The next review for Shiners Stash will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Bacon ‘N Swiss flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as using the leanest of choice beef, applewood smoked bacon, & swiss. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by the owner, Swen Altis.
This Shiners Stash brand name is located in the foothills of Conover, North Carolina, and is distributed under the name of Shiners Stash Jerky Company. Executive Chef Swen, an avid hunter, started making jerky for his friends and neighbors. While having a successful career, in 2016, Swen quit his full-time job, and launched this Shiners Stash Jerky Company. Starting as a cook in the US Army, Swen became a certified chef. Swen’s last job was as an executive chef in the higher education industry. Impressively, there are over 20 flavors available, which includes beef/pork jerky and beef sticks. Backed by Swen’s wife Beth, friends, and family, they are committed & continuously strive to set “THAT BAR!”.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef Round Eye of Round Roast Boneless Separable Lean Only Trimmed to 0″ Fat, Select Raw Cheese, Pasteurized Process, Swiss, Bacon (Salt, Sugar, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite), Parmesan (Milk Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Water, Cheddar Cheese, Pasteurized Milk, Sugar, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Buttermilk, Salt, Butter (Cream, Salt), Disodium Phosphate, Annatto Extract and Beta Carotene, Beef Broth (Cooked Beef, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Dextrose, Sea Salt, Maltodextrin, Onion Powder, Sugar, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate), Potassium Sorbate, Black Pepper, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Coriander. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
There are no liquid ingredients used in the marinade. Instead,
raw Swiss cheese and grated Parmesan cheese are used. Minimally processed cheeses are a good source of calcium, and some vitamins.
There are some healthy ingredients added such as garlic powder, onion powder, and coriander.
The sugar level is great at under 1 gram of sugar per 43 grams (1.5oz) of jerky. The salt level is quite high at around 566mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does not qualify to have no sodium nitrite, where similar potassium sorbate is used as the main preservative, apart from minimally processed sea salt.
This jerky does not qualify to have no MSG added. The highly processed flavor enhancers hydrolyzed soy protein and hydrolyzed corn protein are used in the beef base. Similar to MSG, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate work synergistically to enhance the flavor of food, in this case beef.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
I carefully opened the bag before slowly spreading it open with my fingers. As I was gently going down, I plunged my nose into this inviting opening. At first just going in with the tip and then all the way as I could no longer resist the urge and the temptation. I took a long deep breath and soaked what seemed to be the promise of an attractive and most enjoyable experience. The beautiful aroma of Swiss cheese and smoky bacon filled my nostrils. I was immediately elated by this jerky and it certainly delivered on every level.
These generous strips are packed with flavor and the texture is equally amazing. Each jerky strip is encrusted with a copious amount of cheese. This makes for a wonderful and very unique texture. This texture really set this jerky apart from most jerky’s I’ve previously tasted.
The nice and pleasant beefy taste is beautifully complimented by some richness and followed with subtle notes of smoky bacon and Swiss cheese. Although, this jerky is rich and a bit heavy, the added flavor and incredible texture really makes up for it all.
This is definitely not a boring run of the mill jerky; it is a very ingenious and cleverly developed jerky. I raise my hat to Shiners Stash Jerky for coming up with such a fun and flavorful new jerky. These folks are not afraid to step up, beat new paths and create something great and unique.
I highly recommend this exciting jerky and rate it 10/10.
A 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $10.00. That works out to $3.33 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This clear resealable bag has labels affixed to both the front and back. The bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep jerky fresh tasting. The Shiners Stash logo is a man with a rather large, bushy beard.
Their slogans are “Get Your Own!” and “Made in Foothills of NC”.
The only minor bag category missing is the jerky weight not stated in grams. There is a very good blurb printed on the back about Shiners Stash. You are encouraged to like them on Facebook, and Shiners Stash are a proud member of gottobeNC.com.
Order their jerky online: www.shinersstashjerky.com
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