Grandpa's Beef Jerky - Sweet Teriyaki

Grandpa's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Jacob Piercy, based out of Fishers, Indiana. Piercy remembers being a kid and watching his grandfather hanging deer meat for jerky. Eventually, his grandfather handed down the recipe and process.

Today, Piercy sells packages of Grandpa's Beef Jerky at farmers markets across Indiana and online too, allowing jerky fans across the USA to enjoy a family legacy.

This "Sweet Teriyaki" is described as, "...smoky, salty and sweet in the best way", and is marked as, "Mild".


Ingredients

Beef, seasoning (sugar, salt, onion & garlic powder, molasses granules, monosodium glutamate, spices (with jalapeno), paprika, citric acid, spice extractives, silicon dioxide and soybean oil), water, cayenne pepper, dextrose, salt, natural smoke flavor, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite.

Review

The first thing I taste right away is a light sweet and bit of oiliness. The chewing brings on some salt, along with touches of onion and garlic, and a faint spiciness.

For being labeled as, "Sweet Teriyaki", it doesn't hold up. The sweetness is too light for something that bills itself as "Sweet", and the teriayki flavor doesn't really strike me as Japanese-style teriyaki. I don't pick up the soy sauce typically found in Teriyaki, nor the ginger, or the rice wine.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is that of a moderately salted seasoning of onion and garlic, lightly sweet, with touches of spiciness. There's a faint natural meat flavor that comes in late.

The meat consistency is chopped and formed beef, shaped into bite-sized strips. This feels more soft than the company's Original variety, and less meaty in the chew. It's like a more dry summer sausage. It also handles a bit more oily.

Verdict

This "Sweet Teriyaki" variety from Grandpa's Beef Jerky didn't really give me the higher level of sweetness I had expected from its namesake, and didn't quite give me the Japanese-style Teriyaki I've come to expect. But on its own merits, it still generates a moderate snackability for its mild onion and garlic flavor, and may be preferable for those who want a softer, easier chew.

Rating: Average (3/5)