Bakke Brothers Brand - Peppered Beef Jerky

Bakke Brothers Brand is owned by Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, LLC based out of Hubbard, OR. Whiskey Hill also owns The Jerky Hut, as well as its own house brand, Whiskey Hill Smokehouse.

Bakke Brothers was started by Phil Bakke, one of Whiskey Hill's founders. The brand differs from The Jerky Hut in that it's free of preservatives such as sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, et al, and it's also gluten-free.

This Peppered Beef Jerky is marketed as, "Gluten Free", "No MSG", and "No Nitrates", going on to say that it is, "slightly sweet with plenty of pepper".

Ingredients

Beef, brown sugar, water, salt, black pepper, natural smoke flavoring, garlic, onion, celery powder, spice

Review

The first flavors I pick up is a light sweet followed by a moderate black pepper. There's a touch of smoke, and a light oily flavor too. The chewing brings on the natural meat flavors, along with a stronger black pepper.

For being marketed as, "Peppered", these strips of beef deliver a lot of sharp, freshly ground black pepper flavor. The level of spiciness rates as a "mild medium" on our heat scale (level 2 out of 5). There's a pretty good black pepper aftertaste going on in the back of my mouth.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a strongly peppered natural meat flavor, with a light sweet and a touch of smoke. The level of salt remains light in this, while the garlic and onion lingers softly in the background.

These are thick sliced strips of beef that appear to be quite lean. The heavy sweet (and oily consistency) leaves these strips tender and easy to chew. They take on a steak-like chewing texture that creates a lot of snackability.

Verdict

This Peppered Beef Jerky from Bakke Brothers Brand goes light on the marinade to deliver more of its sharp, freshly ground black pepper spice. As a result, you get more natural meat flavors, with a light smoke and a touch of salt. Think of this as a natural, old-fashioned style jerky designed to bring out the goodness of beef through light flavorings. Grab a wet wipe because these strips of pure meat are oily to handle, but remain tender and chew like cuts of real steak.

Rating: Good (4/5)

Where to buy:

• http://www.bakkebrothers.com