Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Blueberry Habanero

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Blueberry Habanero" is described as "Seasonal blueberries are picked then added to Grandpa's spiciest jerky. Enough said."


Ingredients

Beef, blueberries, seasoning, water, cayenne pepper, dextrose, natural smoke flavor, habanero pepper, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.

Review

The first thing I taste right away is a light seasoning of salt and onion, and a touch of smoke. The chewing brings on a meaty flavor, with the seasonings picking up definition. There's a light habanero chile flavor, and a faint soy sauce.

For being marketed as "Blueberry Habanero", it's kinda weak. I don't find any blueberry flavor, nor anything fruity or sweet. The habanero does come in with a light flavor, however. The heat takes several bites and chews to build up to the level of habanero. Once there, it ranks on my heat scale as "medium hot" (level 4 out of 5).

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is that of a savory blend of salt and onion seasoning with some soy sauce and a swash of habanero flavor.

The meat consistency is chopped and formed beef, shaped into bite-sized strips. It has soft chew, comparable to the company's "Sweet Teriyaki", and still a meaty texture, but not exactly steak-like.

Verdict

This Blueberry Habanero variety from Grandpa's Beef Jerky sounded like a unique mixture of berry and chile, but I found no blueberry flavor at all. Otherwise, it's a good habanero jerky for its light flavor and medium-hot heat. But even at that, it's remains rather one-dimensional against a basic jerky seasoning. The idea of fruity, sweet blueberry countering the seething heat of a habanero is awesome, but just not well effected here.

Rating: Average (3/5)