Boot Jack Jerky - Beef Sticks

Boot Jack Jerky is a brand created by Tim Geyer and Wendy Geyer, based out of Ridgway, PA. Boot Jack Jerky has been selling online since 2012.

According to the company, Boot Jack Jerky is based on an old family recipe that was then improved based on feedback from American men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Geyers have set up a program called "Operation Get Jacked" where consumers can buy bags of Boot Jack Jerky for military personnel in Afghanistan, and have it air-dropped to US bases.

Boot Jack's beef sticks come in two flavors, "Mild" and "Spicy". Both are described as simply, "1.3 ounce stix, which is one third bigger than the competition at a better price. All Beef, no pork, no chicken, no fillers added".

Ingredients

Beef, water, salt, corn syrup solids, encapsulated citric acid, sugar, spices, sodium phosphate, applewood smoke flavoring, dehydrated garlic, liquid smoke, sodium nitrite, dipped in a solution of potassium sorbate to preserve freshness.

Review

Mild: The first thing I taste on the palate is a light saltiness and tanginess. There's a light natural meat flavor, along with subtle seasonings of garlic, black pepper, and smoke.

Spicy: The first flavors that come on is the same light saltiness and tanginess, but along with a touch of red pepper, perhaps cayenne, and resembling like a drop of Tabasco sauce. It tastes like it has a little more vinegar than the Mild. The heat is still rather light, but noticeable. I'd rate this on my personal heat scale as "Mild Medium" (level 2 out of 5).

Both sticks overall have a meatier flavor than the traditional pork-chicken-beef mixtured sticks on the market. The Mild tends to chew more beefier, and feels more substantial, whereas the Spicy tends to chew more soft, and feels more soft. The casing offers only a little bit of "snap" when biting into, and as such, doesn't give me that "fresh" perception. There's a light stickiness on the fingers when handling these sticks.

Verdict

The Mild sticks are actually quite good in terms of both taste and feel. They seem to have a beefier flavor, much more like a summer sausage. They seem to feel more firm, chew more meaty, and the casing offers a little more "snap" when biting into. Meanwhile, the "Spicy" tended to feel more soft, chew more soft, and didn't give much "snap" when biting into. The Spicy also had more of a vinegary flavor, which made it seem more pickled, and less fresh. I would like to get more of the same hickory wood flavoring in these sticks that I got from Boot Jack's jerky. I think that would really push these sticks over the top.

Rating: Good (for the Mild stick)