Harley-Davidson Beef Jerky came out last year through a lot of press attention. I've had it before, and decided to write this review a...
Harley-Davidson Beef Jerky came out last year through a lot of press attention. I've had it before, and decided to write this review after my wife mistakenly bought more bags of it, thinking I actually liked it.As if you really care, anyways.
The short review: It sucks.
The long review...
I eat a lot of beef jerky; it's my blogging fuel of choice, and I've sampled countless brands and flavors. Harley Davidson Beef Jerky just happens to fall below average. It's not the worst I've had, but it ranks low on my scale.
Now, beef jerky is supposed to be dry. But these days, there are so many varieties which retain a nice level of moisture making them more flavorful and chewy. Harley jerky is dry, perhaps more reminiscent of the "old technology".
And of course, it's not very chewy. Rather, pieces break off fairly easily when you bite down on them and pull. I guess if it's designed for motorcycle riders, it might suggest that this stuff eats more quickly. But I doubt it was designed for that.
This stuff is also a tad too salty. Highly salty beef jerky is usually a sign of low-grade beef. In fact, I don't taste much beef. I taste more of the flavoring than anything else. As a connoiseur of beef jerky, I like to taste the subtle hints of origin and age...
"Mmmmm, 2005, that was a good year for beef" "I can taste the corn and the alfalfa". "Mmmmm, 2005, that was a good year for alfalfa".The other thing that annoys me with Harley Jerky is that they made the bag smaller than standard sized bags. When you stick your hand into the bag, you can barely get your hand in. I suppose the smaller chassis gives this jerky a better power-to-weight ratio.
Harley Davidson Beef Jerky is made by ConAgra Foods, Inc., which also makes the Pemmican brand of jerky. Pemmican happens to be another brand that ranks very low my beef jerky scale. In fact, Harley jerky tastes very much like Pemmican. It's probably no doubt both utilize the same recipe.
Want some good beef jerky that reasonably priced? Try "Alien Fresh Jerky". Everytime we head up to Vegas, we always stop in Baker to get some Alien jerky. My favorite flavor, "Sweet & Spicy". They use beef brisket, and it's really tender and sticky. Finger-licking good.
