, that would work out to $31.80, or a per ounce price of $1.99.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $1.99 per ounce price, this seems to be a good value. I'm getting a good deal of snackability for its good overall flavor and excellent meat consistency and chewing texture. It's priced similarly as the major brands of jerky found in grocery stores, yet this has a far better flavor and meat consistency.

As a "Hawaiian Teriyaki" variety of beef jerky, at the same $1.99 per ounce price, it's a good value again. I can identify a classic teriyaki flavor in the true Japanese style, which is far better than any of the major brands which seem to give you just sweetened soy sauce.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

This Hawaiian Teriyaki variety from Lawless Jerky offers an excellent teriyaki that remains in the classic Japanese style, marrying together a perfect quartet of sweet, soy sauce, tangy vinegar/wine, and the pungent dashes of ginger and garlic.

On top of that is a well-defined, easily identifiable, natural meat flavor that comes out right with the first chew, tasting like morsels of marinated steak grilled medium-well, and then seasoned with garlic, onion, and sprinkles of sesame seed. All that was missing were the bamboo skewers, because this meat reminds of the Hawaiian shiskabobs grilling at farmers markets and street fairs.

I didn't, however, identify anything in this as being uniquely Hawaiian, but then again I'm not sure there really is anything distinct between Teriyaki and Hawaiian Teriyaki aside from having slices of pineapple on the side. Maybe adding some crushed pineapple into the marinade might work. Otherwise, I think it's fine. The meat is also somewhat tough, particularly the thicker, chunkier pieces. But the great flavor still managed to get me through.

Lawless Jerky recommends any beer from Maui Brewing Co to pair with this. However, I think the fruitier Wailua Wheat from Kona Brewing makes a nice companion.

Rating:

Best

Buy this online:

http://lawlessjerky.com/

Well Food Company is a brand of sports snacks that originally launched in 2009 as Paleo Brands Inc. It was started by John Welbourn, former offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as his friend Joe Cappucio, founder of Del Mar Seafoods.

By 2013 the company had shed its "Paleo" name to become Well Food Company to encompass non-paleo snacks. Their offerings include packages of beef jerky, beef steak sticks, beef bars, and mixtures of jerky with fruit and nuts. They also offer whey protein bars and chocolates. Their jerky is marketed to athletes, health food, and paleo diet consumers.

This Natural Beef Steak Sticks is labeled as "Original", as well as "soy free" and "gluten free", using grass-fed beef raised without added hormones or antibiotics. It has no MSG and no preservatives and is said to meet Paleo requirements.

Ingredients

Beef, water, salt, organic seasoning, celery baste aid, spice.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a light saltiness and a touch of seasoning, perhaps garlic, onion, and black pepper.

The chewing brings in an increased saltiness with a noticeable natural meat flavor, and a bit more of the seasoning.

For being marketed as "Natural Beef Steak Sticks", it seems to fit the bill pretty well. They offer a look and feel much like strips of beef steak, and they do offer a fair amount of natural meat flavor.

And that's largely what I get out of these strips. The flavor starts out with a saltiness, along with a blend of garlic, onion, and black pepper, and then it's the natural flavor of beef. Compared to the company's Natural Beef Jerky that I reviewed earlier, this has far more natural beef flavor.

Otherwise, it's a fairly simple jerky flavor, which in and of itself is good in that it lets you enjoy the flavor of beef in an old fashioned recipe. But otherwise, it's mild in flavor, aside from a blend of seasonings and salt. If it contained some real wood smoke flavor, it would be awesome.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be cuts of whole meat, sliced into strips of varying between 1 to 6 inches in length, and widths of about 1/2 inch.

This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel. It can take some effort to bite off chunks and chewing varies of moderate to chewy.

The chewing texture starts with a good deal of initial chewing resistance. It softens up after some chews and takes on a meaty feel. As you get it chewed down to a soft mass, it feel very much like a chunk of real steak, cooked medium-well.

I don't see any pieces of fat on these strips, and I don't see any gristle or tendon. The chewing doesn't reveal any stringiness, and I find no unchewable wads.

As for clean eating, it seems to handle very cleanly, leaving only a fine film of oil on my fingertips.

Snack Value

Well Food Company markets this jerky in 3oz packages. They sell them online at a price of $44.99 for 6 packages. Shipping works out to $5.99 when shipped to Southern California. That works out to a price of $2.83 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.83 per ounce price, it's a decent value. Compared to major brands of jerky sold in stores, this has better flavor, a better meat consistency and chewing texture, though priced somewhat higher.

But as a sport snack, being gluten-free, soy-free, hormone free, antibiotic free, grass fed, no MSG, and no preservatives, it's better, at a good value. It's hard to find jerky with all those benefits, with an overall good flavor, meat consistency and chewing.

Rating

I'm going to give this a good rating.

These Natural Beef Steak Sticks from Well Food Company offer an old fashioned-style flavor that brings out the goodness of natural beef flavor. With a simple, yet tried and true recipe of garlic, onion, black pepper and salt, you get a jerky that tastes and chews like eating chunks of a real steak, seasoned and grilled.

But where this jerky wins big is with meeting the needs of athletes, fitness, and health consumers. It's gluten-free, soy-free, MSG free, preservative free, grass-fed beef, no added hormones or antibiotics, and made with all natural ingredients. It's hard to find a meat snack that tastes natural, and is natural.

Compared to the company's Natural Beef Jerky I reviewed earlier, these Natural Beef Steak Sticks are way better, and priced less too. But compared to the hundreds of other brands I've reviewed, they don't quite reach the "wow factor" that I look for in a top-rated jerky.

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

http://wellfoodco.com/

Snatch Jerky is a new brand of jerky based out of Show Low, AZ. It was started in February 2013 by a guy named Ron Pro.

Snatch markets itself with the tagline "The Healthy Beef Jerky" because it uses only natural ingredients, no MSG, no nitrates, and no preservatives. They also claim their jerky to be low sodium with varieties ranging from 50mg per serving up to 270mg per serving.

This "Peppered Ale" is described by the company's as one of their "more sophisticated of flavors". It's marinated in a pale ale, along with a blend of spices to create something they describe as "bold and rich". They also claim it to contain only 85mg of sodium per serving, making it a low sodium contender.

Ingredients

Beef, water, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, spices, garlic, onion, pure orange extract.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a sweetness, followed by a light vinegar. The onion is noticeable too.

The chewing brings in the soy sauce flavor and perhaps a touch more onion.

For being marketed as "Orange Teriyaki", it doesn't quite hold up. I don't really taste the orange. Instead, I can taste hints of fruitiness back there, but nothing that steals the spotlight as orange. The teriyaki seems well represented however. I can taste the soy sauce and a moderate sweetness, and I can taste a touch of vinegar for that fermented character. There's even a faint pungent note coming from either ginger or garlic, I'm not sure which.

Otherwise, the flavor that seems to define this jerky is the teriyaki with a bit more vinegar than normal. It even adds a touch of spiciness but not what I would consider heat. Add to that a light tanginess and a faint fruitiness.

I'm not picking up any natural meat flavors, however.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, looking similar to beef brisket, sliced into strips of medium thickness, and in lengths ranging from one to three inches.

This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel. There's a lot of flexibility in these strips, Biting off chunks seems easy to do, while chewing seems overall easy with a little extra effort required here and there.

The chewing texture starts out feeling chewy, with some initial chewing resistance, but seems to break down without any laborious effort. It takes on a meaty feel, and once chewed down to a soft mass, it feels very steak-like, comparable to one cooked medium-well.

I do see bits and streaks of fat on these strips, which do contribute some additional flavor. I also encountered a fair amount of unchewable tissues, mostly as stringiness that matted down into unchewable wads.

In terms of clean eating, my fingers pick up some bits of seasoning, but otherwise relatively clean.

Snack Value

Snatch Jerky sells this Orange Teriyaki jerky from its website at a price of $5.95 for a 3oz package. They also sell a 5-pack variety bundle for $29.75 with shipping of $5.95 to Southern California. That works out to a price of $2.38 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.38 per ounce price, it's a decent value. I'm getting a good snackability for an overall good flavor, good chewing texture, and decent meat consistency. Compared to major brands of jerky found in stores, it has a better flavor, though at a similar to slightly higher price.

As an "Orange Teriyaki" beef jerky, at the same $2.38 per ounce price, it's a weak value. I don't really get any orange flavor aside from a faint fruitiness, however, I did get a well-noticed teriyaki flavor, much like in the authentic Japanese-style.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Orange Teriyaki variety from Snatch Jerky offers up an authentic, Japanese-style teriyaki marinade with a touch more vinegar than with other brands of teriyaki jerky, a light tanginess and a touch of fruitiness.

I didn't, however, taste any orange flavor, which is a disappointment because I really felt that orange would make a great compliment to teriyaki. There's a light zest in this jerky that might make one think that it comes from orange peel, but I feel confident that it's actually the vinegar.

I found the chewing relatively easy, though it has some moments where the jaw muscles need to tap into a little more energy. But overall, the beef brisket style cut offers a good chewing texture.

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

http://www.snatchjerky.com/

The newest flavor to come out of Chef Craig's Beef Jerky is this Black Thai. Read our review of their Original Beef Jerky.

Based out of West Kingston, RI, Chef Craig's Beef Jerky was originally started by Craig Mitchell, who holds a Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University. He's been cooking professionally since 1978. Chef Craig's Beef Jerky was a way to extend his career in cooking and cuisine.

This Black Thai variety is described by the company as "The same chewy beef jerky with a taste of Asian spiciness; it leaves a lingering warm sensation in your mouth."

Ingredients

Beef, soy sauce, garlic chili pepper sauce, brown sugar, green curry paste (green chili, garlic, lemongrass, thai ginger, salt, shallot, spices, kaffir lime), sesame oil

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a sesame oil flavor, followed by a light soy sauce and a light, tangy chili pepper sauce. The sweetness is noticeable also, and there's a noticeable garlic to this as well.

The chewing brings in a bit more of the soy sauce, but also a flavor much like stir fry and touches of hoisin sauce. It has a tanginess, perhaps coming from the lemongrass, but a pungent character perhaps supported by the green curry. It has a very unmistakable Asian-like flavor that reminds me of Thai-style stir-fry.

For being marketed as "Black Thai", it holds up very well. From that very first sesame oil flavor, to the soy sauce, the chili pepper sauce, and the tangy/pungent green curry, this jerky oozes the words "Asian" and "Thai". It has a flavor that paints a picture of an Asian lunch cafe where chop sticks pick up noodles, slices of beef and vegetables, and bottles of fish sauce and Sriracha are squeezed. Imagine the smell of a large wok sizzling and smoking, locking in the flavors of spices, chiles, and sauces.

Otherwise, the flavors that seem to define this jerky is a tangy, savory, blend of soy sauce, chili sauce, and green curry, but laden with a noticeable sesame oil. There's also a noticeable sweetness to balance it out. Overall, it's hard to not identify this jerky as having an Asian flavor.

There's a moderate amount of heat to this as well. I'd rank it as Medium on my personal heat scale (level 3 out of 5).

I don't pick up any natural meat flavors. The marinades and seasonings seem to overpower.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into bite-sized pieces of medium thickness. There's a fair amount of smaller sized bits too.

This is a dry jerky with a sticky, oily surface feel. These pieces have a good deal of flexibility, and seem slightly rubbery.

The chewing texture starts out with that slight rubbery feel, and offers a fair amount of chewing resistance. A few chews into it and it starts to soften, taking on a very meaty resemblance, and by the time its chewed down to a soft mass, it has a steak-like feel, though a touch rubbery.

I don't see much fat on these pieces and found no gristle or tendon. I don't encounter any stringiness, but felt a few pieces of unchewable tissues. It's mostly all meaty.

In terms of clean eating, my fingertips pick up a fair amount of oil requiring a licking and wiping before I touch the keyboard.

Snack Value

Chef Craig's Beef Jerky sells this Black Thai variety from its website at a price of $29.50 for a 10-pack. Each package is 1.75oz. With shipping of $5.95 to Southern California, it works out to a price of $2.03 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.03 per ounce price, it's a great value. I'm getting a lot of delicious flavor from this jerky with an overall good meat consistency and good chewing texture. Compare to other brands of jerky sold in stores, it's priced about the same but offers far better flavor with good chewing.

As a Thai flavored beef jerky, at the same $2.03 per ounce price, it's a great value again. This has an unmistakable Thai flavor. The sesame oil, the garlic chili sauce, the green curry, all join forces to create a flavor that's hard to not identify as Thai cuisine.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

This Black Thai jerky from Chef Craig's Beef Jerky woke up my senses and rang in the "wow factor" with flavors that touched all sensory zones on my tongue. The sweet, the salty, the pungent, the savory, the spicy, the tangy, it's all in these bite-sized chunks of meat.

First, I really love the sesame oil flavor on this because it works so well in giving the garlic chili sauce and green curry that extra bit of Asian-flavor. The pungent garlic and curry create a lot of contrasting flavors against the sesame oil and brown sugar, while the soy sauce adds the savory component that makes it satisfying to chew.

The meat consistency and chewing, overall, seem good. The oiliness on the fingertips can be nuisance if you're trying to snack while typing, driving, or channel surfing. And the chewing texture maintained a light rubbery character once chewed down. But overall, the chewing is still good and the flavor is so awesome you won't even notice it.

Rating:

Best

Buy this online:

http://chefcraigsbeefjerky.com/

Hunger Buster! Beef Cut is a new brand of beef sticks produced by QuarterShare, LLC based out of Tulsa, OK. QuarterShare also makes the QuarterShare line of beef sticks and the Kratos line of sport snacks.

According to the company, what sets Hunger Buster! apart from the others is that they use 100% Midwest lean beef, is gluten free and sugar free (though this stick has brown sugar in the ingredients). They also limit the sodium content to no more than 250mg per stick. In keeping line with the QuarterShare company philosophy, Hunger Buster! gives back 25% of all sales to charities in the form of food.

Hunger Buster! beef sticks come in three flavors, this Jalapeno, an Original, and Smokey Sweet.

Ingredients

Beef, water, jalapeno pepper, sea salt, brown sugar, encapsulated citric acid, celery juice, black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, coriander.

Taste

The first several bites into these sticks reveal a cleaner flavor than most leading brands of meat sticks. Not as oily or greasy as others. Immediately, there's a light spicy heat, enough to register as "mild-medium" on my personal heat scale (level 2 out of 5).

The dominant flavors in this Jalapeno variety is a tanginess along with the jalapeno falvor. The jalapeno has more of that pickled/marinated flavor than the fresh flavor. There's also that classic beef stick flavor of meat.

As far as the low sodium claims go, I'd have to agree that these sticks feel a little less salty than other brands of sticks, but not by much.

Meat Consistency

Each bite into a stick yields a very light crunch or snap of the casing. From there it's a soft, sausage-like chew with nothing stringy, unchewable or crunchy. It's also quite a clean handling beef stick, leaving only a light stickiness on my fingers.

These sticks are easy to bite through, easy to chew, and result in a smooth, meaty chewing.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Jalapeno Hunger Buster! beef stick provides a tender, meaty chew with a tangy, spicy flavor of jalapenos, that will definitely bust that hunger without putting in a lot of calories and carbs. It has all the making of a quality meat stick, offering a light crunch when biting, an easy chew, with nothing but pure meat. It's also clean handling and even tastes clean too.

I do like the jalapeno flavor in this; I can definitely taste it unlike other brands where it can be hard to identify. I stayed away from going full five-stars because it didn't quite give me the "wow factor" that I need in a five-star rated product. Otherwise, it's a good stick worthy of a buy.

Rating:

Good

Where to buy:

Hy-Vee Stores, Price Chopper, Reasor's Foods (Oklahoma), Wal-Mart Sporting Goods (April 2014).

For more information:

http://www.hungerbuster.com

Bayou Blend Meat Snacks is a brand of beef jerky based out of Napoleonville, LA. The company was started by Milton Hock in January 2013.

Hock had been making jerky for some 20 years before launching Bayou Blend. He started the business after seeing an opportunity to offer meat snacks with more unique cajun-style flavor than competing brands.

This File Gumbo is described on the package as, "Creole Blend Beef Jerky".

Ingredients

Beef, water, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, flavorings, crab boil powder, spices, liquid smoke, crab boil liquid, hot sauce.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a salty seasoning flavor comprising of a multitude of spices and quite complex. There's a wee bit of sweet noticeable.

The chewing brings in the same but in more definition, very rich in spice blend. I'm tasting oregano, thyme, cumin, garlic, onion, basil, and perhaps others. There's also that faint bit of citrus I found in the company's Melange Original. I can also pick up a moderate level of heat.

For being marketed as "File Gumbo", specifically as "creole", it seems to hold up. It definitely has a flavor that I would associate with "creole" and "gumbo" and more specifically Louisiana-style cooking. It's quite complex in spice flavors but it also warms up the blood a little, indicative of chile peppers.

It doesn't really come across as being hot, however. In fact, it seems one level more mild than the company's Melange Original. I'd rate this as "Mild Medium" (level 2 out of 5).

Otherwise, that flavors that seem to define this jerky starts primarily with the complex seasoning blend. It packs a punch of spice flavors along with the hot sauce and touches of heat that it could only be described as "creole". The saucy blend of worcestershire, soy sauce, and teriyaki presents itself as a nice saucy base. There's also that subtle bit of citrus, a little bit of a tangy chew, and light touches of sweet to round out the flavors.

The ingredients combine together well to create an addicting flavor that livens up the senses, gets the heart pumping, makes you reach for more.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced thin, and in small bite sized pieces, as well as a good deal of small bits.

This is a dry jerky with a lightly oily surface feel. They have a pliable, soft plastic-like flexibility. Chewing seems to be chewy, but not tough, still somewhat easy.

The chewing texture starts out feeling like soft, pliable plastic with a fair amount of chewing resistance. A few chews into it, and it just starts to break down, and takes on a more meaty resemblance. Once it chews down to a soft mass, it feel much more like a piece of steak cooked well-done.

I don't find any bits or streaks of fat on this jerky, not did I find any gristle or tendon. Because these pieces are cut into small and very small pieces, I don't really pick up any stringiness and found no unchewable wads of tissue.

In terms of clean eating, it's mostly clean with a light bit sticky-oily residue on my fingertips, not enough to require a licking and wiping before touching the keyboard.

Snack Value

Bayou Blend sells this File Gumbo beef jerky from its website at a price of $3.99 per 1.75oz package. If you buy 10 packages, the total comes to $43.49, with sales tax added. That works out to $2.49 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.49 per ounce price, it's a good value. I'm getting a lot of really good flavor, with a characteristic bayou/cajun seasoning, good meat consistency and chewing. Compared to other jerky brands found in stores, it's priced a higher, but well worth the cost.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

This File Gumbo beef jerky from Bayou Blend has a very bold, complex seasoning flavor much like with the company's Melange Original and Luziana Bonfire. It's not quite as hot as those two, but offers up the same rich, bold, eye-opening seasoning blend indicative of Louisiana-style cuisine.

The meat consistency seemed great despite having a bunch of tiny bits that make it cumbersome gathering up enough to produce a decent amount of chew. It's not tough to chew, but moderately easy and feels like real steak once its chewed down soft.

I wasn't able to get much of the natural meat flavors in this, but it's easily made-up for with the richness of the seasonings.

Rating:

Best

Visit Bayou Blend online:

http://bayousnacks.com/

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

Knowing that many people have a negative connotation with jerky, he sought to market Krave to the "non-jerky eater". He designed packaging that didn't look like traditional jerky packaging, and came up with flavor names that would appeal to women and gourmet foodies. He also promoted the health qualities of his jerky, and stayed away from selling Krave in traditional markets like convenience stores and gas stations.

This Chili Lime beef jerky is described by the company's as "...tender slices of knuckle-cut domestic beef teamed with medium-hot chili and finally balanced with zesty lime...and its unique profile provides a dose of medium heat that partners well with the acidity of the citrus."

Ingredients

Beef, evaporated cane syrup, low sodium gluten-free soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, spices, lemon juice, lime juice powder, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, celery juice powder.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a lot of sweet, with a moderate saltiness, and then followed by a chile pepper flavor, and a noticeable lime.

The chewing brings in much of the same tastes, but with touches of natural meat flavor. There's a light bit of heat welling up.

For being marketed as "Chili Lime", it seems to hold up well. I do taste the chile pepper and a resemblance of chili sauce, and there's definitely a citrus flavor much like lime that's hard not to notice. Overall the chile pepper flavor and the lime are equally as strong.

The level of heat in this feels "mild medium" on my personal heat scale (level 2 out of 5).

Otherwise, the flavors that seem to define this jerky overall starts with the sweetness that comes right off the bat, with the chile pepper flavor and lime coming in soon after, and taking over. Through the chewing, there's a light natural meat flavor.

Overall, it's a tasty jerky that delivers on its advertised flavor, with a good dose of sweetness.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into slabs of small, medium, and large sizes, and sliced medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a slightly moist surface feel, and with a tender, easy chew. It doesn't chew dry, but feels slightly moist.

The chewing texture starts out feeling tender and soft, offering very little chewing resistance. It chews down easily and takes on a meaty feel, similar to thick sliced deli roast beef, but not quite as moist. Once chewed down to a soft mass, it feels very much like real meat, more comparable to roast beef.

I don't see any fat on these slices, but I do see gristle on a few of the larger pieces, some of which give off a rubbery chew. The chewing reveals a light amount of stringiness, but otherwise offers no unchewable tissues.

As far as clean eating goes, my fingers pick up some red pepper flakes, but otherwise no significant stickiness.

Snack Value

Krave Jerky typically sells for $6.99 per 3.25oz package in most stores. That works out to $2.15 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.15 per ounce price, it's a good value. I'm getting a flavor that I find to be much better than other major brands, and a meat consistency that's easy to eat, chews like real meat, and offers pure meaty chew.

As for being a "Chili Lime" beef jerky, at the same $2.15 per ounce, it's also a good value. I'm getting a noticeable chili pepper flavor, at a medium level of heat, along with a noticeable lime.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Chili Lime beef jerky from Krave Jerky tantalizes you with tangy blend of garlic chili sauce and squeezes of lime and lemon to create a very lively taste. A good dose of sweetness and light amounts of natural meat flavor help add to the snackability to create an overall enjoyable, lightly hot, snackable beef jerky experience.

This also comes in a tender, easy chew that feels just like eating real beef, without any stringiness or unchewable tissues, and doesn't leave your jaws muscles feeling wore out like other brands can do. The streaks of gristle I found in a few of the pieces were not to my liking, however, but I found the flavor to still be quite pleasing.

It still needed some other extra bit of flavor to really push this over the top to create that "wow factor", but I think it still outpaces other traditional brands.

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

https://www.kravejerky.com/

Lawless Jerky has partnered with Micro Summit Processors and Harris-Robinette Beef of North Carolina to produce all-natural, 100% grass-fed, hand-crafted beef jerky.

In search of the ultimate in tenderness, Lawless Jerky is the first nationally distributed jerky company to both dry-age and wet-age its 100% grass-fed beef.

Known for jerky with “Braver Flavors™”, Lawless Jerky offers an array of world-inspired flavors, including: Mango Habanero, Sweet Sriracha, Pho, Aloha Teriyaki, and Honey Chipotle. Lawless Jerky is increasingly available in specialty and natural food shops and wherever fine craft beer is sold.

Harris-Robinette Beef, a multi-generational family farm, raises superior, all-natural beef that is 100% grass-fed and free of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones.

Micro Summit Processors, a USDA-inspected processing facility, will become the first such facility to produce beef jerky in the state of North Carolina.

Lawless Jerky, Micro Summit Processors, and Harris-Robinette Beef are all family-owned and operated small businesses.

To try Lawless Jerky’s new and improved jerky, visit www.lawlessjerky.com/shop.

All BestBeefJerky.org readers receive 15% off the pre-sale using coupon code “15off”.

Jordinski's Jerky is a new brand of jerky just recently launched, based out of Orleans, IN.

It was started by Jordan Eickelberger, who had been buying jerky from a small Amish butcher shop in Indiana. He loved the jerky so much, he decided people everywhere needed to eat it too, and thus worked with the butcher shop to create Jordinski's Jerky.

The jerky is made from sustainably-raised Indiana beef, minimally processed with a few spices, and no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Thus far, Jordinski's Jerky offers only this one flavor, Original.

Ingredients

None provided.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a soy sauce and worcestershire sauce combination and a good deal of saltiness.

The chewing brings in much of the same flavors, with perhaps a touch of garlic and some light bits of sweet, probably coming from the worcestershire. I can pick up a light natural meat flavor, and faint smokiness.

Considering it's marketed as "Original" in flavor style, it has a basic, regular beef jerky flavor. It's not spicy in terms of heat or overwhelming in spice, it's actually a very classic jerky taste anchored by a soy sauce and worcestershire sauce marinade and then bolstered with a few seasonings, perhaps garlic, onion, black pepper, and I want to say celery seed?

Otherwise, the flavor that defines this jerky is the marinade of soy sauce and worcestershire. The worcestershire leaves behind a noticeable sweetness that's not too strong. The saltiness feels somewhat high. There's also a light natural meat flavor with a faint smokiness.

Overall, Jordinski's Jerky has an old fashioned style flavor with a somewhat strong saltiness and light sweet.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into slabs of medium size and medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel. The slabs are very flexible while chewing seems overall easy to do, though biting off chunks can require work due to the stringiness.

The chewing texture starts out with little resistance and a light bit of rubbery feel. It seems to chew down easy enough and takes on meaty feel right away. Once chewed down to a soft mass, it feels very steak-like, similar to something cooked medium-well.

I don't see any bits of fat on these slabs, nor any gristle or tendon. But I do encounter a lot of stringiness in the chewing, some of which mats down into unchewable wads.

As for clean eating, it's mostly clean, leaving no residue on my fingers, but tearing pieces off drops a lot of pepper bits.

Snack Value

Jordinski's Jerky sells this Original variety from its website at a price of $10.00 per 3oz package. If you buy two bags, shipping comes out to $5.05. That works out to a price of $4.18 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $4.18 per ounce price, it's a weak value. Compared to other brands of jerky sold in stores, it offers a better flavor, with a better chewing texture, though stringy. But it's not awesome enough to overcome that really high price.

Rating

I'm giving this an average rating.

This Original beef jerky from Jordinski's Jerky offers a tasty meat snacking flavor that reminds me of the old fashioned style, relying on a simple marinade of soy sauce and worcestershire and a handful of basic seasonings, perhaps something you might expect from an Amish butcher shop. You get a steak-like chewing texture that feels just like real meat, and the peace of mind knowing you're eating real beef jerky and not something overly processed and doctored up.

In comparison to the other hundreds of other brands and varieties of jerky I've reviewed, it doesn't really rise above the pack as something out of the ordinary. The marinade has that common soy sauce/worcestershire flavor, while the seasonings are very tried and true. It's nothing unusual beyond the goodness and godliness of country store jerky.

But all that aside, it's still an enjoyable chew, though stringy, with a satisfying flavor that takes me back to my childhood days of stopping at a country store on the outskirts of town and grabbing a big hunk of jerky out of the jar. And in this case, Jordinski's Jerky brings that old fashioned, genuine country style jerky to the far reaches of the Intertubes.

Rating:

Average

Buy this online:

http://www.jordinskisjerky.com/

Crazy Horse Beef Jerky is a brand made by Dave Wenrich in Hellam, PA. He started making this jerky about nine months ago, based on a old family recipe that he got from his father.

Wenrich says he comes from a long line of farmers in Berks County, PA where they smoked their own meat. So using the family recipe he tried out some jerky and thought it was pretty good. And after receiving positive feedback from friends, he's been selling it directly through an eBay store and in some local shops around town.

Dave smokes all of his jerky from USDA certified bottom round in a homemade smoke house using maple, oak, and fruit woods.

Ingredients

None listed

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a strong smokiness. Following is a fair amount of saltiness.

The chewing flavor starts with a very smoky, natural meat flavor, along with a bit more saltiness, and a slight amount of tanginess.

Smoky is perhaps the best word to describe this jerky. Just opening the package a strong smoky aroma wafts its way out, and then the very first thing I taste is the smokiness, and it continues on into the chewing.

But the natural meat flavors come on very strong, and mixed with the smokiness, it defines the overall taste of this jerky, giving it a steak-like flavor.

I reported a slight tanginess in the chewing, and it continues to be there, and I think it adds a bit of liveliness to the flavor. It's comparable to a vinegar tang.

I can see some bits of black pepper on these pieces, but it's so lightly spread I don't really taste any of it.

There are also other bits of seasoning visible but they too are lightly spread that I don't really taste them when I take a bite.

I also notice chopped bits of something else, I think may be garlic. They seem to add a touch of flavor to this jerky.

The level of saltiness in this seems somewhere between moderate and high.

Overall, what you're going to notice the most in this jerky is the smoky, natural meat flavor, with a light bit of tanginess in the chewing, and a good deal of saltiness.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced to medium thickness, and in strips of about 3-4 inches in length.

This is a dry jerky, with a slightly oily surface feel. The strips have some flexibility to them, but easily crack open with any amount of bending. Tearing pieces apart with my fingers seems easy enough, and chewing seems easy.

The chewing texture starts out feeling dry and coarse, but is soft enough that it chews down without much effort. It has some chewiness to it, but never gives my jaws a workout. Once chewed down to a soft mass, it takes a on a steak-like feel, very comparable to one cooked well-done.

I can see some bits of fat on these strips that actually provide a bit of extra flavor, but not a spoiled flavor. I didn't find any gristle, tendon, and nothing stringy. I found no unchewable wads of tissue when chewing.

As for clean eating, my finger tips pick up a light amount of oil which I must lick off and wipe before touching keyboard.

Snack Value

Crazy Horse Beef Jerky sells this Original variety online at a price of $26.99 for one pound. That price includes the shipping. That works out to a price of $1.69 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $1.69 per ounce price, it's an excellent value. I'm getting a lot of snackability from this. That price is less than what you'd pay at the grocery store for the major brands of jerky, yet it's far superior in flavor, consistency, and chewing texture.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

This Original variety from Crazy Horse Beef Jerky treats the senses with a lot of smoky, natural meat flavor, mixed with a touch of tanginess in the chewing, and a good deal of saltiness. The smoky aroma alone coming out of the package creates a lot of mouth-watering anticipation that seems to heighten the snackability.

It's also very easy to eat, being easy to chew, but still retaining a lot of steak-like chewing. Combined with the great flavor, I could find myself going through a one-pound package of this in one sitting.

The flavor is quite mild, though on the upper end of saltiness. I didn't necessarily find it too salty for my liking however. I keep thinking this jerky could use a bit more of another flavor, perhaps more pepper, or another seasoning. But then again, I really love jerky with a lot of real-wood smoked natural meat flavor, and I'm getting a lot of that in this, and I think keeping it this way is best.

For my recommended beer pairing, I think a porter would work well, matching the smokiness of the meat with the smokiness of the malt, and letting the natural flavor of malt pair up with the meat. Try a Stone Smoked Porter, or a Sierra Nevada Porter.

Rating:

Best

Buy this online:

http://www.crazyhorsejerky.com/

The newest flavors in the line of Pap's Beef Jerky is this Bayou Blitz Cajun Style jerk.

Pap's Beef Jerky is a new product from Pap's Genuine Beef Sticks, which we reviewed previously. Pap's is a creation of Rick Waldon, based out of Junction City, KY.

This Bayou Blitz Cajun Style is described as "Traditional cajun spices of garlic, onion, pepper, and spices are liberally applied to elevate the natural meat flavors of beef and create a savory beefy compliment to our in the Cajun nation."

Ingredients

Beef, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, vegetable glycerin, liquid smoke, garlic, onion, pepper, spices.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a cajun style seasoning blend, with perhaps an emphasis on oregano or maybe thyme. There's also a light saucy flavor from the soy sauce and worcestershire.

The chewing brings in more of the soy sauce and worcestershire marinade, as well as a light natural meat flavor. I can also pick up a tinge of sweet.

As for being marketed as "Bayou Blitz Cajun Style", it's seems to hold up well. I do get a seasoning blend that is much like what I would expect from something labeled as Cajun, and it even has a light bit of heat to it as well. It's quite bold in flavor.

Otherwise, the flavors that seems to define this jerky is the Cajun style seasonings, with that emphasis on the oregano and/or thyme. The soy sauce and worcestershire combination is also well represented. The spicy heat is perhaps next most noticeable. The natural meat flavors round out the remaining flavors.

Like with other of Pap's Beef Jerky varieties, the flavors in this Bayou Blitz Cajun Style contribute towards something like that of a grilled steak, marinated and seasoned, but having more of that Cajun resemblance.

The level of heat in this feels light to moderate. On my personal heat scale, I'd rank this as "medium" (level 3 out of 5).

There are bits of chopped garlic stuck to these pieces, and every once in awhile, my teeth bite down on one and sends a small burst of garlic flavor.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into medium sized slabs, and sliced medium thick.

This is a dry jerky with a mostly dry surface feel, though slightly moist. Biting off pieces seems easy to do, and chewing is overall easy, though slightly labored.

The chewing texture starts out with some initial chewing resistance, but easily chews down. It takes on a meaty feel immediately, and by the time its chewed down to a soft mass, it feels quite steak like.

I see a couple of small streaks of fat on one pieces, but no gristle. I encountered no stringiness or other unchewable tissues. It's all very meaty.

In terms of clean eating, it's mostly clean, aside from some bits of seasoning sticking to my fingers.

Snack Value

Pap's Beef Jerky sells this Bayou Blitz Cajun Style variety at a price of $6.99 for a 3.5oz package. I don't have shipping info. Without shipping, it works out to a price of $2.00 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.00 per ounce price, it's a good value. I'm getting a great overall flavor, good meat consistency and chewing. Compared to other gourmet brands of jerky, it's a better snackability as a whole.

As a Cajun style beef jerky, at the same $2.00 per ounce price, it's also a good value. I get a flavor that I can easily identify as coming from the Bayou, along with a fair amount of heat.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

This Bayou Blitz Cajun Style beef jerky from Pap's Beef Jerky offers a savory cajun seasoning blend with and emphasis on oregano and/or thyme, much like what you'd expect from a food truck in Nawlins. It's bursting with flavor, with a fair amount of heat, enough to awaken your senses and liven the taste buds.

I also found it to provide a light natural meat flavor, just enough to give it that sense of eating real beef.

But it's also a good meat consistency, very meaty, and chewing very much like a real piece of steak. I also loved the bits of chopped garlic giving me small bursts of flavor.

Rating:

Best

Buy this online:

http://www.papsbeefsticks.com/

Next up in our series on Divine Bovine is this Hot & Tangy Teriyaki. See our other reviews of Divine Bovine.

Divine Bovine's beef jerky is based on beef brisket, which it claims to be more tender and sweet. The company describes it's story as beginning in Southern Italy when a butcher named "Pops" discovered a great recipe and cut of meat for jerky, who eventually handed it down to his grandson, who started the Divine Bovine brand.

This Hot & Tangy Teriyaki flavor is marketed as being "Gluten Free", and is described by the company as "..drenched in a mild blend of savory spices and "Pops" unique recipe, a wild fiery hot and sultry flavor combining the sweetness of pineapple juice with the fire of chili peppers."

Ingredients

Beef brisket, soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, granulated garlic, crushed red peppers, black pepper, ginger.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a good deal of sweetness with a noticeable soy sauce. A light bit of heat comes on, as well as lightly noticeable garlic.

The chewing brings in a more defined soy sauce along with touches of chile pepper. The black pepper comes on more strongly.

For being marketed as "Hot & Tangy Teriyaki", it holds up somewhat. There's enough heat in this to be considered "hot", and there's something of a teriyaki flavor. Actually, it's more of a sweetened soy sauce, and doesn't have that characteristic fermented quality nor enough of the ginger that helps define true teriyaki. As for the "tangy" part of the name, it's a rather weak tanginess, probably not enough to really mention.

Otherwise, the flavors that seem to define this jerky starts mainly as a sweetened soy sauce flavored jerky, with a fair amount of heat. You get touches of chile pepper flavor and garlic, and a fair amount of black pepper in the back of the mouth.

The pineapple juice is hard to identify, as is the ginger. Moreover, the natural meat flavors are hard to identify through the heavier sweet.

As for the heat, it ranks on my personal heat scale as a "medium hot" (level 4 out of 5).

Meat Consistency

These appear to be slices of whole meat, sliced into strips and bits of small to medium sizes.

This is a semi-moist jerky with moist and sticky surface feel. These pieces are very flexible and soft, and chewing is very easy.

The chewing texture starts out feeling very soft, tender and moist. It takes on a mushy texture right away, and by the time it's chewed down to a soft mass, it feels mushy, and more comparable to ground beef cooked rare.

I can see some small spots of fat on some pieces, but otherwise its unremarkable. I don't see any gristle or tendon either. I do, however, encounter a good deal of stringiness, much of which mats down into unchewable wads.

As for clean eating, I pick up light amounts of stickiness on my fingers, requiring some licking and/or wiping before touching the keyboard.

Snack Value

Divine Bovine sells this Hot & Tangy Teriyaki beef jerky from its website at a price of $27.96 for a four-pack, with each package at 3.25oz. Shipping is free if you buy two or more orders. That works out to a price of $2.15 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, it's a decent value. Compared to major brands of jerky sold in stores, it has a better flavor, and it's more tender and easy to chew, but it feels mushy and it contains too much stringiness, leaving a lot of unchewable wads.

As a Hot & Tangy Teriyaki beef jerky, at the same $2.15 per ounce price, it's a weak value. While I get a decent amount of heat, I don't find much tanginess in the chewing, and the teriyaki is more like sweetened soy sauce than true teriyaki.

Rating

I'm giving this an average rating.

This Hot & Tangy Teriyaki beef jerky from Divine Bovine offers a tender and moist chewing experience with a good deal of flavor and a blood-warming heat. But despite the name of this variety, I didn't find any tangy chewing and it doesn't quite have an authentic Japanese-style teriyaki flavor, it's more like sweetened soy sauce.

It's still, however, quite snackable if you like the combination of sweet meets heat in a tender, moist chew. I can taste just enough of the chile pepper, as well as the garlic and black pepper, to create the kind of spicy snacking that I really like.

I knocked the rating down because it doesn't really live up to its advertised flavor, with a less-than-interesting teriyaki and very little tanginess. It's really more of a "sweet and hot" jerky. But just on its own merits, it's still a good jerky, that should satisfy the tender-moist jerky snackers who love hot foods.

Rating:

Average

Buy this online:

http://www.divinebovinejerky.com/

The guys at Jeff's Famous Jerky sent us packages of their Maple Brown Sugar Bacon Jerky for review. Read our previous reviews of Jeff's Famous Jerky.

Jeff's Famous Jerky officially opened for business in 2010 and is owned and operated by Jeff's Famous Foods, Inc., led by founder Jeff Richards and CFO Mike Aggarwal, out of Mission Viejo, CA. The company offers ten flavors of jerky, all hormone-free, American beef (or bacon), without added MSG or preservatives.

This Maple Brown Sugar Bacon Jerky is the company's flagship flavor in their bacon jerky line, and according to the is, "...perfectly perfectly highlighted with a light Maple Brown Sugar flavor that is sure to delight anyone who loves bacon." They go on to say that they use 100% real maple syrup.

Ingredients

Bacon, brown sugar, powdered sugar, maple syrup, water, balsamic vinegar.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a combination of thick sweet and smokiness, with a subtle maple syrup.

The chewing brings in the flavor of real bacon along with is saltiness. The maple syrup is a touch more defined.

For being marketed as "Maple Brown Sugar" bacon jerky, it seems to hold up OK. The maple is actually less prominent but lightly noticeable, while the brown sugar is heavy. If compared to actual maple syrup that you pour over your pancakes, it's just as sweet but lighter on the maple.

As a bacon jerky, it's tastes just like real, honest-to-God, bacon. It's not chewy in the way you'd expect jerky to be, it's really more like fresh cooked bacon that has cooled down and sat on the breakfast table for an hour, except this stuff from Jeff's is flavored with sugar and maple.

The balsamic vinegar ingredient doesn't really show up in the taste.

As far as the saltiness goes, it's actually light on taste, not very salty at all.

Meat Consistency

These are strips of whole bacon, sliced thin similar to the bacon you'd buy at a grocery store.

It's a dry jerky, but it easy to bite off chunks and easy to chew. It chews like real bacon, cooked crispy but has cooled for an hour to where its lightly malleable and not overly crispy. It's not chewy at all.

The chewing texture is again, like real bacon. The fat on the bacon is not greasy or mushy, but has a soft texture that blends in with the bacon meat to create a real-bacon consistency.

I don't find any other unchewable tissues and no burnt pieces.

As for clean eating, it leaves little to no residue on my fingers and drop no fragments of meat or spice.

Snack Value

Jeff's Famous Jerky sells this Maple Brown Sugar Bacon Jerky from it's website at a price of $20.95 for three 2oz bags plus $6.95 for fast Priority Mail shipping and handling. All purchases are shipped the same or next business day. That works out to a price of $4.65 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $4.65 per ounce price, it's a decent value. I get a lot of snackability for a overall good flavor, good meat consistency and good chewing texture. That price is comparably priced to other gourmet brands of bacon jerky, and seems to offers a better overall bacon flavor.

As for a Maple Brown Sugar flavored bacon jerky, at the same $4.65 per ounce, it's a fair value. I get a heavy dose of sweet with light touches of maple, not quite as much as I would have expected.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Maple Brown Sugar bacon jerky from Jeff's Famous Jerky offers up the classic flavor of bacon in real, whole strips of smoky sliced pork belly. You get a lot of sweet in each bite with a light touch of maple.

I think I would have liked to get more maple syrup. As it is, it's a light tasting bacon jerky aside from the heavy sweet. The saltiness is light, even the oiliness is light, which are good qualities for a snack, but I guess I wanted a heavier bacon flavor if I can't get more of the maple.

Otherwise, this bacon jerky from Jeff's is like eating real, whole strips of bacon as a snack. Imagine a bag of bacon for a long haul down the highway or for the late night stoner munchies!

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

http://www.jeffsfamousjerky.com/

Snatch Jerky is a new brand of jerky based out of Show Low, AZ. It was started in February 2013 by a guy named Ron Pro.

Snatch markets itself with the tagline "The Healthy Beef Jerky" because it uses only natural ingredients, no MSG, no nitrates, and no preservatives. They also claim their jerky to be low sodium with varieties ranging from 50mg per serving up to 270mg per serving.

This "Whiskey Row" is described by the company's as, "...actual premium whiskey in the marinade, not just a whiskey flavoring. We use only the best quality whiskey on the market. Mixed with a combination of spices and seasonings you will fall in love with this flavor of beef jerky if your a whiskey lover." With only 50 mg. of sodium per serving, it's one of the lowest sodium jerky varieties we've reviewed.

Ingredients

Beef, brown sugar, whiskey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, spices.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a strong sweetness. A touch of salt comes in later.

The chewing brings in a bit more saltiness, along with a light amount of seasonings, and a bit of tanginess. I can pick up a touch of spiciness. There's very subtle hints of whiskey malt flavor.

For being labeled, "Whiskey Row" and described as a whiskey-based marinade, it seems to hold up somewhat. It doesn't offer a dominant whiskey flavor, however. There's a spiciness much like the burn of whiskey going down the throat, a subtle hint of alcohol, and very subtle hints of malt.

Otherwise, the flavor that defines this jerky is largely the heavy sweetness. This is thus far the most sweet of the varieties offered by Snatch. Then there's that light spiciness I described above, and then touches of salt, seasonings and tanginess. The soy sauce and worcestershire are hardly identifiable.

As for that whiskey burn, this jerky registers on my heat scale as "mild medium" (level 2 out of 5).

Imagine a beef jerky with touches of whiskey flavor, with a lot of sweetness, and touches of seasonings, and that describes this jerky.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, looking similar to beef brisket, sliced into strips of medium thickness, and in lengths ranging from one to three inches.

This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel. There's a lot of flexibility in these strips, Biting off chunks seems easy to do, while chewing seems overall easy with a little extra effort required here and there.

The chewing texture starts out feeling chewy, with some initial chewing resistance, but seems to break down without any laborious effort. It takes on a meaty feel, and once chewed down to a soft mass, it feels very steak-like, comparable to one cooked medium-well.

I do see bits and streaks of fat on these strips, which do contribute some additional flavor. I also encountered a fair amount of unchewable tissues, mostly as stringiness that matted down into unchewable wads.

In terms of clean eating, it's very clean handling leaving no residue on my fingers or seasonings falling off.

Snack Value

Snatch Jerky sells this Whiskey Row jerky from its website at a price of $5.95 for a 3oz package. They also sell a 5-pack variety bundle for $29.75 with shipping of $5.95 to Southern California. That works out to a price of $2.38 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.38 per ounce price, it's a fair value. I'm getting a satisfying flavor, good chewing texture, and decent meat consistency. Compared to major brands of jerky found in stores, it has a comparable snackability though at a similar to slightly higher price.

As a whiskey-marinade beef jerky, at the same $2.38 per ounce price, it's a good value. I do pick up a whiskey flavor mostly as a light to moderate whiskey burn, touches of alcohol, and a faint bits of malt.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Whiskey Row beef jerky from Snatch seems to do a better job of bringing out the whiskey flavor than competing brands of whiskey-marinated jerky. It's largely the whiskey burn I get, with touches of alcohol, and a subtle hints of malt that I pick up.

This jerky is otherwise heavily sweet with sparing amounts of seasonings. The stronger sweet perhaps is the best compliment to the whiskey flavor, and I think the light salt and seasonings are a good call to help that out. But this jerky still tastes like it needs another flavor dimension, perhaps orange or something fruity.

I found the chewing relatively easy, though it has some moments where the jaw muscles need to tap into a little more energy. But overall, the beef brisket style cut offers a good chewing texture.

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

http://www.snatchjerky.com/

Next in our series on Krave Jerky is this Sweet Chipotle beef jerky. See our other reviews of Krave Jerky.

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

This Sweet Chipotle beef jerky is described by the company's as being, "Made from authentic Mexican chipotle", and "...brings together natural smokiness, a sensation of moderate heat, and a hint of honey to create the perfect balance of sweet and smoky."

Ingredients

Beef, evaporated cane syrup, low sodium gluten free soy sauce, water, honey, spices, vinegar powder, sea salt, citric acid, celery juice powder.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a heavy sweetness, followed by a light smokiness. A light saltiness comes in along with a subtle bit of heat.

The chewing brings in a touch of the honey flavor, and perhaps a touch of the chipotle.

For being marketed as "Sweet Chipotle", it holds up somewhat. It is quite sweet, with touches of honey flavor. The chipotle, however, is subtle. What I taste is a light smokiness and hints of the smoked chile pepper flavor. Even the heat is very light, still ranking as "Mild" on my personal heat scale.

Otherwise, the flavor that defines this jerky is largely the sweet. The light smokiness is a secondary flavor, with the honey flavor a distant third, and the flavor of chipotle barely recognizable. After that, there's the usual saltiness and light touches of spice.

Overall, this Sweet Chipotle beef jerky has been the tamest of varieties we've reviewed from Krave. It might be suitable for folks who need mild flavored snacks, but there still is a faint bit of heat in the background.

I don't pick up any natural meat flavors.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into slabs of small, medium, and large sizes, and sliced medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a slightly moist surface feel, and with a tender, easy chew. It doesn't chew dry, but feels slightly moist.

The chewing texture starts out feeling tender and soft, offering very little chewing resistance. It chews down easily and takes on a meaty feel, similar to thick sliced deli roast beef, but not quite as moist. Once chewed down to a soft mass, it feels very much like real meat, more comparable to roast beef.

I don't see any fat on these slices, but I do see gristle on a few of the larger pieces, some of which give off a rubbery chew. The chewing reveals a light amount of stringiness, but otherwise offers no unchewable tissues.

As far as clean eating goes, my fingers pick up some red pepper flakes, but otherwise no significant stickiness.

Snack Value

Krave Jerky typically sells for $6.99 per 3.25oz package in most stores. That works out to $2.15 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.15 per ounce price, it's a fair value. Compared to other major brands of jerky sold in stores, it offers a similar snackability, not really any better nor any worse. The meat consistency and chewing seems better than the other brands, however.

As for being a "Sweet Chipotle" beef jerky, at the same $2.15 per ounce, it's fair value. While I do get a lot of sweet and touches of honey flavor, I don't really get much of the chipotle aside from a light smokiness.

Rating

I'm giving this an average rating.

This Sweet Chipotle beef jerky from Krave offers largely a strong sweet with a touch of honey flavor, and a light chipotle smokiness. It's mostly a mild flavored jerky with just a subtle bit of heat, not strong enough to do damage to softer tongues.

I didn't pick up enough chipotle flavor, however, to consider this a satisfying experience, assuming that I might be a chipotle lover. It's really more of a barbecue sauce flavor, being heavily sweet, lightly smoky, with touches of ketchup and bits of spice.

Otherwise, it's satisfying chewing, with the same tender, soft meat consistency and steak-like chewing that Krave is known for.

Rating:

Average

Buy this online:

https://www.kravejerky.com/

The newest flavor from Bad Buds Bull Jerky is this Chipotle Beef Jerky.

Bad Buds Jerky is a brand run by Buddy Stone out of Hogansville, GA. Bad Buds has been in business since 2005. In addition to jerky, the brand also markets its own line of hot sauces.

This new Chipotle variety is described as being made from chipotle peppers and rice wine vinegar. It brings the total number of jerky varieties offered by Bad Buds to six.

Ingredients

Beef, worcestershire, soy, rice wine vinegar, chipotle peppers, onion powder, garlic powder.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a combination of heavy sweetness and a saucy flavor comparable to soy sauce with garlic and onion. I can feel light bit of heat in the back of my mouth.

The chewing brings in more of the soy sauce with perhaps hints of worcestershire. I can also taste subtle notes of chipotle and a light amount of the vinegar.

For being marketed as a "Chipotle" beef jerky, it holds up. I get a light flavor of the dried, smoked chile peppers that I always expect when reviewing a chipotle jerky. I don't get much heat at all aside from a light bit. The chipotle flavor is definitely in there and noticeable, but it tends to be overwhelmed by the much stronger sweet and soy sauce flavors.

Otherwise, this jerky largely tastes like a strongly sweetened soy sauce jerky, but with a significant garlic and onion seasoning. The worcestershire and the chipotle come in light amounts, just enough to affect the overall flavor, along with a light vinegar tanginess in the chewing.

The level of heat in this ranks as "Mild Medium" on my personal heat scale (level 2 out of 5).

I don't pick much of the natural meat flavors in this, not like in some of the other varieties offered by Bad Buds, though I can detect a very light taste at the tail end of chewing.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into strips of three to six inches, and sliced thick.

This is a dry jerky with a slightly moist surface feel. These strips are very flexible, maybe just a touch of rubbery feel. Biting off pieces takes little bit of work while chewing is moderately tough.

The chewing texture starts out feeling chewy, requiring some effort to get through, but starts to break apart and soon softens up into a meaty feel. By the time its chewed down to a soft mass, it feel very steak like, perhaps cooked medium-well.

I don't see any bits or streaks of fat on these strips, but I do taste some fatty flavor. I'm not getting much of any stringiness in the chewing.

As far as handling goes, my fingertips pick up light oily and sticky residue, enough to require a licking and wiping before touching the keyboard.

Snack Value

Bad Buds Bull Jerky sells this Chipotle jerky from its website at a price of $4.50 for a 2.0oz package. It's free shipping if you buy $25.00 of jerky or more. So, if you bought 6 packages, it works out to a total of $27.00. That's the same as $2.25 per ounce.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $2.25 per ounce price, it's a great value. That's priced about the same or slightly higher than the major jerky brands sold in stores, yet tastes a lot better and offers much better meat consistency and chewing.

As a Chipotle beef jerky, at the same $2.25 per ounce price, it's a fair value. I'm getting a light chipotle flavor, though not quite as much as I would like to get. The heat is also rather light.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Chipotle beef jerky from Bad Buds doles out a light chipotle flavor and a light level of heat against a savory combination of sweet, soy sauce, and garlic & onion. Throw in some worcestershire and vinegar, and it really makes for a lively, tantalizing chewing.

I found the characteristic chipotle flavor to be rather light in this, but largely because the heavier sweet, soy sauce and garlic & onion were far more pronounced. Just based on its own merits, however, this is still a very snackable flavor that you'll find difficult to stop eating. Think of the confluence barbecue, Asian, and south west flavors merging together into a ménage à trois of meat snacking love.

The meat consistency is very characteristic of Bad Buds brand, chewy, but meaty, steak-like chewing with very little fat, but interestingly little stringiness than what I've found previously.

Rating:

Good

Buy this online:

http://www.badbudsjerky.com/

Jeff's Famous Jerky - Pacific Red Hot Chili Pepper

Brave Jerky

Krave Beef Jerky - Garlic Chili Pepper

Divine Bovine Beef Jerky - Spicy Jalapeno

Lawless Jerky - Hawaiian Teriyaki

Well Food Company - Natural Beef Steak Sticks

Snatch Beef Jerky - Orange Teriyaki

Chef Craig's Beef Jerky - Black Thai

Hunger Buster! Beef Sticks - Jalapeno

Bayou Blend - File Gumbo

Krave Beef Jerky - Chili Lime

Lawless Jerky to Offer 100% Grass-Fed, Artisanal Beef Jerky in Never-Before-Seen Flavors

Jordinski's Jerky - Original

Crazy Horse Beef Jerky - Original

Pap's Beef Jerky - Bayou Blitz Cajun

Divine Bovine - Hot & Tangy Teriyaki

Jeff's Famous Jerky - Maple Brown Sugar Bacon

Snatch Beef Jerky - Whiskey Row

Krave Jerky - Sweet Chipotle

Bad Buds Jerky - Chipotle