4 Seasons Jerky - Honey Basil Turkey

4 Seasons Jerky is a new brand that hit the market late in 2016. Launched by a guy named, "Thom", short for Thomas, the company is based out of Highland, CA. Thom is an avid outdoorsman, and is outside all year-round, hiking, boating, snowboarding, to name a few.

4 Seasons Jerky uses lean round or flank cuts of meat, marinated for 24 hours.

This Honey Basil Turkey Jerky is described by the company simply as, "...aromatic blend of basil and sweetness of honey spices up this healthy, red meat alternative."


Ingredients

Turkey breast, honey, basil, black pepper, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, smoke liquid, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, red crush pepper, other spices.

Review

The first flavors that hit my palate is the basil, followed by a light sweet. The natural turkey meat flavors start to come in, along with a bit of smoke, black pepper, and some kind of chile pepper, perhaps cayenne. The chewing adds low level of salt. Further into the chewing, the black pepper gains strength while the red pepper emits a bit of heat.

The level of heat rates of "mild-medium" on my heat scale (level 2 out of 5).

For being marketed as "Honey Basil Turkey", it holds up. I do get a noticeable sweet, mostly on the initial chew, with a subtle honey flavor. The basil, however, is more pronounced and well noticed right away. It's more basil than honey.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is actually a balance of black pepper and basil, with a bit of red pepper/cayenne, and touched with smoke and sweet. The natural turkey meat flavors provide a meaty flavor throughout the chewing.

The meat consistency is overall good, though a couple of pieces contained a chewy, tendon tissue through the middle. It has a jerky chewiness yet is still easy to chew through. It's slightly moist, but dry to the touch. The chewing feels like real turkey meat, not gummy or crumbly, but more like dry turkey breast.

Verdict

This Honey Basil Turkey Jerky from 4 Seasons punches out a basil-forward flavor profile boosted with red and black pepper, but tempered with enough honey sweetness for a well-rounded chew that touches all areas of the palate. I like the use of basil in this jerky; it seems to partner well with turkey as opposed to forcing traditional beef seasonings into poultry. The turkey breast cuts manage to retain their meatiness in this jerky without going too dry, too crumbly, or too mushy. That stringy, tendon tissue running through the middle of the pieces can be a nuisance. Overall, it's an original recipe for turkey jerky quite unlike what other brands are offering packed into a great meaty chew.

Rating: Good (4/5)