Jeff's Famous Jerky - Carolina Reaper

Jeff's Famous Jerky recently released this new flavor, Carolina Reaper. Based out of Mission Viejo, CA, Jeff's Famous Jerky is a brand owned by Jeff's Famous Foods, Inc.

The company started up in 2010 when Jeff Richards decided to make a business from his favorite snack food, jerky. Since the 1970s, Richards has been making his own jerky, getting better year after year, similar to like a 40-year old bourbon. Professionally, Richards has spent his career in the restaurant business and also coaches entrepreneurs through a consulting business.

This Carolina Reaper variety is of course based on the currently-world's-most-hottest chile pepper, the Carolina Reaper. According to Jeff himself, he launched this jerky variety after friends kept asking for something "over-the-top fiery".

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The Jerky Hut - Hot Cowgirl Beef Jerky

The Jerky Hut is a brand of Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. The brand which is often seen at boat shows, gun shows, car shows, and trade shows of every kind, was started over 30 years ago.

Much of its jerky is sold through independent "retail licensees", who are the folks running the booths at the shows. It's parent company, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, runs its own USDA inspected facility.

This Hot Cowgirl Beef Jerky variety is marketed as having a "medium hot heat range due to the infusion of hot crushed red chili peppers", and goes on to say that it has a "rich smoky flavor from Oregon hardwoods".

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Crooked Creek Farm - Spicy Pork Jerky

Crooked Creek Farm is a small family run farm located in the rolling hills of Pylesville, MD, operated by Mike and Tiffany Schleupner. There they raise pasture-raised pigs for ribs, sausage, and pork chops. In 2017, they added pork jerky to their product line up.

All of their pork jerky is made from pigs with no added hormones, no antibiotics, and no growth promotants. It's currently selling at farmers markets around the Harford County, MD area, as well from their website.

This Spicy Pork Jerky variety is described by Crooked Creek Farm as being similar to their Original Pork Jerky, but, "...made it spicy with a touch of red pepper", going on to include that it's made from 100% American hogs.

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Tong Jerky - Honey Pepper

Tong Jerky is a brand that launched in 2018 by two buddies attending college in Los Angeles. They originally discovered biltong, the South African dried meat snack. They came up with the idea of creating a beef jerky based on the biltong recipe, and Tong Jerky was born.

After several years of perfecting recipes, they finally launched the company and started selling online. Their jerky can also be found in a handful of stores across Los Angeles.

This Honey Pepper is described by the company as, "the perfect marriage between sugar and spice", going on to say that it, "starts with a smooth sweet taste and ends with a peppery hot finish".

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Tibbs Beef Jerky - Garlic Sriracha

Tibbs Beef Jerky is the creation of Steve Tibbs, who launched the business in 2016, based out of Bakersfield, CA. Tibbs descends from a line of barbecue grill masters and even dabbles in charcuterie.

But, the story behind Tibbs' entry into the jerky business was weight loss. Reaching 260 pounds at one point, he decided to forge together his love for meat snacks with hitting the gym. He started making his own jerky using whole foods, fresh beef, and healthful ingredients. When his friends tried his jerky, Tibbs realized he had a gold mine on his hands. Today, Tibbs jerky is sold in stores throughout the greater Bakersfield area, as well as online from its website, and now through a monthly subscription service.

This "Garlic Sriracha" is described by the company simply as, "...will have you coming back for more".

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Bakke Brother Brand - Honey Jalapeno Beef Jerky

Bakke Brothers Brand is owned by Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. Whiskey Hill also owns The Jerky Hut, as well as its own house brand, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse.

Bakke Brothers was started by Phil Bakke, one of Whiskey Hill'founders. The brand differs from The Jerky Hut in that it's free of preservatives such as sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, et al, and it's also gluten-free.

This Honey Jalapeno Beef Jerky is marketed as, "Gluten Free", "No MSG", and "No Nitrates", going on to say that it has a, "spicy heat for a unique taste".

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The Jerky Hut - Hot Golden Nuggets

The Jerky Hut is a brand of Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. The brand which is often seen at boat shows, gun shows, car shows, and trade shows of every kind, was started over 30 years ago.

Much of its jerky is sold through independent "retail licensees", who are the folks running the booths at the shows. It's parent company, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, runs its own USDA inspected facility. The Jerky Hut is also sold online through its own website.

This "Hot Golden Nuggets" is actually a spicier version of its already popular "Sweet Golden Nuggets" we reviewed previously. The company goes on to say that it's, "spicy but not real hot".

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All American Jerky - Snack Sticks

All American Jerky is a brand of Schmidt Family Farm Products, LLC, based out of St. Louis, MO. The brand got started in 2014 after its founer, Richard Schmidt decided to extend his cattle business to meat snacks.

Originally, Schmidt spent 25+ years in the restaurant & catering business before retiring in 2007. He bought a farm just outside of St. Louis to raise a family and decided to raise some cattle as a hobby. Before he knew it, he was selling all-natural, grass-fed beef to local restaurants. That's when he decided to get into meat snacks. Initially, Schmidt started off with beef jerky, but chose to focus on pork-based meat sticks instead.

These snack sticks are made from 100% USA pork and produced at a USDA inspected facility. A portion of their profits goes to H.E.R.O.E.S Care, a non-profit that benefits troops and their families.

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Gentlemen's Beef Jerky - Sweet Chili

Gentlemen's Beef Jerky is a new brand launched by Chef Shehu Fitzgerald, based out of Staten Island, NY. Chef Shehu gained famed after winning it all on Season Seven of Food Network, "Chopped". He went on to compete on "Chopped Champs" and on ABC's, "The Taste".

The celebrated culinary master spent over 20 years at high profile restaurants including the Ritz Carlton, the Marriott Marquis and Essex House. He is currently banquet chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii. He earned a culinary degree at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, and received certifications from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. and Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, United Kingdom.

This new line of jerky is an extension of his line of spice blends he started in 2014.

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Tong Jerky - Sriracha Style BBQ

Tong Jerky is a brand that launched in 2018 by two buddies attending college in Los Angeles. They originally discovered biltong, the South African dried meat snack. They came up with the idea of creating a beef jerky based on the biltong recipe, and Tong Jerky was born.

After several years of perfecting recipes, they finally launched the company and started selling online. Their jerky can also be found in a handful of stores across Los Angeles.

This Sriracha Style BBQ is described by the company as, "for those like it a bit hotter", going on to say that it's a, "perfect combination of classic BBQ sauce with a spicy chili twist".

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