Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks is still family owned (despite all the arguments) and proudly produces top quality meat snacks, trail mixes, roasted nuts, and candies on the Oregon Coast. Born and raised in Tillamook, Oregon, Ken & Karla Werner built Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks from the ground up. In 1994, Ken & Karla started making beef jerky in their garage at home. Ken would load up their family minivan with beef jerky to drive up and down the north Oregon Coast, selling Werner Beef Jerky to local shops and stores when the jerky was ready. People loved the savory taste and homemade feel of their jerky, and the Werner Brand soon became a local favorite.
Today, Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks operates in a modern, 100,000 square foot facility located in the heart of Tillamook, Oregon. As the company has grown, one thing that has never changed is a philosophy of quality first, a sincere appreciation of its customers, many of whom have become close friends, and a heartfelt dedication to creating high-quality, great-tasting snack products. This Werner jerky brand is distributed under the name of Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks, Inc., located in Tillamook, Oregon, by the coast.
The first review on Werner will focus on a 2.4 ounce/68 gram bag of their Garlic flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as starting with premium beef, seasoned with their family’s blend of spices, then natural-wood-smoke it to a subtle tanginess that mellows and sweetens as it’s smoked. The bag was purchased at a gas station in Oxnard, California.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Brown Sugar, Sea Salt, Garlic, Celery Powder, Onion Powder, Gluten Free Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt). Allergen Warnings: Soy
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 only includes a good brand of gluten free soy sauce.
Some healthy ingredients added are garlic and onion powder.
The sugar level is very high at 9 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or under per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 620mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is ignored because healthy, minimally processed sea salt is used as opposed to table salt.
This jerky is confirmed as having no sodium nitrite. Instead, sea salt is the main preservative used and celery powder to a lesser extent. Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
WERNER – GARLIC BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell next to nothing, just slight natural beef. The pieces are small to medium in size, and they are sliced rather thick. The jerky is dry(ish) and chewy, and they leave no oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the strips I immediately pick up on the salt, sweet (but not too sweet), garlic, at a decent level, onion as well as natural beef.
This flavor, while good, is not blowing me away. I’d rate it overall as a pleasant tasting 8/10, missing on the strong garlic flavor, which was expected with them labeling it a garlic flavored jerky, and not enough “oomph” to catapult it higher on the flavor scale. There is some fat on this jerky, which enhances the flavor, but not enough of it to sway my decision. Gentlemen?
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
The Werner Garlic Beef Jerky is flavorful. I enjoyed its subtle taste, aroma, and texture. Although the jerky is lean and dry, the garlic and onion flavor carry some richness. The flavor profile is simple and tasty and does not overwhelm the taste of the beef.
I especially appreciate that the flavor profile stands, and is developed around the flavor of the beef. The touch of sweetness, saltiness, and smokiness nicely contribute to the overall flavor profile and mellow the garlic and onion. I did however find the garlic flavor dissipates quickly, and it is to be expected.
I liked the Werner Garlic Beef Jerky for its simplicity and great taste; I’d give it a 10/10 Taste Rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Garlic beef jerky flavor from Werner: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the honest taste reviews. I lean more towards Paul here. Yes, the garlic flavor is present but not at a high enough level for a flavor named garlic. While this flavor tastes good, it does not blow me away with a ‘wow’ factor. Partly due to the sweetness level is a tad too high for my liking, but that is debatable. The smoked flavor is the most interesting aspect of this flavor, where it’s omnipresent in each bite and the onion flavor is a great compliment. With Stéphane at a 10 rating and myself and Paul at an 8 rating, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2.4 ounce/68 gram bag is believed to have been sold for $8.25. That works out to $3.44 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This resealable, blue plastic bag has everything affixed to the bag both on the front and back. There is an illustration of a mountain top in the background of some trees.
Some slogans printed on this bag are “Ready For Everything”, “Still Family Owned – Despite All The Arguments”, and “Just Eat It!” Some facts printed on this bag are “All Natural”, “Not Vegan. Duh, It’s Beef”, “Minimally Processed”, “No Artificial Ingredients”, “No Nitrates or Nitrites Added”, “Proudly Made on The Oregon Coast”, “Easily Crushed”, “11 Grams Protein”, “Natural-Wood-Smoked”, 1 1/2g of Total Fat”, “90 Calories”, “No Gluten”, “No MSG Added”, “Ore USA”, and “Premium Beef”.
All bag categories are covered. There are great blurbs printed on the back about this flavor and jerky brand. A toll free phone is provided for customer inquiries. You are encouraged to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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