The next review on Indiana Craft Jerky will be on a 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of their Chipotle BBQ beef jerky flavor. This jerky was graciously submitted for review by the president of Indiana Craft Jerky, Michelle Twaddell.
This Indiana Craft Jerky brand name is distributed by Indiana Craft Jerky LLC., located in Avon, Indiana. Michelle and her husband Ron launched their jerky brand in April 2015. Recently, Indiana Craft Jerky formed a relationship with Tyler Pond Farm, where a 100% grass-fed beef jerky line is sold at their farm. Also, a relationship was formed with Empirical Brewery, where a new Smoked Paprika Porter beef jerky flavor was created. Ron has been busy creating a custom built dehydrator, which is set to be operational soon. In Michelle’s words, Indiana Craft Jerky is growing in leaps and bounds.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Lean Beef (Moody Meats), Worcestershire Sauce (Water, Salt, Vinegar, Caramel Color, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Artificial Color), Orange Juice, BBQ Sauce (Tomato Puree, HFCS, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Garlic, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color), Chipotle Flakes.
The beef is sourced from a local butcher named Moody Meats, which is a 5th generation family run business. They source beef from local farms, and their own farm. The cattle do have some free range access to graze on grass. There are no guarantees that the cattle are not administered growth hormones.
The liquid marinade is comprised of a poor Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, and a not so great barbecue sauce. It is disappointing to see that the barbecue sauce uses the highly processed cheap sweetener high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and artificial flavors. Note: the highly respected Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce is now being used in all of their jerky flavors.
The heat in this flavor is achieved from chipotle flakes. As a general rule, hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flushes toxins out of our bodies.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown. Based on the taste alone, the sugar level seem minimal, and the salt level seems average.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are mainly medium in size, and sliced thin. They have a somewhat dry texture that is relatively easy to chew because the strips are sliced thin. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a moderate Worcestershire sauce flavor. There is a light amount of citrus flavor, but it does not last all that long. With very little sweetness, there is a fair amount of natural beef flavor present. There is a moderate salt level, and a light level of onion. For a flavor with barbecue in its name, the tanginess and tomato level could be stronger.
As for the chipotle flavor, it is at a decent level. This flavor is advertised to be a 2 out of 4 on the heat scale, which is a reasonable assessment, but no higher. Overall, as with all of the Indiana Craft Jerky flavors reviewed to date, it is very tasty and addictive.
This 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag sells online for $9.00. That works out to $3.60 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price. While pricey, this jerky is recommended for people who enjoy a medium hot based jerky, with a light barbecue flavor.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to both the front and back. Their logo is a circle with M&R in the middle, which stands for husband and wife Michelle and Ron.
Their slogan is “Hand Made”. Each flavor has a drawing to the left of the flavor name, where for this Chipotle BBQ flavor, it is barbecue utensils. There is a small blurb printed about this flavor: “Smoky rich chipotle with tangy bbq”. Something appreciated is that the bag displays the heat and sweetness levels.
The majority of bag categories are covered here. Some missing categories are a nutrition facts table, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams. To the credit of Indiana Craft Jerky, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.indianacraftjerky.com
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