Maui~Licious was founded in 2000 by the founder, Dr. Charles R. Medeiros (Dr. Chuck). Maui~Licious, Inc. was contacted by a jerky maker seeking to purchase a 5 gallon bucket of their trademark Teri~Licious sauce created 75 years ago. Instead, Dr. Chuck started making his own jerky using this Teri~Licious sauce as the base marinade for all of their four flavors (Original, Sweet N Spicy, Teriyaki, Hot).
In 2019, Dr. Chuck decided it was time to retire at age 85. Maui~Licious, Inc. contacted Smokehouse Jerky Co. to take over the tradition of still manufacturing Maui~Licious. After some negotiation, the terms were reached. Smokehouse Jerky Co. officially took over the Maui~Licious jerky brand in late 2019, and Dr. Chuck officially retired. Smokehouse Jerky Co. is located in Beaumont, California.
The next review on Maui~Licious beef jerky will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their original flavored beef jerky. We previously reviewed this original flavor back in 2014. This jerky is described as a unique twist on a classic flavor, which combines a unique blend of Hawaiian and Japanese recipes that brings this jerky to life. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by co-owner Patti Fonseca from Smokehouse Jerky Co.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce, (Water, Wheat, Soybeans and Salt) Granulated Sugar, Garlic, Ginger, Sesame Seed Oil, Minced Onion, Lavender Spice, Bourbon Flavor (Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, Carmel Color, Water, Artificial Flavors, contains Sulfites), Black Pepper. Allergen Warnings: Sesame, 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.
The liquid marinade consists of a decent brand of soy sauce, a respectable brand of teriyaki sauce, very healthy sesame seed oil, and an awful bourbon flavor. The bourbon flavor contains the oil derivative propylene glycol to lose a rating, which has no business being in the food chain. The bourbon flavor also uses artificial flavors to lose another rating.
The trifecta of healthy vegetables is achieved with minced onion, garlic and ginger, along with healthy black pepper.
The most interesting ingredient is lavender spice. The scent of lavender, a flower, is said to be soothing to the human spirit, and has been used as a culinary herb for centuries. No other spice smells like lavender, and it has multiple health benefits.
The sugar level is extremely high at 13 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is right at our upper limit of 350mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added. Also commendable in that this jerky also qualifies to have no sodium nitrite added. Apart from salt, there are no unhealthy preservatives used in this jerky.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
MAUI~LICIOUS – ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY (REVIEW #2)
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag, I smell sweet. The pieces are various in size, from medium to large, including the thickness, which is the same. The pieces are soft and moist, and there is some oily residue left on your fingers after handling this jerky.
When I bite into the jerky, I am met with salt, sweet (a little too much for my liking), some garlic, possible onion, along with a slight kick, as evidenced by the occasional chili flake that I can see on the strips.
While this flavor is decent, I am not blown away by it. I am detecting too much sweet, which is detracting from the overall flavor. For an original flavor, I wish they would have dialed back a little on the sugar.
Other than that, I am enjoying the light kick of the chili flakes, along with the garlic and the salt. Overall, I believe a 7 or a 8/10 would be an accurate assessment of this particular flavor. Gentlemen?
Here is what Stéphane had to say about this flavor: “I am elated with this Maui~Licious – Teri~Licious Original beef jerky and I am certain many others will be, just as well. The Original and Teriyaki flavors are by far the most popular beef jerky on the market and also personal favorites of mine. This Maui~Licious jerky is cleverly marketed as Teri~Licious Original and it delivers full flavor in spades.”
“As indicated on the bag, this is a Teriyaki\Original flavor and without any stretch of the imagination, it is well executed. This jerky is reasonably sweet without going overboard and it has a generous spicy kick. The spiciness becomes more and more apparent after a few bites without overpowering the flavor profile. There is a beautiful balance of flavors and this jerky is certainly addictive as Hell. Another great feature is its texture, it is soft, tender and there is a wonderful feel in your mouth. This jerky is rich, decadent and it will without a doubt be appealing to seasoned and more refined palates.”
“The Maui~Licious Teri~Licious Original jerky is a ‘flavorgasm’ explosion of deliciousness in your mouth. Sally knows that all too well and after a few bite of this tasty jerky, she’d certainly be all but Sleepless in Seattle.”
“I can’t find any faults between the succulent beefy flavors, a well executed Teriyaki profile with its essential Asian flair while having an out of this world texture. This is surely a winner in my book and I can award no less than a 10/10 taste rating and likely more, if I could.”
Here is what Mark had to say about this original beef jerky flavor from Maui~Licious: “Thanks Stéphane and Paul for the honest, great taste reviews. Yes, Stéphane called it in that Paul and I would say that this flavor was too sweet tasting. For an original flavor as we have here, I have to side with Paul here. Not overly sweet tasting, but too sweet to mute the natural beef flavor being a distraction, which should be the star of the show for an original flavor.”
“Yes this flavor is advertised as using the Maui~Licious Teri~licious teriyaki sauce. In fact all four flavors are described in the exact same way. Still at the end of the day, this flavor is somewhat too sweet tasting for an original flavor, but of course that point is up for debate as witnessed here with us.”
“Otherwise, this is a pretty addictive flavor that tastes great but comes across as a teriyaki flavor. For whatever reason, I remember this flavor as having an artificial type of flavor when we reviewed this flavor back in 2014, but I do not pick up on the artificial flavor all that much this time around. We will split the difference here and award a 9 taste rating.”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $7.99, which works out to $2.66 an ounce. That would rate as an average price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This bag certainly has some color. There are no labels affixed to this bag, where everything is imprinted directly on the bag. There are colorful plants and flowers, with a body of water in the background, presumably the ocean. Above the water, the sky in the background gradually gets bluer the higher it gets, quite clever. This bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep a jerky flavor fresh tasting.
The only slogan is their trademark name Teri-Licious™ printed on both the front and back. Some facts printed on this bag are “Gourmet”, “Tender & Juicy” and “Deliciously Flavorful”.
Almost all bag categories are covered. Missing are soy/wheat/sesame allergen alerts, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams. There is a good blurb about Maui~Licious printed on the back of this bag. To the credit of Maui~Licious, they provide a toll free number for any customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.smokehousejerky.com
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