Dean Findlay has been making jerky since his early teens (around 2001) for himself and friends. Once Dean started getting better at the blends and mixes, he would give them to mates at local sports clubs and sell some to friends who would gift them to partners. After a while, Dean’s extended circle of friends wanted a logo/name/different batches, etc. The Bluestone Jerky brand name was introduced in 2016.
Bluestone Jerky uses 100% grass-fed beef from a local butcher in Geelong. This boutique hand-crafted jerky company uses ingredients sourced locally and internationally. Bluestone Jerky is distributed under the name of Bluestone Jerky Co., and it is located in Connewarre, Victoria, Australia.
The next review on Bluestone Jerky will focus on a 1.4 ounce/40 gram bag of their Habanero flavored beef jerky. This jerky was kindly submitted for review by the founder, Dean Findlay.
Ingredient Review
Beef, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Curry Powder, Herbs & Spices.
Bluestone Jerky is guaranteed to use 100% grass-fed beef. As a result, the cattle are guaranteed to have free-range access and be ethically raised. Therefore, the ingredient rating starts at an Excellent (10/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and healthy tomato sauce.
Some healthy ingredients added are curry powder, herbs, and spices, including sesame seeds, mustard, and pickles/pickle juice.
The sugar level is acceptable at 2.1 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is a little high at around 384mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservative. With more kudos to Bluestone Jerky, this jerky has no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
BLUESTONE JERKY – HABANERO BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag, I smell soy. The pieces are medium in size, and they are sliced thin to medium in thickness. The jerky is hard and dry, just the way our forefathers intended it. There is no oily residue left on your fingers handling these jerky strips.
The first flavors I encounter are intense salt, which I love, pepper, also at a high level, garlic, onion, and copious amounts of natural beef. The heat is rearing its spicy head, just as advertised.
I am ridiculously salivating as I consume this jerky, I am driveling and sniveling, I am pining and gesticulating for more of the fantastic tasting and bloody spicy tasting “crack” in a bag. This habanero flavored jerky is making me sweat profusely. I am “melting for more” of the habanero jerky’s insanely intense heat. I would absolutely rate this jerky as a 10/10. A “supremely sagacious snack solution”.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Habanero beef jerky flavor from Bluestone Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the great taste review. I mainly agree with you here. There is that familiar chili blend present from their chili blend flavor amped up with Habanero’s heat. On a heat scale, the heat level can reach a 3 out of 4 (arguably a 4 out of 4), but the heat level is not entirely consistent between strips and averages a 2 out of 4 on the heat scale.”
“Due to COVID-19, we are down to just Paul and me for this review. While I was not quite as impressed with this flavor as Paul, this Habanero flavor appeals to heat aficionados for sure. A valid complaint (being strict here) is that the heat is not consistent between strips. Therefore a Very Good (9/10) taste rating seems warranted.”
This 1.4 ounce/40 gram bag of jerky sells for $4.00. That works out to $2.85 an ounce, which rates at an average price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This beige resealable plastic has everything imprinted on the bag itself, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag. Bluestone Jerky designed the logo based on the oldest Bluestone Bridge in the Geelong area (where Dean grew up). The name is from Bluestone School Rd, in a little country town of Connewarre where Dean’s family home was/is, where it all started (near Barwon Heads, Victoria).
There are no slogans displayed on this bag. The only fact shown is “Gluten Free”.
Some missing bag categories are allergen alerts, bar code, web site, and jerky distributor address details. The @bluestone handle is displayed for Facebook and Instagram.
Check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bluestonejerky
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