Chops Beef Jerky - Original

Chops Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Chops Snacks, Inc. based out of New Haven, CT. The company was started in June 2016 by two recent Yale University undergraduates, Luke Sellers and Aaron Jones, along with food industry veteran Dusty Jaquins.

The company claims their jerky is made from 100% USDA Choice and Select beef brisket, sourced from cattle within the United States. They use no MSG, no nitrites, and no artificial preservatives. Their jerky is labeled as "all natural" and "exceptionally tender", while their website further claims to be gluten-free.

This Original is described by the team as having, "...slight overtones of freshly ground black pepper, with a small hint of brown sugar..." and that it's a, "classic favorite of our fans".


Ingredients

Beef brisket, low sodium gluten-free Tamari Sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, black pepper, granulated garlic

Review

The first flavors that hit my tongue are a noticeable sweet followed by soy sauce. A faint bit of black pepper becomes noticeable. The chewing brings on more of the same flavors, with a faint natural meat flavor in the finish.

For being described as having slight overtones of black pepper with a small hint of brown sugar, it's pretty much right on. The black pepper is noticeable, but faint. The brown sugar, however, is more than a small hint, it's actually right there, in plain view, and can't be missed. But as a jerky sold as, "Original", it's definitely something that has a balance of sweet, salt, and savory, without going spicy, and without favoring any other seasoning.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is soy sauce with a strong sweetness, but perked up with a light black pepper, and just overtones of natural meat flavor in the latter part of chewing.

The meat consistency is great for a brisket cut jerky. Compared to other brands boasting brisket cuts, this is very meaty, perhaps offering more meat and less fat and stringiness. It's also quite tender as the package claims. It's very easy to chew, lending itself to greater snackability and the urge to eat more. It takes on a chewing texture much like a filet-mignon cooked medium-rare.

Verdict

This Original beef jerky from Chops stands up to its advertised claims pretty well, and goes on to offer a lot of sweet and savory beef crack for committed meat snackers across the world. It's still however, a simple jerky, with no unique angle, nor anything that hasn't already been done before. It tastes and chews very similar to Perky Jerky, with the latter having a more tangy taste profile and a bit more moist. Chops on the other hand, tends to remain traditional in its recipe, relying on its tender, moist chewing to win over jerky aficionados. On it's own merits, it's very enjoyable, and addicting too, but compared to other gourmet brands out there, particularly in the brisket field, it doesn't really offer much to differentiate itself.

Rating: Good (4/5)