Coppernose Jerky - Garlic & Chili

Coppernose Jerky is a new brand that launched in the Summer of 2015. Based out of the Oxfordshire town of Burford, in England, Coppernose was founded by Liam Derry.

Liam was working on a degree at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester when the idea for Coppernose came about. Coppernose today is a run by Liam and his family. They use ethically sourced, 100% grass fed, British beef, allowing them to trace their meats all the way back to the farm. They use sliverside cuts, in long strips, and then marinated for 12 hours before dehydration. Coppernose Jerky is sold in small shops and outdoor markets throughout England, as well as from its website.

This "Garlic & Chili" variety is simply described as, "A delicious combination of garlic and chili..."

Ingredients

Whole slices of beef, soy sauce, chopped garlic, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, black pepper, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper

Review

The first flavor to hit my palate is a light garlic and salt. There's a bit of heat building up in the back. The chewing brings on some soy sauce and hints of cayenne and black pepper. The heat builds up a little bit more. The latter part of chewing reveals the natural meat flavor.

For being dubbed, "Garlic & Chili", it holds up fine. The garlic seems mostly noticeable initially, but soon becomes overwhelmed by the soy sauce and saltiness. The chili offers noticeable flavor in the chewing along with a light bit of heat. Together the garlic and chili ingredients combine to create a spicy, Asian-style chile sauce flavor.

The primary taste profile of this jerky, however, starts with the soy sauce. The garlic and chili adds to that flavor, along with some black pepper. The natural meat flavors become noticeable in the latter part of chewing.

The level of heat in seems light, and ranks on my personal heat scale as "mild medium" (level 2 out of 5).

The meat consistency looks great. The thick, meaty short strips wells up much anticipation and brings out the carnivore in me. It's chewy, but not over the top, yet still somewhat tender. It chews and feels like real steak, however. I didn't find any stringiness or unchewable tissues in this sample.

Verdict

This "Garlic & Chili" variety from Coppernose Jerky offers a good balance between its advertised flavor along with its soy sauce marinade and natural meat flavors. This actually takes on an Asian-style flavor than compared to the company's "Teriyaki" variety. The comination of garlic & chili in this tends to mimic the garlic-infused chili sauces popular in Asian cultures. But what makes this jerky really good is the easily noticeable natural meat flavors and the thick, meaty, steak-like chewing. Of the four varieties that Coppernose Jerky offers, this Garlic & Chili is their best.

Rating: Best