The next review on Van Cleave Dry Goods (aka VC Dry Goods) will be on a 3.05 ounce/86.4 gram bag of their t-bucket flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as having a “classic teriyaki” foundation. Some things were removed, and added are “go fast parts and spicy mojo”. This bag was graciously submitted for review by the owner and founder, Adam Van Cleave.
The Van Cleave Dry Goods jerky brand name is based out of Frisco, Texas. Their jerky is distributed under the name of Van Cleave Dry Goods LLC., and was launched in October 2014. This will be the fourth review done on Van Cleave Dry Goods, where to date their flavors have proven to be very bold tasting. Using an excerpt from their web site, this is how they describe their jerky: “We see it as our patriotic jerky duty to improve the state of the jerky nation”.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Angus Beef, Tamri (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Wheat, Alcohol, Glucose), Worcestershire Sauce (Distilled White Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Water, Salt, Onions, Anchovies, Garlic, Cloves, Tamarind Extract, Natural Flavorings, Chili Pepper Extract), Honey, Spices. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
100% certified American-raised Angus beef is used in this jerky. It has been confirmed that the cattle have quite a bit of free range access to graze on grass, and roam about. As another bonus, the cattle used are ethically raised. There are no growth hormones given, and no antibiotics administered either.
The liquid marinade is comprised of a decent tamri soy sauce, a good Worcestershire sauce brand, and healthy honey.
While the nutrition facts are not readily available, we are assured that the sugar level is low. The taste of this jerky attests to that. Also, the salt level is at a reasonable level.
The only preservative used here is salt. That qualifies this jerky to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These are large strips that are sliced thin. The texture is surprisingly dry, but still relatively easy to chew because they are sliced thin. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first tastes detected are a medium soy flavor, combined with a high quality Worcestershire sauce flavor. Together, they do sort of combine to create a great red wine type of flavor with the noticeable taste of vinegar. As advertised, there is a great mild spiciness to this flavor. One a heat scale of 1 to 4, it’s a one or two, depending on your tolerance for heat.
For a teriyaki based flavor, this flavor is not too sweet. The taste of honey is not very noticeable. With the absence of a sweet flavor, the great natural flavor from the angus beef stands out more. Missing from this teriyaki based flavor is an Asian flair, perhaps using an ingredient such as ginger.
This 3.05 ounce/86.4 gram bag sells online for $8.00. That equates to $2.62 an ounce, which rates as a moderately expensive price. This jerky is a great buy for people who enjoy the taste combination of soy sauce/Worcestershire sauce, along with a noticeable spiciness as a great touch.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag is a bit narrower than most, where the contents appear quite full. There are professional labels affixed to both the front and back of this bag.
The Van Cleave Dry Goods logo is the initials ‘V.C.’ in what may be conceived as a wagon wheel. Their slogan is “Superior Quality. Superior Flavor”. There are several facts printed on this bag such as “No Nitrites”, “High Protein”, “Made in the USA”, and “Genuine Craft Jerky”.
There are some missing bag categories such as no nutrition facts table, no bar code, no hole at the top of the bag to hang on hooks, a missing soy allergen alert, and no USDA inspected stamp. In fairness, these are not requirements for Van Cleave Dry Goods. At this time, they do not sell wholesale yet.
The back of the bag has two world class blurbs about Van Cleave Dry Goods, and this t-bucket flavor. Also, to their credit, an email address is provided for customer inquiries or feedback, which is actually encouraged.
Order their jerky online: www.vcdrygoods.com
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