The next review on Mountain Man will focus on a 1.8 ounce/50 gram bag of their hickory flavored beef jerky. This bag was graciously submitted for review by the founder of Mountain Man, Robert Lahue.
The Mountain Man brand of jerky is distributed under the name of its founder, Robert Lahue. Bob is located in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. If you were to see Revelstoke on a map, you would understand where the Mountain Man brand name came from. Revelstoke and the surrounding area is mountain after mountain. This will be the fourth review done on Mountain Man, where all of his taste ratings have rated very well so far. Bob, a self-described fabricator, knows what he is doing when it comes to jerky.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef Slices, Pineapple Juice, Liquid Hickory Smoke, Sherry, Onion Juice, Vinegar, Salt, Garlic Juice, Molasses, Brown Sugar, Spices
The beef used is not guaranteed to have not received growth hormones, and at least partially grass-fed. As a result, the highest rating that can be achieved is a Good (8/10) ingredient rating.
The liquid marinade used here consists of pineapple juice, liquid hickory smoke, garlic juice, sherry, and onion juice. There is a natural enzyme named bromelain in pineapples that acts as a natural meat tenderizer. Garlic juice and onion juice are both very healthy.
The sugar level is a bit high at around 4.5 grams per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is high at around 410mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky, where the preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Also, as a plus, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
The strips are medium to small in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. This texture is dry, but not overly dry. While not common, these strips are sliced against the grain, instead of with the grain. There are visible signs of fat that enhance the flavor, but some wads of beef are hard to chew. Without a doubt, handling this jerky does leave an oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is the pineapple, and then the natural beef flavor. As for the hickory smoked flavor, it is noticeable, but not overly strong. There is a moderate, and pleasant tasting onion flavor. The garlic flavor is not so strong.
This jerky is not that salty, and only mildly sweet tasting at best. The hickory and pineapple flavors mix well with the onion, garlic, and spices, which makes for a tasty treat.
A 1.8 ounce/50 gram bag of this jerky sells for $5.00. That equates to $2.78 an ounce, which is classified as an expensive price. First and foremost, a generally healthy ingredient list is used, and it tastes great. We recommend this Mountain Man hickory flavored beef jerky as worth your money.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is not your typical jerky bag. Mainly because the label is printed lengthwise instead of heightwise. The label on the front covers the entire bag, and there is nothing on the back. Best of all, this jerky is vacuum sealed, the best way to help preserve the jerky.
On the label there is a picture of Robert Lahue with a mountain in the background, where British Columbia has many mountains. The Mountain Man brand name curves along the mountain peak. The slogan is “The Best in the West”. Facts printed on the bag are “no nitrates”, “no msg”, “no gluten”, “no soy”, and “no preservatives”.
Another interesting fact stated on the bag is “Did you know: It takes 1/2 pound of fresh meat to make this pack”. While there is no Canadian Department of Agriculture or British Columbia Department of Agriculture stamp printed anywhere, it does explicitly state on the bag itself that this jerky was made and packaged in a commercially licensed facility.
All important bag categories are covered here. To the credit of Robert, he supplies an email address, and a phone number for customer inquiries. As per Canadian law, there are French translations provided.
Check out their web site: www.mountainmanbeefjerky.com
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