Bayou Blend - Sweet Antebellum

Bayou Blend Meat Snacks has a new flavor out called, "Sweet Antebellum". Read our reviews of their other flavors here.

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 new Sweet Antebellum is described as a "Sweeter Style Beef Jerky", being made from Louisiana Sugar Cane.

Ingredients

Beef, water, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, crab boil powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, onion powder, crab boil liquid, hot sauce

Taste

The first flavors I pick up is sweet and a blend of seasonings. There's a bit of soy sauce coming in. The chewing brings on more of the seasonings and more of the soy sauce, including hints of the teriyaki. I can also detect a light tanginess in the chewing.

For being called "Sweet Antebellum", it definitely has a sweetness to it. If you compare this to the company's "Melange Original", it's certainly more sweet.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is that of a complex seasoning blend, perhaps something more comparable to what you would sprinkle on seafood than steak. Think of garlic, thyme, lemon, paprika, marjoram, et al. There's a saucy sweet in the background, mostly as teriyaki, but heavier on the soy sauce.

The meat consistency appears to be all meat with no signs of fat. It's sliced in small, bite sized pieces. It feels stiff and chewy, and has an initial rubbery resistance. Eventually it chews down soft, and feels meaty, and almost steak-like.

Verdict

This Sweet Antebellum from Bayou Blend offers up a balance of flavors between a complex seafood seasoning blend and a sweet teriyaki marinade. It's similar in taste to the company's "Melange Original", but with more sweet. The flavor is uniquely Louisiana, and pretty much what you'd expect from something named, "Bayou Blend". Overall, it's very savory, and feels "alive" on the palate with its light tanginess. I think the sweetness gives this jerky a solid balance between spice and body.

Rating: Best