Pony Express Beef Jerky - Black Peppered

Pony Express Jerky is a brand owned by Pony Express Enterprises based out of New Holland, PA. The brand was started in 2009 by Ted Cundiff, a veteran of the meat snack industry. Cundiff originally launched Wild Bill's Beef Jerky in 1983, a brand that was bought up by Monogram Foods in 2009.

Pony Express is manufactured in its own USDA inspected facility in New Holland, right in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The company offers a retail location in Blue Ball, PA.

This "Black Peppered" is described by the company as, "A truly bold Flavor. Our Black Pepper beef jerky will leave you wishing for more."


Ingredients

Beef, soy sauce, water, italian black pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, potassium sorbate, cayenne pepper

Review

The first flavor I pick up is the black pepper, along with a light, watered down soy sauce. The chewing brings on the natural meat flavors, along with a touches of salt and garlic. There's a light spicy heat on the back of my tongue.

For being name, "Black Peppered", and being described as "a truly bold flavor", it holds up. There's definitely a black pepper flavor that jumps right out and makes itself known. And, it's definitely something one could describe as "bold" due to the soy sauce, salt, and garlic. the black pepper offers up some of its own heat, but doesn't quite have that freshly-cracked bite. It's still spicy, however. And it's still offers a lot of piquancy for black pepper lovers.

I'd rate this a "medium" on our personal heat scale (level 3 out of 5).

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a moderately salty blend of soy sauce and garlic, spiced up with black pepper, and revealing a well-done cooked steak flavor at the end.

The meat consistency is pretty good. It's lightly chewy, but manages to soften up without too much effort. It's very lean, with no noticeable fat. I felt no stringiness. Eventually, it takes on a steak-like chewing texture.

Verdict


This Black Peppered Beef Jerky from Pony Express delivers a fair amount of black pepper flavor without going too far overboard. You get the classic spicy bite of black pepper corns, but not so much that it scalds the tongue. Because there's no sugar added to this, it ends up tasting more salty. As a result, the mouth still feels scorched after eating several pieces. But like the other flavors from Pony Express Beef Jerky, this has a simple, old-fashioned flavor that yields a sense of wholesome charm and natural goodness. It's very much comparable to the company's "Sweet Heat" variety we reviewed earlier, but without the sweet. It's a great jerky for folks who love a simple, old fashioned style and flavor.

Rating: Good (4/5)