The Jerky Hut - Jalapeno Pepper Beef Sticks

The Jerky Hut is a brand of Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. The brand which is often seen at boat shows, gun shows, car shows, and trade shows of every kind, was started over 30 years ago.

Much of its jerky is sold through independent "retail licensees", who are the folks running the booths at the shows. It's parent company, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, runs its own USDA inspected facility.

These Jalapeno Pepper Beef Sticks are marketed as having a natural smoke flavor with, "a little Cracked Black Pepper, some red pepper and a dash of Jalapeno chips to give it a Tex-Mex zest!"

Ingredients

Beef, water, seasonings, soy flour, liquid smoke flavoring, jalapeno pepper, black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, anise seed, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate

Review

The first flavors that come on is a peppery spice with a light salt. The chewing brings in that classic meat stick flavor, lightly smoked, with shades of garlic, and touches of sweet. That anise seed is actually lightly noticeable in the background, while the jalapeno flavor remains light.

For being labeled, "Jalapeno Pepper", these sticks do offer a bit of jalapeno flavor and a light level of heat. On our heat scale, I'd rate these as "mild medium" (level 2 out of 5). The black pepper helps boost that spiciness, and I'm sure the red pepper does too. Overall, this is more of a spicy beef stick rather than specifically jalapeno.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a classic beef stick flavor, but a little more spicy in terms of black pepper and red pepper, and boosted with touches of smoke, garlic, sweet, and anise.

The chewing texture feels a little more chewy and firm than most beef stick brands, and even a little more meaty. It's not greasy, just lightly oily to touch. It doesn't quite have that "snap" to the bite, yet still feels fresh through its firm, meaty texture.

Verdict

These Jalapeno Pepper Beef Sticks offer up a nice spicy chew through its mix of jalapeno pepper, red pepper, and black pepper seasonings, enough to deliver a low to moderate heat over a firm, meaty chewing texture. You get that classic beef stick flavor, but a good deal of spicy seasonings with a light amount of smoke. The firm chewing and bite of these sticks seems to create a sense of freshness, leaving only a light bit of oil on the fingertips. If spicy beef sticks are your game, these guys will certainly deliver enough heat to enjoy without going overboard.

Rating: Good (4/5)

Where to buy:

• https://thejerkyhut.com/