Bubba's Carolina Jerky - Wild Buffalo Chicken Jerky

Bubba's Carolina Jerky is a brand that started in 2004 by Bubba Dunn, a retired veteran who spent 36 years in the US Coast Guard and US Army. The company is based out of Cocoa, FL.

Dunn grew up in an outdoor sporting family that frequently hunted, fished, and raised livestock. Lean meats were often turned into jerky using an old family recipe. Today, he spends his time perfecting marinades, running his jerky company, and making special batches of dehydrated meats for friends. Bubba's Carolina Jerky prides itself on using meat from US ranchers. Their jerky is sold through stores including Mast General Stores, Contemporary Nutrition, Edgewater True Value, and Crossroads Ace Hardware.

This "Wild Buffalo" is one of two chicken jerky flavors offered by the company. They describe it as "hot wings", having a "zesty hot taste", and "tender and full of flavor".

Ingredients

Skinless, boneless chicken breast, hot sauce, butter alternative, sugar, tomato sauce, distilled vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, paprika, cayenne powder, salt, spices, lemon juice, citric acid.

Review

The first thing I taste on my palate is a sweetness, with a light Tabasco-style hot sauce flavor coming on. The chewing brings on a light chicken meat flavor, and touches of tomato sauce. There's faint bits of tanginess too.

For being described as "buffalo wings" flavored chicken jerky, it's holds up well. It definitely has that classic, buffalo wing sauce flavor, but with more sweet added in. The bits of tanginess, perhaps coming from the vinegar and lemon juice, adds a nice touch to the overall flavor.

The level of spiciness in this rates on my personal heat scale as medium (level 3 out of 5).

This jerky has a soft, tender chewing, and tends to feel like chicken breast meat. It appears to be all meat, no fat or crunchy chunks.

Verdict

This Wild Buffalo Chicken Jerky from Bubba's is actually pretty good if you're into jerky flavored with buffalo wing sauce. It certainly delivers that classic flavor, but manages to add some extras like sweet and a bit of fruity tanginess. The level of heat is comparable to standard buffalo wing sauce. Overall, I think the addition of sweet and tanginess helps make a buffalo wing sauce jerky more snackable. Meanwhile, the meat consistency and chewing texture is great.

But as good as I've described it, I keep feeling as if this jerky needs some additional component to push it over the top. Perhaps sesame seeds, or flecks of dried parsley for looks, because it's still missing the "wow factor" I look for in a 5-star rated jerky. But otherwise, it's still a good chicken jerky.

Rating: Good