Newport Jerky Company is a specialty food retailer known for its bold and adventurous jerky offerings. They craft all their jerky and smoked meats in small batches, ensuring each product has the right texture, flavor, and freshness. Their product line is impressively diverse, from gourmet beef jerky to exotic meats like alligator, kangaroo, and snake, as well as vegan jerky and edible insects.
They also offer a wide selection of complementary snacks and condiments, including jams, salsas, hot sauces, gourmet peanuts, and even bacon-flavored treats. All their meat products are USDA and FDA inspected and approved, underscoring their commitment to quality. With a brick-and-mortar storefront and a user-friendly online shop, the company caters to both local jerky aficionados and adventurous snackers across the country. This Newport Jerky Company brand is distributed under the name of Newport Jerky Co., located in Newport, Rhode Island.
The first review on Newport Jerky Company will focus on a 1.5 ounce/43 gram bag of Original flavored octopus jerky. This flavor is described as having the perfect texture and robust flavors of cracked pepper, fresh onion, and chopped garlic with no fishy before or after taste. The bag was purchased at Jojo’s Jerky in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Octopus, Brown Sugar, Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Wine, Sugar, Water, Salt, Vinegar, Sodium Benzoate: Less than 1/10 of 1% as a preservative, Onion Powder, Natural Flavors, Succinic Acid, Garlic Powder), Brown Sugar, Water, Spices, Granulated Garlic, Lemon Juice, Liquid Smoke (Water, Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor), Vinegar Powder, Celery Powder (Celery Juice Solids, Sea Salt) Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat, Shellfish (Octopus)
Octopus is a lean, nutrient dense seafood known for its tender texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor. Rich in essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, selenium, copper, and omega-3 fatty acids. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is an Excellent (10/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of a decent brand of teriyaki sauce, water, healthy lemon juice, and liquid smoke.
Some healthy ingredients added are granulated garlic and spices.
The sugar level is high at 8 grams 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 a bit high at 400mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservatives used are salt and celery powder to a lesser degree. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
NEWPORT JERKY CCOMPANY – MOROCAAN OCTOPUS JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
This jerky was a bit of a challenge to review due to inconsistent taste from bite to bite. The aroma was fine, but not too fishy. The first bite was terrible, and I am guessing/hoping I had bitten into a “chunk” of seasoning. Subsequent bites were much less offensive. The main taste was Cracked Black Pepper, ranging from tasty to overpowering. I’ve tasted some sweetness at a lighter level, the octopus flavor varied from good to downright non-existent or completely overpowered by the black pepper. The texture is tough, with little give and a significant amount of chewing required.
There is potential, and not without a second trip to the drawing board. Some bites tasted fine, while others were much left to be desired. I rate this Octopus Jerky 5/10 Taste Rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Original octopus jerky flavor from Newport Jerky Company: “Thanks Stéphane for the candid taste review. I agree that the marinade is quite strong to the point where it overwhelms the natural flavor of the octopus. The black pepper and sweetness are the most overpowering flavors. I also agree that the texture is quite tough and rigid, which gives your teeth quite a workout. Moroccan octopus is apparently spicier than other species of octopus, but that’s hard to tell with the heat from the cracked black pepper.”
“I did not notice the discrepancy between each strip of jerky as much as Stéphane did. While I think that Stéphane is being overly harsh with his taste rating, this jerky tastes good if you enjoy black pepper and sweetness. With Stéphane at a 5 and myself at an 8, a Decent (7/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 1.5 ounce/43 gram bag of jerky sells online for $19.99, which equates to $13.33 an ounce. That rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This silver plastic resealable bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. There is an illustration of an octopus on the front. The bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep jerky fresh tasting.
There are no slogans displayed on this bag. Some facts printed are “No Nitrate or Nitrites Added” and “No MSG Added”.
Some missing bag categories are a blurb about this jerky or flavor, and an establishment number.
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