The next review on Wild Sky will focus on a 1 ounce/28 gram bag of their jalapeno flavored 100% grass-fed beef stick. This beef stick was kindly submitted for review by their Inside Sales representative, Ian Damon.
Wild Sky beef jerky is distributed by Montana Prairie Holdings, and it is located in Bozeman, Montana. Wild Sky is an innovate company launched in 2014, and created by American Prairie Reserve. Their mission is to support wildlife-friendly ranching through the sale of premium beef. The overarching goal of American Prairie Reserve is to restore and conserve an abundance of extraordinary diverse wildlife to Montana’s Northern Great Plains, which the region once hosted. On an interesting note, you can now purchase Wild Sky jerky in both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Recently, Montana Prairie Holdings was mentioned in a USA Today article.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Sea Salt, Brown Sugar, Dehydrated Jalapeno Peppers, Encapsulated Citric Acid, Celery Juice Powder, Black Pepper, Ground Jalapeno Pepper, Red Pepper, Granulated Garlic, Coriander, Onion Powder, in Beef Collagen Casing.
The 100% grass-fed beef used is sourced from the U.S., with profits flowing back to Wild Sky Ranchers in Montana who practice wildlife-friendly ranching. These ranchers practice something known as a Freese Scale, which measures nine different ecological processes, each of which is given a 1-7 rating. Annually these Freese Scale ratings are studied, reviewed by a third-party entity and management identifies what areas of each ranch needs attention.
The jerky qualifies to be ethically raised, meaning no growth hormones or additional antibiotics are given. Also, the cattle used in this jerky qualifies to have free range access to roam about and graze on grass, the way nature intended.
Some healthy ingredients are added such as black pepper, onion powder, coriander, and granulated garlic. The heat is achieved from dried Jalapeno peppers and Jalapeno pepper powder. Hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation.
The sugar level is good at 2 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is a tad high at 390mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, no rating is lost because minimally processed sea salt is used.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservative. Instead, organic salt is the main preservative used, and citric acid to a lesser degree. With more kudos to Wild Sky, this jerky has no MSG added.
Excellent (10/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
The Wild Sky Jalapeño 100% Grass-Fed Beef Stick is an absolute gem, a gift to all Jalapeño or meat stick fans out there. The Jalapeño flavor creates richness and a full tasting meat stick. This beef stick is really tasty without being too bold. The spiciness remains consistent and on the lighter side. This gentle little spicy kick rates approximately at 2 out of 5 on the heat scale.
At first bite, I am greeted with a great blend of flavors and none of them compete with the delicious flavor of Jalapeño. The garlic, salt and black pepper and the sweetness are at light levels and a little sour bite adds life, some acidity and more character to the overall experience.
Some light notes of coriander find themselves in here and add another layer of flavor. These light notes elevate this already delectable meaty treat to another level. We’ve noted a slight processed beef flavor although nowhere near other regular beef sticks. The Wild Sky meat stick easily stands head and shoulders above its competition.
This 6” beef stick is soft, tender and easy to chew. Mark and I share the same opinion; we agree the Wild Sky Jalapeño 100% Grass-Fed Beef Stick has a “clean eating” feel and taste. It is lighter in color by comparison with other similar product. It is very lean and no greasiness or oiliness is felt in the mouth or left on the fingers and again, this is unlike most big brand beef sticks. As I chewed my beef stick, I kept thinking about the great taste and the unmistakable high quality of the beef and its seasoning, it is certainly a very refreshing experience.
Fun Fact: This meat stick is peppered with little green bits and pieces of Jalapeño peppers. This makes this meaty snack more fun and even more interesting. At the same time, it speaks volume on the high quality of this product.
Mark stated: “I personally love this flavor and needed great constraint not to devour this entire beef stick in no time flat”.
We wholeheartedly recommend this flavor to any fans of Jalapeno and others who wish to dip their toes and experience the wonderful flavor of Jalapeño paired with a great quality beef stick.
We’ve awarded this delectable Jalapeno Wild Sky Jalapeño 100% Grass-Fed Beef Stick an Excellent (10/10) taste rating with two thumbs up!
A 12 pack of 1 ounce/28 gram beef sticks sells on Amazon for $21.99, which works out to $1.83 an ounce. That would rate as an average price.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This plastic bag has a label on the front, and nothing on the back. The bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep a beef stick fresh tasting. This Wild Sky logo has the word Wild in the backdrop of a cloud.
A slogan printed on this bag is “Supporting Wildlife-Friendly Ranching”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Beef Used is Grass-Fed”, and “Gluten-Free”.
The only bag category missing is a nutrition facts table. In fairness, there is no room on this label to fit a nutrition facts table.
Check out their web site: www.wildskybeef.org
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