Among the newest flavors from Lawless Craft Jerky is this Mango Habanero.
Lawless Jerky is a brand owned and operated by Lawless Jerky, LLC based out of Santa Monica, CA. It was started by Matthew Tolnick, a former attorney who held a not-so-secret passion for making chewy chunks of dehydrated beef. After a stint as a legal counselor, he decided to throw his hat into the jerky industry and start his own business.
This Mango Habanero variety is described by the company as a "one-two punch of heat and sweet", going on to say it's "fruity from natural mango flavors", and "sweet from brown sugar", and "spicy from bright orange habanero peppers".
Ingredients
Grass-fed beef, beef broth, sugar, contains 2% or less of pineapple juice concentrate, salt, natural flavors including mango, habanero, sun dried tomato powder
Review
The first flavors that hit the palate is a sweetness, a light fruity character, followed by a moderate burn. The chewing brings on a little of the habanero flavor, a stronger mango, and a light natural meat flavor.
For being labeled as "Mango Habanero" it seems to hold up well. I do get a noticeable mango flavor along with a fair amount of sweetness. But I also pick up the habanero in both flavor and heat. Overall it's an equal balance of mango and habanero pepper.
The heat remains at a moderate level. I'd rank it on my personal heat scale as "medium" (level 3 out of 5). It's enough burn to warm up the blood and produce faint moisture on the scalp, but not hot enough to make me stop and pour a glass of milk.
Otherwise, the flavors that define this jerky starts mostly with a sweet mango. The heat of the habanero comes in soon, and then the habanero flavor. It's lightly tangy in the chewing, and lightly salty with some savory garlic/onion in the background. But otherwise, the mango and habanero get most of the attention.
The meat consistency looks great, mostly all meat with little visible signs of fat. Stringiness is at a minimum. It has the appearance of being tenderized through some kind of pounding, with slice marks along the surface. It also chews like pound steak. It chews easily, with a light chewiness, and varies between semi-moist to dry.
Verdict: This Mango Habanero beef jerky from Lawless Jerky does a great job of giving out mango and habanero flavors, with a moderate level of heat. Having tried other brands of mango habanero jerky, Lawless gives out far more mango flavor, and I found myself rather impressed with it. It also has a fresh, natural character; it doesn't taste gummed up, doctored up, or altered up. I like the light tangy flavors, and I think the level of heat is just right for a habanero jerky.
Rating: Best (5/5)
Based on your reviews of this brand, I was expecting a lot more from this brand. I ordered the 7 pack sampler and each one was very dry - almost like freeze dried. Some pieces would crumble apart and others were hard as a rock. It also left a strange, unpleasant film in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteI dont know how in good conscious can consistently rate Lawless Jerky "best" - this stuff is is dry and mealy at best. The fact I can buy it for 3 dollars at TJ Maxx and Home Goods means something. This is a marketing company that happens to sell jerky. I am sure this comment wont be approved, but I hope you read it. I used to rely on your reviews 2 or 3 years ago, but now its just gone south.
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