The Patriot Brands - Little Smokies Hot

A few weeks ago, we reviewed the Little Smokies from The Patriot Brands. Today, we have their "hot" variety of the same.

The Patriot Brands Beef Jerky is a new brand that launched in February of 2018 by James Napier of Cuba, MO. The company also markets a line of hot sauces under the same brand. Napier seems well-known and well-liked by many as a patriot with his beard dyed red, white, and blue. The name "Patriot Brands" stems from his overwhelming support of the United States and the people who have fought for it. He's associated with "The Patriot Church", a congregation also based out of Cuba, MO.

These "Little Smokies Hot" flavor are summed as, "Warm but Wonderfully filled with the best Spices available", going on to say that they're, "Smoke cured to perfection."

Ingredients

Pork, beef, water, salt, spices, dextrose, garlic powder, lactic acid, sodium nitrite

Review

The first flavors I pick up on the tongue is a light salt followed by a touch of tanginess. The chewing brings on a cured meat flavor, while the salt and tanginess builds. Hints of garlic ensue while the tanginess migrates towards a vinegar-like profile. Finally, a light bit of heat becomes noticeable.

For being marketed as, "hot" and described as, "smoke cured to perfection", it's not really that hot. There is, however, a light bit of heat, but nothing I would describe as hot. Maybe "spicy" would be a better term. To their credit, The Patriot Brands described it as, "warm but wonderfully filled the best spices available", which is perhaps a better indication of its level of heat. On our heat scale, I'd rate this as, "mild medium" (level 2/5). But as for the "smoke cured to perfection", I don't really pick up any smoke flavor.

Otherwise, these sticks have the same flavor as the regular Little Smokies, which I had described as having a vinegar-like profile, with a tangy chewing, a cured meat flavor, and moderate level of salt. The only difference is the light level of heat.

These sticks are also just as thick as the regular Little Smokies. Compared to meat sticks from other brands, these are about the circumference of a cigar, and maybe just as long, or maybe an inch longer. They have a firm feel and chewing, and even a little bit of snap to the bite. They are also very meaty, and due to its thicker size, is almost like chewing pieces of real steak.

Verdict

This "hot" variety of Little Smokies from The Patriot Brands are just like the regular variety, thick, meaty, chewy, with a good deal of meat flavors and a tangy, vinegar-like profile. These are just a bit more spicy, though still not quite hot. If you love meat sticks, you'll love how much more thick these are compared to other brands. Just eating a couple of these sticks will fill you up and tide you over 'til the next meal. They're not greasy like the big brands, but meaty and chewy. If you want something that burns more hot, these won't do it for you. But if you just want a little bit of spice to add to you meat-chewing addiction, these are just right.

Rating: Good (4/5)