Louisville Vegan Jerky Co.

Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. is the creation of Stanley Chase III, a pioneer of sorts in the field of vegan snacks throughout the Louisville, KY region.

According to the brand's website and Facebook page, it's been around since 2012, originally launching under the name, "What a Jerky!". But Stanley Chase previously made and marketed another brand of vegan jerky called, "Morels the Vegan Butcher", which we reviewed here on Best Beef Jerky.

Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. represents a rebirth of Stanley Chase III as a vegan jerky specialist. Now with new recipes, non-gluten ingredients, Non-GMO certified, and adding touches of Kentucky sorghum for a local flair, Chase is taking soy-based jerky snacks full steam ahead into the eclectic world of vegan snacking.

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Alien Fresh Jerky - Honey Chipotle

This Honey Chipotle Beef Jerky is one of the newest flavors from Alien Fresh Jerky, having rolled out last March. It's described as having, "an extraordinary fiery kick to it, which creeps up", going on to explain the subtle sweetness masks the heat, making you think it's not that hot.

Over the years, we've reviewed other flavors from Alien Fresh Jerky. The company has built a successful brand on the concept that superior beings from outer space can make superior jerky. Alien Fresh is a local favorite among Southern Californians who make the drive to and from Las Vegas. You can't help but to stop at their store in Baker, and peruse the humorous alien statues and decorations, along with one of the largest selections of hot sauces.

The success of Alien Fresh Jerky is now extending itself to the "UFO Hotel" currently planned for the tiny town of Baker.

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Think Jerky - Sweet Chipotle

Think Jerky is a new brand that hit the scene late last year. Based out of Chicago, IL, the brand spent nearly two years perfecting its recipe for a health-conscious market. The company claims to have "cut the salt in half" and replaced them with herbs and spices.

Think Jerky is a collaboration with three celebrity chefs, Chef Laurent Gras, a three-star Michelin Chef, Chef Matt Troost, a Baconfest champion, and Chef Gale Gand, a TV-host on Food Network. Together, their goal with Think Jerky is to create a great tasting jerky, with grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, that's paleo friendly, gluten free, family-farmed, with no artificial preservatives, and all natural ingredients

This "Sweet Chipotle" is described by Chef Troost as, "a one-two punch of flavors", "...the sweetness of real raspberries, then a three pepper blend for a spicy finish".

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Ria's RoadKill Jerky - Chipotle

Next in the series on Ria's RoadKill Jerky is this Chipotle beef jerky. See previous reviews of Ria's RoadKill Jerky.

Ria's RoadKill Jerky is run by Eden Van, based out of Long Beach, CA, having launched in January 2011. Eden got started in making jerky after receiving compliments on his barbecue recipes. He uses USDA Choice top round from his local meat market. All jerky is dehydrated in a smoker. He currently sells through Facebook and eBay while waiting for his new website to finish.

According to Eden, this Chipotle beef jerky is the same as his Original beef jerky, but with chipotle seasoning sprinkled before hitting the smoker.

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Fusion Jerky - Beef Jerky

Fusion Jerky is a new brand of jerky that has managed to get a lot notice from other big brands in the jerky business. Based out of South San Francisco, CA it's the creation of KaiYen Mai, a mother of two and avid outdoorswoman, who wanted to focus on Asian-style jerky.

"In my home country of Taiwan, jerky is a celebrated delicacy, akin to a fine wine", Mai says in her marketing materials. Fusion Jerky offers beef, turkey, chicken, and pork styles encompassing eight flavors. It's made using US raised animals at their ranch in Scottsbluff, NE. It's marketed as gluten-free, all natural, preservative free, and nitrate free.

Fusion Jerky is made at its own Scottsbluff, NE facility. Mai goes on to write that her family has spent 50 years in the in the meat industry.

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Bad Buds Jerky - Chipotle

The newest flavor from Bad Buds Bull Jerky is this Chipotle Beef Jerky.

Bad Buds Jerky is a brand run by Buddy Stone out of Hogansville, GA. Bad Buds has been in business since 2005. In addition to jerky, the brand also markets its own line of hot sauces.

This new Chipotle variety is described as being made from chipotle peppers and rice wine vinegar. It brings the total number of jerky varieties offered by Bad Buds to six.

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Krave Jerky - Sweet Chipotle

Next in our series on Krave Jerky is this Sweet Chipotle beef jerky. See our other reviews of Krave Jerky.

Krave Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Krave Pure Foods, Inc. based out of Sonoma, CA. It started in 2011 by Jon Sebastiani, who got started in the food business working on his family's winery in Sonoma.

This Sweet Chipotle beef jerky is described by the company's as being, "Made from authentic Mexican chipotle", and "...brings together natural smokiness, a sensation of moderate heat, and a hint of honey to create the perfect balance of sweet and smoky."

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Three Jerks Jerky - Chipotle Adobo

Three Jerks is a new brand of filet mignon beef jerky, based out of Venice, CA. It was launched by three friends who were inspired to do something new and unheard of before.

I had actually introduced them before on Best Beef Jerky this past Summer while they were running a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. The sent me some samples back then and I published my initial thoughts but didn't want to assign ratings until I could taste the actual production jerky.

This Chipotle Adobo flavor is described as a "fusion of east and west, our Chipotle Adobo flavor unites a traditional Filipino style marinade with our Mexican inspired Chipotle glaze. Sweet, pungent adobo seasoning blends with smoky, peppery chipotle spices, creating a piquant balance. Our tender filets are marinated to magnificence and glazed to glory, offering a truly one of a kind jerky. We may be jerks, but this worldly jerky is spirited, yet refined."

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Steak 'N A Bag - Habanero Chipotle

Next in the series on Steak 'N A Bag beef jerky is this Habanero Chipotle variety. See our previous reviews of Steak 'N A Bag.

Owned and operated by Runnin Wild Foods based out of Norcross, GA, the Steak 'N A Bag brand was conceived by a couple of brothers originally producing steak seasoning blends. Since then, they've gone on to add beef sticks to their product line-up.

According to the company, this Sweet Barbeque beef jerky is described as, "If you cannot go out and Bark with the BIG Dogs then stay on the porch with the cat. This one is pure BOLDNESS with HEAT! The Chipotle flavor coupled with the REAL DEAL pepper... Habanero!"

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Morels the Vegan Butcher - Ned's Spicy Chipotle Jerky

Ned's Spicy Chipotle Jerky is a brand of Morels The Vegan Butcher, based out of Louisville, KY. It a company that specializes in vegan food products.

Morels was created by Stanley Chase, originally as a food truck in the Louisville area, and then transitioned to vegan food brand making sandwiches and jerky. Morels' jerky is made from soy curls. Chase had initially tried to make something called "char-sue", but left it in the oven a bit too long and it came out something like jerky.

This soy jerky is gluten-free and still has 12 grams of protein per 2.5oz bag.

Currently Morels has two flavors, this "Ned's Spicy Chipotle" and a "Judas' Original". They're working on a Sriracha Maple.

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Real Steak Jerky - Chipotle Cracked Pepper

Next in the series on Real Steak Jerky is this Chipotle Cracked Pepper. See the previous review of their Original Recipe.

Real Steak Jerky is a brand of RSJ Ventures, LLC based out of Naples, FL. It was launched in 2009 by a couple of golf buddies, Dennis Riedel and Blair Swiler. The company says their jerky is hand cut from USDA Choice flank steak, and made with premium ingredients like raw cane sugar, naturally brewed soy sauce, and 100% raw horseradish root.

This Chipotle Cracked Pepper is the company's only other variety, aside from the Original Recipe I reviewed last week.

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Lawless Jerky - Honey Chipotle BBQ

Next in the series on Lawless Jerky is this Honey Chipotle beef jerky. See my previous review of their other flavors.

Lawless Jerky was created by a licensed attorney named Matthew Tolnick of Santa Monica, CA. He started making jerky during his days in college when he and his fraternity boys needed sustenance through long evenings of studying. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, he's now producing jerky from a USDA inspected facility and marketing Lawless Jerky full time.

This Honey Chipotle BBQ is described by Tolnick as being a mild variety of BBQ, being smokey, and made with chipotle, paprika, garlic, and honey.

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Trailhead Beef Jerky - Hot Smoked Chipotle

Trailhead Beef Jerky is a brand of Trailhead Fine Foods, based out of Cradley Heath, England.

Kevin Bigland, who started the company, first learned about beef jerky during the 1980's while travelling through the United States. Once he returned back to England, he couldn't find it anywhere, and would discover that the only way he could get more was to go back to the USA. He started researching how to make jerky, and soon perfected his recipe.

Trailhead Fine Foods was launched in August 2011 and since then Bigland now sells eight different flavors in all, including this Hot Smoked Chipotle and a XXX Naga Jolokia which I also have for review. While you won't find Trailhead Beef Jerky in USA stores, you can still purchase it online from their website.

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Old Trapper Beef Jerky - Chipotle Carne Seca

Next in the series on Old Trapper Beef Jerky is this Chipotle Carne Seca variety. See my review of their Old Fashioned beef jerky.

Old Trapper is a brand of Old Trapper Smoked Products, Inc., based out of Forest Grove, OR. The company has been making beef jerky since 1969 in their own USDA inspected facility. They claim to smoke their jerky over real hardwood.

I found this particular brand at the The Beef Jerky Store in Las Vegas, NV, otherwise I haven't run across it here in Southern California.

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Port City Smokehouse - Chipotle Turkey Jerky

Next in the series on Port City Smokehouse is this Chipotle Turkey Jerky. See my previous review of their Cherry Turkey Jerky.

Port City Smokehouse is a smokehouse located in Frankfort, MI. It's situated by Betsie Bay, on the northern portion of Lake Michigan. Port City Smokehouse is known more for their smoked fish, but they also do smoked meats and jerky, along with jams, jellies, salsas, and dried fruit.

They make their own jerky in house.

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Jedidiah's Jerky - Habanero Chipotle

Jedidiah's Jerky is a brand of Jedidiah's Jerky and Gourmet Snacks of Laughlin, NV. It's a family run business headed by David Coffey, who's been in the jerky sales business since 1984 with various other brands, and who's father was also in the jerky biz.

This particular habanero chipotle variety was just recently released last month, and is part of Jedidiah's "Premium" line, which includes six other varieties, all of which I've reviewed here. However, as of this writing the habanero chipotle is not yet listed on Jedidiah's website. I guessing you can still call them on their toll-free number and get it.

I'm noticing more jerky brands coming out with varieties that include the word "habanero" or "chipotle", or in this case both. The quest for firey hot jerky seems to have a unique following among the hot sauce community. Several hot sauce fan sites include reviews for spicy hot jerky. And since the habanero pepper is one of the hottest peppers around, I'm bracing myself for a serious tongue-scorching.

Ingredients

Beef, salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, paprika, spices, garlic, sodium nitrite.

Taste

The tastes I pick up from the surface include a moderate sweet flavor, some chipotle flavor, a good spicy tingle, a garlic flavor, and a moderate salt flavor. In the chewing, I taste some heavier salt flavor, the natural meat flavors, and a chile pepper taste.

My initial thoughts as I continue chewing is that this jerky has a lot of taste intensity, which I've found to be consistent with all of Jedidiah's Premium line of jerky. And like the rest of that Premium line, this jerky has something of a BBQ flavor to it. I'm not sure what ingredients create that flavor, but if you can imagine eating a steak basted with BBQ sauce, and then grilled, it's a similar taste.

As for that spicy hot, it's got a decent burn but is not all that hot. On my scale, I'd rank it as medium. Though I'm used to eating spicy foods, so that might be a medium-hot to some of you.

So does this taste anything like habanero chipotle? Well on the surface of these pieces I can get a well-defined smoky-chile flavor which does seem to resemble chipotle. I don't necessarily get much of that flavor in the chewing. As for tasting the habanero pepper itself, all I can say is that I do taste a chile pepper flavor in the chewing, aside from the chile burn. I can't say that it tastes specifically like habanero, it could be any kind of chile pepper. But it's clearly a chile pepper flavor.

The natural meat flavors are evident, but you're not going to get a strong one. It's just enough to rise up above the other flavors and be enjoyed. I can also taste some the fat in this meat. There is some visible pieces of fat on this jerky, but it tastes like there a good deal of marbilization that you may not be able to see.

I mentioned tasting a moderate sweet flavor in this. That perhaps contributes to the overall BBQ flavor, I can taste it about half-way through the chewing.

There's also a good deal of garlic flavor in this also, which perhaps also adds to the BBQ-like flavor. I can taste it on the surface, all the way through the chewing, and it leaves behind an aftertaste.

The level of salt intensity seems moderate to high. I think it's actually around moderate, but it might seem high only because the flavor gets exacerbated by the spicy hot burn from the habanero chipotle.

I think I can even detect some black pepper in this.

Overall, primary flavor of this jerky is that BBQ sauce-like flavor, with the natural meat flavors being second-most dominant, and the salt being third-most. While the chipotle, and chile pepper flavor is clearly identifiable, along with its burn, I feel that the BBQ, meat, and salt still comprise the dominant flavors overall, from the surface and all the way through the chewing.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be slices of whole meat, sliced to a medium thickness, and in small to medium sized pieces.

This is probably more similar to a "soft and tender" variety of jerky. I found most of the pieces to have a moist feel, while a few seemed more dry. But overall, it seems easy to tear apart, and easy to chew.

The chewing texture is mostly steak-like once you chew it long enough. The more moist pieces are a tad mushy. But overall, it's a good, meaty texture.

In terms of cleanliness, this jerky tends to leave a bit of chili powder on my finger tips. But other than that, I'm not getting much residue or meat fragments on my lap.

I do see a fair amount of fat on this jerky, and can even taste it. Where I can't see any fat, I can still taste it, perhaps meaning there's a good deal of marbilization. For the most part however, I don't really see this as spoiling the flavor. It actually enhances it, giving it a more beef-like flavor. But I didn't find any chewy connective tissues like tendon or gristle.




Snack Value

Jedidiah's sells all of their Premium varieties of jerky from their website at a price of $6.99 for a 3.5 ounce bag. That works out to a price of $2.00 per ounce, putting this on the border between average and expensive.

For general jerky snacking purposes, and at this price, it's a good value. I found this to be very snackable with its flavor intensity and flavor complexity, as well as being easy to eat and having a good chewing texture. I actually like the BBQ-like flavor, the light-but-identifiable meat flavors, and the well-noticed chipotle flavor.

As a habanero chipole variety, it's another good value. I do indeed taste something on the surface of these pieces that resembles chipotle, and in the chewing I can taste something that resembles chile peppers. I can't say that it has the unique flavor of habanero, all I can say is that it's some kind of chile pepper. For all I know, it may just be some kind of red chile, or jalapeno. But it definitely offers a medium-level burn.

Rating

I'm giving this a best rating.

Flavor intensity is the first thing that comes to mind with this jerky; it has a ton of flavor in each bite. And there's the flavor complexity too. I can identify several different flavors in each bite, from the sugar, the garlic, the meat, the fat marbilization, the salt, the chipotle, the chile pepper, and even some black pepper.

And then the fact that I can still taste the natural meat flavors, is particularly what strengthens the "best" rating. What you have here is a jerky that starts with a natural meat flavor, adds a BBQ-like flavor, packs in a lot of flavor intensity, and complexity, and on top of that stands up to its advertised flavor.

And if that's not enough, it's easy to eat, and has a good chewing texture.

If there's any negative in this, the salt intensity is somewhat on the high side. But I'm not totally certain of that. The saltiness is definitely a major flavor in this jerky, but it may feel more salty due to the burn from the chiles.

My beer recommendation is to try a hefeweizen or wheat beer.

Rating: Best

Buy this online:

• http://www.jedsjerky.com

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Fatman's Beef Jerky - Smoky Chipotle, Part 2

A couple of months ago, I wrote a review for Fatman's Beef Jerky - Smoky Chipotle. That particular variety was actually still in its testing phase. Since then the folks at Fatmans have come up with a final recipe and sent me a sample package. So in response, I'm putting out this "Part 2" review.

In that first review, I gave a "good" rating, but mostly on the strength of the jerky's base flavor and meat consistency. I didn't find it all tasting like chipotle. Chipotle is just smoked jalapenos, and has a distinct taste and aroma, which I didn't really find in that jerky.

I'm not exactly sure how this final recipe is different from the earlier test recipe, so it's all still a mystery. But having tried all of Fatman's varieties, I've come to enjoy it for its strong natural meat flavors and fresh taste. The question now, will this final recipe taste any more like chipotle?

Ingredients

Beef, water, soy sauce, liquid smoke, chipotle seasoning, black pepper, salt.

Taste

The first taste I pick up from the surface is a slight salty taste, followed by a good deal of meat aroma. Going into the chew, the natural meat flavors come out more, and I can pick up a faint bit of the soy sauce.

Right off the bat, I'll tell you that I don't really find the unique taste of chipotle. I do, however, get a slight spicy burn in the back of my tongue. In the first review, I did report getting a spicy burn, but I can't honestly remember how intense it was. I called it as mild-medium in that review, and in this second review I call it mild-medium again.

This jerky, however, still has a lot of taste packed into it. It's largely dominated by its natural meat flavors. It's got a strong meat flavor, that I can only compare to the center portion of prime rib, a very "clean" meat taste. And for being without any added preservatives, it's got a fresh taste.

The salty flavor is perhaps the second most dominant component. With some chewing, I can extract some juices and get the soy sauce flavor. While the saltiness is clearly a dominating taste, I still don't find it at the level of "too salty".

The black pepper listed in the ingredients doesn't really make itself known, but perhaps sits in the background with a slight aftertaste.

Overall, this is a jerky for those who like to get a taste of real meat. It also throws in some spicy burn, not much though, and then season it up with some salt and soy sauce.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be slices of whole meat, sliced thin, and in small, medium, and large sizes.

It's a dry jerky, being dry enough, and thin enough, that if I were to bend it, it'd start cracking and breaking. In fact, it's brittle enough that it provides some crunchiness when I chew. And that also makes it very easy to break apart into small pieces, and is also easy to chew.

This smoky chipotle variety, like all the other Fatman's varieties, provides a chewing experience like that of a real steak once a piece hydrates in my mouth.

It's also a very clean jerky, leaving no residue on my fingers, only a spattering of black pepper on my shirt. And it's quite lean; I found no pieces of fat, tendon, or gristle.




Product Value

Fatman's sells all of their jerky varieties at a price of $7.99 for a four ounce package. That works out to $2.00 per ounce, putting this on the border between expensive and average.

For general jerky snacking purposes, it's a good value because it's very snackable with its strong meat flavor, and strong flavor overall, plus its excellent meat consistency. I find myself wanting to reach for more and more.

As a smoky chipotle variety, it's a weak value because I still don't find any chipotle taste. I do get a spicy burn in my mouth, but I can't find anything that resembles chipotle.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

Just as in the first review, this jerky is quite good on its own merits with its strong meat flavor, strong seasonings and marinade, and excellent meat consistency. It also throws in some of that spicy burn for those who enjoy feeling a bit of tingling on their scalp.

But I couldn't taste something that told me this had chipotle seasoning on it. That's the only thing that kept me from giving it a best rating. Otherwise, I'd still recommend this to any beef jerky aficionado.

Being that this jerky has a thin, crunchy nature to it, I think it would pair up really well with a can of creamy chipotle dip. This jerky bites off easily enough, that it'd be like eating potato chips, except you have real beef here. Maybe Fatman's could offer up a line of beef jerky dips?

For a good companion beer, I'd recommend something fruity, maybe a Blue Moon Apricot Ale, or a cherry lambic.

Rating: Good

Buy this online:

• http://www.fatmansbeefjerky.com

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Fatman's Beef Jerky - Smoky Chipotle

Fatman's Beef Jerky is a product of Red Meat Foods, LLC of Roswell, NM. The company was founded by Rick and Ellen Robey in May 2006.

Prior to launching Fatman's, Rick Robey owned and operated a holstein calf raising business for 30 years as well as a USDA inspected packing plant. Robey says that his experience in in the beef industry told him that all of the commercial jerkies on the market lack a "good true beef flavor", which lead him to start Fatman's.

All of their jerky is made from inside rounds of American-raised beef, marinated for 24 hours in Robey's own homemade recipes. It's processed and packed in the company's own facility. Robey goes on to say that their state-of-the-art smokehouses record the internal temperature of the meat to ensure critical control temperature is reached prior to drying the meat. He runs water activity tests to ensure the jerky will be shelf-stable for one year.

Fatman's uses no additional preservatives, aside from what's already in the seasonings.

This Smoky Chipotle variety is actually a test variety. The company is still working on perfecting it. It's not yet available for sale from Fatman's website.

Ingredients

Beef, water, soy sauce, liquid smoke, chipotle seasoning, black pepper, salt.

Taste

There's a smoky taste and aroma that hits me as soon as I put a piece into my mouth, and that's followed by a soy sauce taste. The natural meat flavors start to come through, and soon after that I can feel the chipotle seasoning tingling the back of my tongue. Going into the chew, the soy sauce remains only as a salty taste, and more of the natural meat flavors come through.

Being that this Smoky Chipotle variety is still in the perfecting stage, I'd say that Fatman's still has some work to do, because I can't really taste much in the way of Chipotle flavor. What I get instead is a slight burn in the back of my mouth. I'd rate this as mild-medium on my hot scale. Chipotle has a really nice flavor, one that's rather hard to describe unless you've tasted it. Once they've settled on the final recipe, I hope to re-review it.

In the introduction above, I said that Robey wanted to launch a jerky that emphasizes the "good true beef flavor". I can certainly taste the natural meat flavors in this. Perhaps with Robey's 30 years in the beef industry he's more qualified to decide if this is indeed a "true beef flavor" than I. If I can describe it, it's more like the beef flavor you get from a steak cooked well-done.

In fact, I think its the natural meat flavors that dominates this Smoky Chipotle variety, along with a combination of salty. Basically, this jerky offers a meaty, salty, flavor with a spicy tingle on the back of my tongue. The other flavors, primarily the smoky, and soy sauce, are noticeable in the first several seconds, but wane away once I get into the chewing.

This jerky is also somewhat simple in tastes, in that it doesn't offer a lot of taste variety, mostly just meat and salt. For myself, it loses snackability. I really love a jerky that offers some extra flavor dimension that lasts throughout the chew. Other folks might appreciate the simple nature of this jerky. It's worth noting that this variety contains no sugar, which perhaps adds to that simple taste.

Overall, it's an enjoyable jerky, one that belts out the natural meat flavors, and it's a simple jerky in terms of taste. I can't really taste the chipotle in this, though I can feel its slight burn in my mouth.

Meat Consistency

These appear to be slices of whole meat, cut into thin slices, and in medium sized pieces.

This is a dry jerky, being a little brittle. People who love thin sliced, dry jerky will want to take note of this variety. It's actually very easy to tear apart, and easy to chew.

I couldn't find anything chewy in the way of tendon or gristle, and only a few small bits of fat on some pieces.

Overall, this has an excellent meat consistency, easy to eat, and nothing that gets in my way from enjoying the flavors.




Product Value

Fatman's sells all of their jerky varieties at a price of $7.99 for a four ounce package. That works out to $2.00 per ounce, putting this into the expensive price range.

For general jerky snacking purposes, it has a weak value mainly because for me, the simple taste loses some snackability. If it were priced much lower, it becomes a better buy.

As a Smoky Chipotle variety, it a poor value because I can't taste any chipotle flavor in this.

If you love thin sliced dry jerky, then Fatman's is your thing, and you may see this as being a good value. There isn't a lot of thin sliced dry jerky on the market that retains a lot of natural meat flavors.

Rating

I'm giving this a good rating.

This Smoky Chipotle variety from Fatman's is a thin sliced dry jerky that belts out a lot of natural meat flavors, with just a tingle of spiciness. It's adds enough flavor from the smoke and soy sauce to give you some good taste in the first several seconds, and then steps away to let you enjoy the taste of beef. The easy-to-eat consistency also wins points.

But it doesn't stand up to its advertised flavor of chipotle.

I also prefer a jerky that provides more flavor complexity than this. Thus for being simple in taste this jerky loses some snackability with me. But that was offset because this jerky does retain a lot of its natural meat flavors. A lot of people will love this jerky for that reason alone. It just needs more chipotle flavor.

For my beer recommendation, I always like something sweet to go with a jerky that doesn't have any added sugar. I think a Blue Moon Apricot Ale would go well with this.

Rating: Good

Buy this online:

• http://www.fatmansbeefjerky.com

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