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Alien Fresh Jerky is a brand that you might be familiar with if you've driven along Interstate 15 between Baker, CA and Las Vegas, NV. There are billboards along the desert highway with its alien cowboy brand, beckoning you to stop in Baker to buy some meat snacks.To best of my knowledge, you can only buy this from their tiny store in Baker, or buy it online.
The Alien Fresh Brand comes in two series, the "regular" series of flavors, and then the "premium" series. The difference is that the premium line is made from beef brisket, while the regular is made from some other cut of beef. This Sweet & Spicy variety is apparently their top seller in the premium series.
Taste
The ingredients list shows the following: beef brisket, red chile, fructose, vinegar, orange peel, water, orange juice, garlic onion, spices, pectin, salt, cracked pepper, cayenne, paprika, ground oregano, thyme and spices. To their credit, they've used no artificial flavorings and preservatives.
The main thing I taste is sweet and spicy. The red chile flavor comes through very well, as does the cayenne and paprika, as well as the sweetness. I can also taste a slight orange in this. When Alien Fresh Jerky says this is "sweet & spicy" they really mean it.
The "hot" factor in this is exactly that "hot". Eating some pieces, I'm breaking a sweat and feeling the tingling in my scalp, and I can feel my tongue burning.
There is still some natural beef flavors that come through despite the thick flavoring. You won't notice it if you chew it and swallow right away. You have to chew it slightly, keep it in your mouth for about 10-15 seconds and extract the juices.
Meat Consistency
The package says this is made from beef brisket, and it appears to be so.
Each piece is soft and moist.
The meat is sticky due to its thick sweetness. Each piece I pick up I end up licking the stickiness from my fingers. But it's not so sticky like syrup. I actually find it enjoyable.
This jerky is sliced thin, and is not chewy, and very easy to tear apart. It still feels like beef when I chew it.
There is some marbling of fat, which I'd expect to find in beef brisket.
Product Value
Alien Fresh Jerky offers a "3 for $20" deal, making each package cost $6.67 for 4 ounces. That works out to $1.67 per ounce, which is within the average ball park. If you bought just one package, it'll cost $8.00 each, which would make it $2.00 per ounce, putting this in the high price area.
Overall, this jerky is a very good buy considering it's packed with a ton flavor, and you're getting a lot of sweetness and spiciness in a variety marketed as "sweet & spicy". The fact that it's also priced in the average range, makes it well worth the money for the jerky connoiseur.
Rating
I'm giving this a "best" rating.
It's got everything a jerky lover can ask for, tons of taste, soft and moist, easy to eat, no artificial flavorings and preservatives, still retains some natural beef flavors, offers some fat marblization, makes you keep reaching for more, and offers a fresh taste that lives up to its name.
I tried to find something wrong with this brand and variety and couldn't do it. I can't even say that it's too salty, which many brands often are.
More importantly, you're getting a sweet & spicy variety that actually lives up to that claim; something you don't always get from other brands.
Rating:
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Southern California-based affiliate marketer, blogger, motorcycle rider, craft beer aficionado, who makes his living online publishing websites like this one. Do you have a jerky business? Would you like to have me review your jerky here? 
3 comments:
I concur this stuff is great!
Great site by the way!
that stuff was so addictive i would keep eating it even as it was scorching my lips off
unfortunately they changed the recipe and don't use brisket anymore and now it's totally mediocre
I just wanted to say thanks for all those reviews. Being in Australia, I couldn't possibly get most of those brands (some get imported here), but there is enough info in your blog that I could pretty much pick a good local jerky by sight. Also, I plan to make my own jerky, and looking through ingredients for those without Sodium Nitrite has been more helpful for looking at natural alternatives than Google has been! Keep up the good work, and thanks again from "Down Under" (does that mean Americans live in "Up Over"??).
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