The next review on Captain Jake’s Jerky will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Hearty Chili flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as tasting like a bowl of chili. This jerky was graciously submitted for review by one of the co-founders, Scott Jacobson.
The co-owners Scott Jacobson and Greg Giles launched the Captain Jake’s Jerky brand name in October 2014. This jerky is distributed under the name of Captain Jake’s Jerky, LLC. They are based out of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Greg’s experience is accounting, food service, and small business. Scott works in the media business, which appears to be a good combination of skills. In their words: “The name Captain Jake’s Jerky comes from two sources. Jake is Scott’s nickname, derived from his last name Jacobson. During Scott’s college days he worked at a boat ride at an amusement park as Captain Jake!”.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Tomato Sauce (Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Less than 2% of: Salt, Water, Citric Acid, Spice, Natural Flavor), Brown Sugar, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Lactic Acid, Sodium Benzoate: Less than 1/10 of 1% as a preservative), Worcestershire Sauce (Distilled White Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Water, Salt, Onions, Anchovies, Garlic, Cloves, Tamarind Extract, Natural Flavorings, Chili Pepper Extract), Bourbon, Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Cumin, Chili Powder, Chipotle Powder, Ancho Chili Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, Crushed Garlic, Oregano, Celery Powder. Allergen Warnings: Soy,
Wheat
100% certified American-raised Black Angus beef is used in this jerky. The Angus breed of cattle is known to have a good amount of natural marbling. The cattle may or may not have been administered growth hormones or additional antibiotics, there are no guarantees. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of healthy tomato sauce, an average soy sauce, a good Worcestershire sauce, and bourbon. Tomatoes are loaded with the very healthy antioxidant lycopene.
The spiciness from this flavor is achieved from chili powder, chipotle powder, ancho chili powder, and red pepper flakes. As a general rule, hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation.
There are multiple healthy spices used such as black pepper, onion powder, cumin, and oregano. It is always great to see when the super healthy vegetable garlic is used.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
This jerky does qualify to contain no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, apart from salt, celery powder is the main preservative, with its naturally occurring nitrates. Admirably, this jerky also qualifies to have no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are medium to small in size, and are borderline thick. There is a great dry texture, which does take some effort to chew. A very small amount of fat is visible, and handling these strips leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a good deal of tomato flavor. There is a mild soy flavor. Each bite finishes with a mild garlic and light onion taste. The saltiness is at a moderate level, and there is a light peppered taste.
The jerky is only mildly sweet, where much of the sweetness comes from the tomato sauce. This flavor could be described as mildly spicy, but is more accurate to say lightly spicy. Overall, a good job of recreating the taste of a bowl of chili.
A 3 ounce/84 gram bag sells online for $7.89. That works out to 2.66 an ounce, which works out to be an expensive price. This jerky is certainly recommended as worth your money for people who enjoy the taste of chili.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a plain, clear, resealable plastic bag. There is a label affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. A small sticker stating “Black Angus” is on the front also.
The Captain Jake’s Jerky logo has an anchor in the middle. There are no slogans or facts printed on this bag.
There are some missing bag categories such as a best before date, and no nutrition facts table. There is no blurb printed about Captain Jake’s Jerky, or this flavor. Granted there is no room.
Order their jerky online: www.captainjakesjerky.com
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