Pony Express Beef Jerky - Sweet Heat

Pony Express Jerky is a brand owned by Pony Express Enterprises based out of New Holland, PA. The brand was started in 2009 by Ted Cundiff, a veteran of the meat snack industry. Cundiff originally launched Wild Bill's Beef Jerky in 1983, a brand that was bought up by Monogram Foods in 2009.

Pony Express is manufactured in its own USDA inspected facility in New Holland, right in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The company offers a retail location in Blue Ball, PA.

This "Sweet Heat" is described by the company as, "A true American favorite; a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. For those who can’t just pick one."

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Smokehouse Jerky Co - "Oh" That's Hot!

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 "Oh That's Hot!" variety is described by Smokehouse Jerky Co as, "Starts off sweet then gives you a late hit of the Jalapeno heat at the end. Very different but a bit spicier than the rest."

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Bubba's Carolina Beef Jerky - Kickin' Teriyaki

Bubba's Carolina Jerky is a brand that started in 2004 by Bubba Dunn, a retired veteran who spent 36 years in the US Coast Guard and US Army. The company is based out of Cocoa, FL.

Dunn grew up in an outdoor sporting family that frequently hunted, fished, and raised livestock. Lean meats were often turned into jerky using an old family recipe. Today, he spends his time perfecting marinades, running his jerky company, and making special batches of dehydrated meats for friends. Bubba's Carolina Jerky prides itself on using meat from US ranchers. Their jerky is sold through stores including Mast General Stores, Contemporary Nutrition, Edgewater True Value, and Crossroads Ace Hardware.

This "Kickin' Teriyaki" is the company's most popular flavor. It's described as being "tender with a savory taste", and has a "touch of heat" to give a light bite to an old standby flavor.

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Country Archer Jerky - Sweet Jalapeno

Country Archer Jerky is a well known brand in the meat snack industry, going back to 1977 when it became the private labeler for hundreds of brands over the decades. Now based in San Bernardino, CA, the company is leveraging its own brand and pushing its own line of jerky into stores across the country.

As the jerky market has migrated towards preservative-free, natural ingredients, so has Country Archer. The company claims it's jerky is handcrafted, made in small batches, using all natural ingredients.

This Sweet Jalapeno flavor is described as a "sweet and spicy" variety, being sweet, "but not enough to make you sing show tunes", while being spicy enough, "but not making you feel like you lost a bet".

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Astro Fresh Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Astro Fresh Jerky is a brand owned by HJP Trading, LLC based out of Los Angeles, CA. It was started by Roy Park in early 2015 who found an old family recipe that dated back to the late 1980s.

Since then, Roy has been selling his jerky in local markets and retailers in California. Recently they started a website and are now taking online orders.

This Sweet & Spicy variety makes no additional claims, other than being "sweet & spicy".

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Redneck Steak Beef Jerky - Moonshine

Next up for Redneck Steak Beef Jerky is this Moonshine variety. See my other review of their Traditional variety.

Redneck Steak Beef Jerky was created by Trae Stokes, based out of Pinellas Park, FL. Trae started the business as a way to earn a living after mortgage crash of 2008 busted his contracting business. Having grown up in the South all his life, he had mastered the skills of smoking meats. On a whim, Trae had smoked up batch of jerky and sold it at a local arts and craft show, and thus was born Redneck Steak Beef Jerky.

This Moonshine variety does not contain actual moonshine or alcohol, instead it was named thus for its little kick of heat at the end. These slices of meat are basted in sweet chili sauce, and smoked over real oak wood for 4-6 hours.

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Jedidiah's Beef Brisket Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Jedidiah's Jerky is a brand that we reviewed before (read the reviews here). Some time ago, they revamped their line of jerky with new recipes and new branding, and moved their headquarters to Laughlin, NV to Beatty, NV. Jedidiah's Jerky also has since opened up a chain of beef jerky stores called, "Jed's Jerky" throughout Nevada and California.

This new "Beef Brisket" line replaced the company's old "Private Reserve" line, which was also beef brisket. This new recipe has much less sodium than the previous recipe. You can read the previous review of that Sweet & Spicy here.

This "Sweet & Spicy" beef brisket jerky was also named the favorite jerky in an August 2010 issue of Maxim Magazine.

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Alien Fresh Jerky - Sweet & Spicy Premium

Alien Fresh Jerky is a brand that you might be familiar with if you've driven along Interstate 15 between Baker, CA and Las Vegas, NV. There are billboards along the desert highway with its alien cowboy brand, beckoning you to stop in Baker to buy some meat snacks.

To best of my knowledge, you can only buy this from their tiny store in Baker, or buy it online.

The Alien Fresh Brand comes in two series, the "regular" series of flavors, and then the "premium" series. The difference is that the premium line is made from beef brisket, while the regular is made from some other cut of beef. This Sweet & Spicy variety is apparently their top seller in the premium series.


Taste

The ingredients list shows the following: beef brisket, red chile, fructose, vinegar, orange peel, water, orange juice, garlic onion, spices, pectin, salt, cracked pepper, cayenne, paprika, ground oregano, thyme and spices. To their credit, they've used no artificial flavorings and preservatives.

The main thing I taste is sweet and spicy. The red chile flavor comes through very well, as does the cayenne and paprika, as well as the sweetness. I can also taste a slight orange in this. When Alien Fresh Jerky says this is "sweet & spicy" they really mean it.

The "hot" factor in this is exactly that "hot". Eating some pieces, I'm breaking a sweat and feeling the tingling in my scalp, and I can feel my tongue burning.

There is still some natural beef flavors that come through despite the thick flavoring. You won't notice it if you chew it and swallow right away. You have to chew it slightly, keep it in your mouth for about 10-15 seconds and extract the juices.

Meat Consistency

The package says this is made from beef brisket, and it appears to be so.

Each piece is soft and moist.

The meat is sticky due to its thick sweetness. Each piece I pick up I end up licking the stickiness from my fingers. But it's not so sticky like syrup. I actually find it enjoyable.

This jerky is sliced thin, and is not chewy, and very easy to tear apart. It still feels like beef when I chew it.

There is some marbling of fat, which I'd expect to find in beef brisket.

Rating

I'm giving this a "best" rating.

It's got everything a jerky lover can ask for, tons of taste, soft and moist, easy to eat, no artificial flavorings and preservatives, still retains some natural beef flavors, offers some fat marblization, makes you keep reaching for more, and offers a fresh taste that lives up to its name.

I tried to find something wrong with this brand and variety and couldn't do it. I can't even say that it's too salty, which many brands often are.

More importantly, you're getting a sweet & spicy variety that actually lives up to that claim; something you don't always get from other brands.

Rating: Best (5/5)

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Gentlemen's Beef Jerky - Sweet Chili

Gentlemen's Beef Jerky is a new brand launched by Chef Shehu Fitzgerald, based out of Staten Island, NY. Chef Shehu gained famed after winning it all on Season Seven of Food Network, "Chopped". He went on to compete on "Chopped Champs" and on ABC's, "The Taste".

The celebrated culinary master spent over 20 years at high profile restaurants including the Ritz Carlton, the Marriott Marquis and Essex House. He is currently banquet chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii. He earned a culinary degree at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, and received certifications from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. and Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, United Kingdom.

This new line of jerky is an extension of his line of spice blends he started in 2014.

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Chops Beef Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Chops Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Chops Snacks, Inc. based out of New Haven, CT. The company was started in June 2016 by two recent Yale University undergraduates, Luke Sellers and Aaron Jones, along with food industry veteran Dusty Jaquins.

The company claims their jerky is made from 100% USDA Choice and Select beef brisket, sourced from cattle within the United States. They use no MSG, no nitrites, and no artificial preservatives. Their jerky is labeled as "all natural" and "exceptionally tender", while their website further claims to be gluten-free.

This Sweet & Spicy is described by Chops as, "the perfect balance between sweet pineapple and lemon juice with the kick from chili peppers".

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Joe's Wicked Good Jerky - Sweet 'N Spicy

Joe's Wicked Good Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Joe's Wicked Good Jerky Corporation, based out of Redding, CA. It was started by the husband and wife duo of Joe Nixt and Traci Nixt, who launched the brand in October 2014.

At the time, Joe had been making his own jerky for over 20 years. He's shared it with friends and co-workers from his contracting business. When Traci lost her secretarial position, the couple decided to make a go at running a jerky company.

This "Sweet 'N Spicy" is described by the company as simply, "...a savory flavor with a sweetness and robust spicy kick that will knock your socks off".

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Smokehouse Jerky Co. - Spicy Sweet

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 "Spicy Sweet" variety is described by Smokehouse Jerky Co as having, "...just the right amount of jalapeño to give it some kick", going on to saying that it has a, "...sweet and spicy taste that’s not too overwhelming".

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Chew On This Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Chew On This Jerky is a new brand of jerky launched in April 2018 by Eric Bowlus and Grace Bowlus, based out of Corona, CA.

Veteran-owned and operated, the Bowlus' history in craft jerky goes back over 40 years working in the food manufacturing industry. Eric began making jerky as a hobby just within the last five. After a couple of years making dehydrated meats, he decided to turn it into a business.

This Sweet & Spicy variety is described by the company as, "Beef Jerky with a sweet taste, a little hickory, then the heat", going to to say that it's their most popular flavor.

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Jeff's Famous Jerky - Sriracha Style Ghost Pepper

Sriracha Style Ghost Pepper is the newest beef jerky creation from the folks at Jeff's Famous Jerky. Read our previous reviews of Jeff's Famous Jerky.

Jeff's Famous Jerky officially opened for business in 2010 and is owned and operated by Jeff's Famous Foods, Inc., led by founder Jeff Richards and CFO Mike Aggarwal, out of Mission Viejo, CA. The company offers a dozen flavors of jerky and four flavors of bacon jerky, along with one chicken jerky variety.

This Sriracha Style Ghost Pepper is described on the packaging as "Extra Hot & Spicy" and is the second jerky from Jeff's Famous to include the popular asian-style hot sauce.

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Country Butcher Beef Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Country Butcher is a brand that's been around since 2001 (based on our research). The company itself did not send us samples for review; we were provided samples by one of their online retailers. Country Butcher was started by Ken Croucher, based out of Placentia, CA.

Croucher has been making jerky since 1974, and perfected his recipe while working at a grocery store where he could offer samples to customers and gather feedback. He's been relying on the same recipe ever since. According to online documents, Croucher developed a beef jerky recipe for Perky Jerky. Perky Jerky grew to fame by offering the world's first energy-infused jerky, using Croucher's recipe, and today they're one of the biggest jerky brands on the market. Country Butcher currently sells online through Amazon and eBay, and a variety of other outlets.

This Sweet & Spicy variety is marked as being made from "Brisket". It's also marked, "Gluten Free" and "All Natural".

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Grill Your Ass Off Jerky - Sweet and Spicy

Grill Your Ass Off is a line of jerky and seasonings that launched in 2016 by Army Veterans, Jason Murff, based out of Hutto, TX. Murff had actually started with a line of seasonings and just now expanded into jerky.

The idea for his brand stems back into his Army days when he developed seasonings for his brothers in arms. After the service, he went into college to sharpen his business skills and went on to launch his new brand. Murff donates a portion of his proceeds to charities that benefit military and first responders.

This Sweet and Spicy jerky is described by Murff as a, "combination of soy and sugar with a surprising spice", going on to say that it's for, "for lovers of sweet meat".

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J&K Beef Jerky - Sweet and Spicy

J&K Beef Jerky is a brand owned by J&K Distributors based out of Huntington Beach, CA. J&K Distributors is an actual distributing company that stocks convenience stores throughout Southern California. J&K has been around since 1980.

Like most distributing companies, J&K stocks several brands of jerky for its store clients, but also offers its own house brand. According to the company, they've offered this jerky over the past 20 years.

This Sweet & Spicy beef jerky is claimed to be moderately spicy, and offering "the best of both worlds", sweet and spicy.

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Blu Collar Meat Co. - Spit Fire

Blu Collar Meat Co. is a start-up jerky brand launched last April 2018 by Steven and Brandy Reinecke in Lancaster, CA. Marketed as "100% homemade beef jerky", Reinecke says they use only locally sourced meats and ingredients.

The name, "Blu Collar Meat Co." makes reference to Steven's profession as a welder. "We represent the working class, and everybody putting in work ... whatever your profession, we got the jerky for you".

This Teriyaki variety is described as, "When you want heat but you also like sweet", going on to add that it combines red chiles and honey.

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Uncle Bo's Beef Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Uncle Bo's Beef Jerky is a brand started by Tim Benton (AKA Uncle Bo), based out of Winter Springs, FL. Benton describes himself as a "native (hillbilly) from West Virginia and a pioneer at heart".

He started making jerky in 1998 after a friend bought him a dehydrator as a gift. After six months of experimenting, he came up with the recipe for his business. Since then, he's made jerky for friends and sold it locally. Last October, Benton launched a Kickstarter campaign to go USDA approved.

This "Spiced Just Right" is described by Uncle Bo as being, "A fusion of Spiced Just Right, and Simply Sweet. Just enough Habaneros to tickle the senses and sweetness to calm the heat."

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Fat Yankee Jerky - Sweet & Spicy

Fat Yankee Jerky is a new brand that launched in May 2016 by Keith Rainville and his wife Brenda. Both hailing from Rhode Island, they moved to Florida about 12 years ago. Keith wanted to start a new business, and decided to get into the meat snack industry after friends told him how awesome his homemade jerky is.

Fat Yankee Jerky uses hand trimmed, top round black angus beef, sliced thick. It's marinated in 6 pound batches for 48 hours, and hand tossed after 24.

This Sweet & Spicy is described by the company as, "...the right sweetness with a nice spicy cow kick at the end."

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