Jim Beam Beef Jerky - Cracked Pepper

The third in our series of Jim Beam Beef Jerky is this Cracked Pepper variety. Read my earlier reviews of their Original, and Barbecue varieties.

The idea of combining Jim Beam whiskey into beef jerky is perhaps a study of successful brand extension, by taking a well loved brand such as Jim Beam, and crossing it over to a well loved product like beef jerky. It was enough to win Thanasi Foods, LLC, the company behind this effort, awards from CSP Magazine as the best new convenience store product in 2005. Though I tend to think the marketing success of Jim Beam jerky has more to do with indulging the inner-alcoholic in each of us, and Thanasi's skillful package artwork.

In my review of Jim Beam's Barbecue variety, I noted the jerky was manufactured by Jerky Snack Brands. However this package of Cracked Pepper was made by Monogram Meat Snacks, which appears to be the current processor moving forward. While I'm sure the flavor recipe is still the same, a different meat processor always seems to have a profound effect on the meat consistency and overall flavor.

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Jim Beam Beef Jerky - Original

Jim Beam Beef Jerky is a product of Thanasi Foods, LLC, of Boulder, CO. It's produced under license by Jim Beam Brands Co. The product literature says that this jerky is "soaked in genuine Beam whiskey".

Jim Beam Beef Jerky first hit convenience store shelves in late 2004, following the success of Jim Beam Sunflower Seeds, another product of Thanasi Foods. In 2005, Jim Beam Beef Jerky won an award from CSP Magazine, as the best new product in the meat snack category. CSP Magazine serves the convenience store and gas station industries.

It wasn't until 2006 that Thanasi extended the beef jerky line by adding the Peppered and Barbeque varieties. Thanasi Foods also owns Stubb's Beef Jerky, and Frank's Redhot Beef Jerky.

The jerky itself is manufactured by Monogram Meat Snacks of Chandler, MN. Keep in mind that the Barbecue variety of Jim Beam Beef Jerky that I reviewed last year was manufactured by Jerky Snack Brands of Mankato, MN. More than likely, this change in meat processors will affect the taste and consistency.

Ingredients

Beef, water, brown sugar, contains 2% or less of sugar, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, spices, garlic powder, worcetershire sauce, soy sauce, genuine Jim Beam bourbon, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.

Taste

The flavors I pick up from the surface of these pieces starts with a medium level smokiness, with some sucking I'm getting some saltiness, and a faint sweetness. In the chewing, I first taste the natural meat flavors, which contains some more sweetness, and maybe a tad more salt.

For being soaked in Jim Beam whiskey, and branded as Jim Beam jerky, this doesn't taste like whiskey. In analyzing the flavors carefully, and taking my time to dissect the taste components, I can't find anything whiskey-like, or liquor-like at all. It's just plain ol' jerky.

The taste that seems to dominate this jerky is the natural meat flavors. Although, I'm not sure there's anything "natural" in this meat flavor. It has a processed flavor, that seems to resemble something like summer sausage, something I'm finding more of with jerky made by Monogram Meat Snacks. It's still a pleasing flavor, and still something recognizable as a meat flavor.

Inside that meat flavor is a sweetness, and a saltiness. The sweetness is stronger than the saltiness, and the saltiness is light in intensity.

Again, it starts with the surface flavors, which is a clearly identifiable smokiness. There's also a fine layer of oil on the surface in which I can pick up a fatty flavor, and that mixes in with the smokiness. As you start sucking on the pieces, you'll find a light saltiness. As soon as you start chewing, that summer sausage-like meat flavor comes out in a medium-level strength, and that's all you'll taste from there on out.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be medium to thick slices of whole meat, cut into medium to large sized pieces.

This is more of a dry jerky, but clearly one with some degree of moisture. Actually, I think that moisture is more of an oiliness. They'll bend about 20-30 degrees before they start cracking. Tearing a piece apart with my fingers is moderately easy, and chewing is also moderately easy.

The chewing texture is meaty, and fibrous, much like a steak cooked medium-well. But there's also a definite rubber-like quality in the first several chews that resists chewing. It'll take about 30 seconds of chewing before it feels like meat. Some of these pieces are even borderline gummy, but still far enough away from feeling like a fruit roll-up.

In terms of clean eating, my fingers pick up small amounts of oil from this jerky which causes me to wipe on my jeans. But I don't see any fragments falling off as I tear these pieces apart.

I did find one piece with a significant amount of fat, otherwise the rest seem pretty lean. I found no tendon or gristle. A couple pieces left behind small wads of unchewable sinews or membranous tissue in my mouth.




Snack Value

Thanasi Foods has a suggested retail price of $5.99 for this 3.15oz bag of Jim Beam Beef Jerky. That works out to a price of $1.90 per ounce, putting this into the average price range, at the higher end.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $1.90 per ounce price, it seems to provide a fair value. I'm getting a good deal of snackability for its meat flavor and smokiness. I think it's priced a little high for what you're getting. If you can buy this below $1.50 per ounce, it's a good value.

Rating

I'm giving this an average rating.

I think this original variety of Jim Beam Beef Jerky has improved substantially now that it's manufactured by Monogram Meat Snacks compared to that previously made by Jerky Snack Brands. It has more meat flavor (albeit a summer sausge flavor), and more snackability.

But it's still seems to be an average jerky. The overall taste is pleasing and snackable, but is still clearly in the realm of mass-market jerky. It has that "mass-market" taste, consistency and texture. I think it's actually just above the likes of Jack Link's, Bridgford, et al, for its stronger smokiness and meat flavors.

Even though the meat flavors resemble something like summer sausage, it's still a good flavor. I mean, I love chomping down summer sausage. It's just not necessarily something you expect in a beef jerky. Though, at least this jerky offers some kind of meat flavor.

But I am disappointed that I can't taste anything resembling Jim Beam whiskey.

My beer recommendation for this jerky? A barley wine ale.

Rating: Average

Buy this online:

• http://www.jimbeamsnacks.com

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Jim Beam Beef Jerky - Barbeque

Jim Beam Beef Jerky is something that hit convenience stores by storm in late 2004. It's a product of Thanasi Foods, LLC, based out of Boulder, CO.

The company managed to get Jim Beam Brands Co. to license its name out to another product for the very first time in its history. Thanasi originally used the name for its line of Jim Beam Sunflower Seeds in 2003, and then a year later introduced the beef jerky.

In 2005, Thanasi actually won an award from CSP Magazine, for its beef jerky, as the best new product in the meat snack category. CSP Magazine serves the convenience store and gas station industries.

It wasn't until 2006 that Thanasi extended the beef jerky line to the Peppered and Barbeque varieties. Thanasi Foods, LLC specializes in combining favorite snack foods with a well-known brand as a special ingredient. They also offer "Frank's Red Hots Beef Jerky".

From what I can tell, Thanasi doesn't make their own beef jerky, it's private labeled.

Ingredients List

Beef, water, brown sugar, salt, sugar, BBQ seasoning (fructose, salt, chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt, dehydrated garlic), less than 2% of dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, spices, spice extractives, natural smoke flavor (maltodextrin), yeast extract, dextrose), genuine Jim Beam Bourbon, seasonings (high fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose, water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors), hyrolized soy protein, black pepper, spices, garlic powder, white pepper, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite

Taste

The first thing I taste in this Barbeque variety, is just a slight barbeque taste with some good spiciness. It's a tad on the salty side. It has the same factory smell and taste that you come to know from a brand like Jack Link's, in fact I wonder if they might be the company that made this.

As for Jim Beam Bourbon, I can't taste much of it. It doesn't have any kind of dominating smell or taste of bourbon. If you didn't know this was marinated in bourbon, you'd never know it. The only way to taste the bourbon marinade is to chew and suck on a piece for awhile, and then you can "kinda" taste it. But you have to be a regular Jim Beam drinker to identify it.

But there is no alcoholic stupor that comes from eating this. I cannot taste or sense any alcohol at all, zip, zero, nada. All I can detect is a subtle Jim Beam aftertaste.

For the most part, this tastes like "regular" or "original" beef jerky, with some spiciness to it. But I would not classify this as "hot". Maybe "mild" to "medium hot".

As for the natural meat flavors, there appears to be some. I had to chew up a piece first, soften it up, and then suck out the juices, and then think hard if I could taste any. And then sure enough, I tasted some.

Overall, it has good flavor if you like spicy beef jerky, or salty beef jerky.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be real slices of meat, cut into average thickness, and in small bite sized pieces. Keep in mind I bought the 1.7 oz bag, instead of the standard 3.5 oz bag.

The pieces are somewhat soft, and on the dry side. I would not classify this as "soft and tender". But it's certainly not hard or tough. For the most part it's easy to tear apart and chew. It's probably better to just chew a piece slightly and suck on it a little, to get more flavor out of it.

There is some marbilization of fat in these pieces, but otherwise the fat isn't much noticeable.

Most of the pieces were easy to eat, and I didn't find much in tendon or gristle.





Product Value

I paid $2.99 for this small 1.7oz bag at a 7-Eleven in Murrieta, CA. That works out to $1.76 per oz. That's in the average-price ballpark.

As a beef jerky it has good value. It offers a pleasant beef jerky experience, not too tough, not too soft. There's plenty of spicy flavor, and it has great snackability, keeping me reaching for more.

But as a beef jerky that sells itself as being marinated in Jim Beam Bourbon, it falls on its face. If I were a Jim Beam drinker, and beef jerky lover at the same time, I end up feeling ripped off.

Note that the official website for Jim Beam Beef Jerky, actually requires you to verify your age, as if only persons 21 years and older are allowed to learn about this jerky.

Rating

I'm giving this an "average" rating.

This Barbeque variety is basically a good beef jerky for general purpose snacking. It's what you'd come to expect from all of the large commercial brands. It does offer some good spicy flavor, and it's easy to eat.

But because it promotes itself as being soaked in genuine Jim Beam Bourbon, you expect to taste the bourbon, or experience something on a totally different level. But alas, there's none of it.

Rating: Average

Buy this online:

• Amazon.com

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