Co-owners Chase Schaffter and Danny Kueser met while working at Cinder Block Brewery. Danny was a bartender and brewers assistant, and Chase owned a food truck that served BBQ to the patrons of the brewery. So, this naturally lead them to try to cook anything and everything with beer. One day, Danny and Chase decided to make beef jerky out of a new batch of beer that Danny brewed at the Cinder Block brewery.
The first batch was absolutely horrible. However, they don’t give up easily. So they started to get together regularly to make beef jerky. After a while, they decided that it would be fun to package it so they could share it with other people. The Craft Beer Jerky brand was launched in 2017. Craft Beer Jerky is distributed by Craft Beer Jerky LLC, and they are located in Kansas City, Missouri.
The next review on Craft Beer Jerky will focus on a 2 ounce/56 gram bag of their Scottish Ale flavored beef sticks. This flavor is described as using Fox Trotter Ale from Stockyards Brewing Co. These beef sticks were graciously submitted for review by Co-Founder, Chase Schaffter.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Scottish Ale, Sugar, Apple Juice , Worcestershire Sauce (Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Polysorbate 80, Sugar, Spices, Anchovy Puree, Natural Flavor), Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Sodium Benzoate), Onion Powder, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Paprika, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat, Anchovies
The beef used is guaranteed to have been raised ethically, meaning not administered growth hormones or additional antibiotics. This beef is also guaranteed to have at least partial free range to roam about as nature intended. As a result, the highest ingredient rating possible is Very Good (9/10).
The liquid marinade consists of the craft wheat beer, a poor brand of Worcestershire sauce, healthy apple juice concentrate, and an average soy sauce. A rating is lost because the emulsifier polysorbate 80 is used in the Worcestershire sauce that bind ingredients together. Polysorbate 80 is not considered to be healthy.
There are some healthy ingredients added such as onion powder, black pepper, and paprika.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the sugar and salt levels are unknown.
This jerky is not sodium nitrite free, as sodium nitrite is used outright to lose a rating. Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag, I smell vinegar. It looks like any other meat stick (pepperette), including the light hue of most other beef sticks. It is soft and chewy, and it leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the meat stick, I am met with a variety of flavors. Light salt, light pepper, minimal garlic and onion, and a little more sweet than I typically taste in a meat stick.
I’m not really picking up on the Scottish ale, maybe because the ale flavor has already dissipated out of the meat stick. While this is no Innis & Gunn beer flavor, the meat stick is still tasty, just not ‘blow me away’ tasty. If I was tasting this meat stick straight out of the sealed bag, the conversation might be different, but I am going to have to award this meat stick an 8/10 at best. Over to you gentlemen…
Here is what Mark has to say about this Scottish Ale flavored beef stick from Craft Beer Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the great, honest, detailed taste review. I too was not blown away with this flavor. I did taste this Scottish Ale beef stick straight out of the vacuum sealed bag, and still there was not much of a malty Scottish ale flavor present. For the most part, no particular flavor stood out here. Both Stéphane and I are in agreeance with Paul’s Good (8/10) taste rating.”
Two 2 ounce/57 gram bags of beef sticks sells online for $6.00. That works out to $1.50 an ounce, which rates as a cheap price.
Bag Review
This plastic bag has a label affixed to the front. The Craft Beer Jerky logo has antlers coming off hops.
There are no slogans or facts printed on this bag.
Missing bag categories are soy/wheat/anchovy allergen alerts, a nutrition facts table, a blurb printed about Craft Beer Jerky or this Scottish Ale flavor, and a best before date. There is a batch number displayed that could translate to a best before date.
Order their jerky online: www.craftbeerjerky.com
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