People's Choice Beef Jerky - Sweet Chili Habanero

People's Choice Beef Jerky has a new flavor, "Sweet Chili Habanero".

People's Choice Beef Jerky is a brand of Peoples Sausage Company, Inc. based out of Los Angeles, CA. It's a family-run business that's been around since 1929. See our previous reviews of their jerky.

This Sweet Chili Habanero is described by the company as "...a bright fruit sweetness, almost tropical, that slowly accompanies the savory spice blend and the natural meat flavor."

Ingredients

Beef, seasoning (sugar, spices, habanero pepper, garlic, paprika), soy sauce, pineapple juice concentrate, water

Review

The first flavor I taste on the palate is strong sweet, with a light salt. The chewing brings on touches of the pineapple, with a noticeable habanero chile flavor. The natural meat flavors come in while the heat slowly builds. There's a subtle soy sauce in the background.

For being named, "Sweet Chili Habanero", it definitely hits the mark. It's quite sweet, but at the same time, delivers the unique habanero flavor slowly through the chewing. There's certainly more sweet than habanero flavor, but yet the habanero is still defined enough to enjoy. Meanwhile, the heat remains at a medium to medium-high level. It's not the seething hot you might expect from a eating a raw habanero, but it's well enough to generate a scalp-tingling for a chile-lover like myself. I'd rate it as "medium-hot" (level 4 out of 5).

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a strong sweet, with a light savory soy sauce, and the unique flavor of habanero. The natural meat flavors linger in the background and are moderately marbleized.

The meat consistency is excellent. There's some light spots and streaks of fat, but otherwise, very meaty. The chewing is tender, yet still offers some chewiness the way jerky should. The chewing starts out meaty, and eventually softens up to resemble real chunks of steak. The light bits of fat add touches of flavor. Despite how much sweetness there is, it's actually not sticky at all.

Verdict

This new Sweet Chili Habanero is quite addicting. From the standpoint of "sweet heat", it delivers well on both accounts, and also releases the fruity, floral piquancy of the famed orange pepper. The meat consistency is particularly of note, chewing like real slices of steak, easy to get through, and generating a lightly marbleized carnal experience. The level of heat matches one's expectation for habanero jerky, yet still dialed back enough to let you snack on, non-stop. A great jerky for cold nights.

Rating: Best (5/5)