Smokehouse Jerky Co. - Sea Salt, Honey & Pepper

Smokehouse Jerky Co. is a brand of Tender Heifer Snack Co., based out of Beaumont, CA. It was started in 2008, and is currently run by a husband and wife team, Franco Fonseca and Patti Fonseca.

The company takes pride in its beef brisket-based jerky, using meat sourced from California. They add no MSG and no preservatives, and focus on small batches at a time.

This "Sea Salt, Honey & Pepper" variety is described by the company as being, "seasoned with freshly cracked peppercorns, sea salt, spices and sweet honey", going on to say that it, "packs an extra kick to its blend and taste".

Ingredients

Beef, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, pineapple, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, granulated garlic, ginger

Review

The first flavors to hit my tongue is a light sweet, followed by a faint teriyaki. The chewing brings on a black pepper spice, and a touch of fruity tanginess.

For being marketed as a "Sea Salt, Honey & Pepper" flavored beef jerky, this does have a salt flavor, perhaps as much as what standard teriyaki sauce contains. It has a strong black pepper seasoning, giving off quite a sharp, freshly cracked flavor. The honey, however, is not noticeable. There is, on the other hand, a noticeable sweet, but again in about the same level as teriyaki sauce.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a sweet teriyaki sauce, well-spiced with black pepper, and touched up with a bit of fruity tanginess.

The meat consistency is great for a brisket-style jerky. It has a light stringiness, but overall meaty. The chewing is generally easy, quite moist, and tender. It has a meaty feel, and takes on a steak-like texture. Despite the higher level of sweet in this, it doesn't chew gummy at all.

Verdict

This Sea Salt, Honey & Pepper variety from Smokehouse Jerky Co. delivers a strong black pepper seasoning, giving off a sharp, freshly cracked flavor. While the sea salt part of this flavor has a typical level of saltiness, the honey is largely represented by a fair amount of sweet. Otherwise, this has more of a teriyaki profile, but spiced up with black pepper and infused with some fruity tanginess. In a lot of respects, it's like the company's Teriyaki variety, but with a lot of black pepper. The meat consistency has a tender chewing, semi-moist, but feeling very meaty, almost steak-like.

Rating: Good (4/5)