As of late November 2017, we have a new guest jerky reviewer with Stéphane “Clerc Kent” Leclerc. Since January 2014, I have been writing all of the taste reviews. In June 2014, my cousin Paul “The Rekking Ball” Rekker joined me in doing the taste reviews. For each taste review, Paul would send me his taste review. Using both of our combined opinions, I, Mark “Jerky Us” Jurrius, would write the jerky taste review accordingly.
The original intention of this jerky review website was not to include a taste review. From 2008-2013, I had accumulated a jerky bag collection of around 600 bags. This jerky bag collection was documented in an Excel spreadsheet. The goal was to document this jerky bag collection on a website and move all the information from Excel to a MySQL database.
Paul insisted that you could only have a jerky review website with a taste review, to which I reluctantly agreed. Writing was not a passion of mine, nor do I have the best taste palate to describe a flavor. My one strength apart from my technical knowledge in running a website and making homemade beef jerky since 2007 was a dearth of experience in trying so many different jerky brands (over 200 jerky brands to date). However, my writing style is boring, and I am a technical, logical, and systematic person by nature.
In late 2016, my co-worker Stéphane Leclerc joined Paul and me in the taste reviews. Stéphane and Paul would send me their taste reviews, and now I had three opinions to write each. It was obvious early on that Stéphane had a flair for describing a flavor. The only thing that Stéphane needed was more experience with various jerky flavors, types, and styles.
In late November 2017, Stéphane has officially taken over writing the taste reviews. To date, Stéphane has received excellent feedback from various jerky makers. Not only does Stéphane have a passion for jerky and food in general, Stéphane has a passion for writing. Stéphane’s taste reviews can be described as articulate, descriptive, honest, humorous, and poignant.
Stéphane Leclerc Taste Review Counter: 342 (February 10/2018 – 23 Taste Reviews)
Paul Taste Review Counter: 425 (February 10/2018 – 0 Taste Reviews)
Occasionally, I may still write a taste review here or there instead of Stéphane. Now that I send Stéphane my taste reviews, I provide very detailed notes in my taste reviews. As a result, with this new experience, the few reviews that I publish in 2018 and beyond will be markedly improved as a result of Stéphane.
We here at Jerky Ingredients are excited about the prospects of 2018 and beyond. Historically, we would only review a flavor again if the ingredient list was tweaked or if there was a change in the bag design. Going forward, previously reviewed jerky makers are welcome to have their jerky reviewed again, only this time, the taste review will enthusiastically be written by Stéphane Leclerc.
In the photograph, Mark “Jerky Us” Jurrius is in the middle. Paul “The Rekking Ball” Rekker is on the left wearing the baseball cap, and Stéphane “Clerc Kent” Leclerc is on the right.
The other photograph is the Jerky Ingredients mascot Lexi, who is a Whippet, and she has tried hundreds of different jerky flavors.
Lexi Taste Review Counter: 13 (February 10/2018 – 0 Taste Reviews)
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