Bacon Jerky…?
I learned two things: 1) There’s a real Jack Link. 2) Bacon jerky tastes a lot like bacon.
Did you know there’s a real Jack Link? I always thought the “links” was related to sausage links or something like that, since the company is meat-focused.
Jack Link (yep he’s real) and his family have been crafting jerky for over 100 years. Born in the Northwoods of Wisconsin…
You get the idea. But it’s still a family-owned-and-operated business, and still based out of Wisconsin! In addition to not thinking Jack Link was a real person, I assumed they were owned by some giant meat company. They are not!
I am a fan of jerky so when I saw “bacon jerky” for the first time, I had trouble resisting it. I’m not sure I’ll let that happen again.
First, isn’t bacon jerky just bacon? I think so. It’s smoked and cooked, so in that sense it’s different than what I’d get from the breakfast meats at the grocery store. But it’s not marinated like most jerky so, to me, bacon jerky sounds like it’s just pre-cooked bacon.
How Does It Taste?
It tastes like non-crispy bacon. That’s about it. It was smokey and salty, like bacon should be. But it was also greasy, which could help moisturize your hands but otherwise isn’t a great feeling when eating jerky. It wasn’t super fatty yet still soft and chewy in spots. I know this sounds negative, and it is but not because this tasted bad. It’s bacon and even bad bacon is still good. But I just don’t see the point.
Appearance and Expectations
What they show on the front of the bag is basically what you get. I didn’t really have any surprises other than it was pretty floppy, non-crispy bacon. I was hoping for something a little stiffer, sorta like you get with regular jerky. And did I mention it’s greasy? That was a little uncomfortable. Also, I’m reminded now that the package says “thick cut,” and I would disagree with that description. Or I guess I’d like to see what “thin cut” is because this seemed pretty thin to me and I’m not sure you could get much thinner.
Overall Opinion
Let me start more positive. It’s bacon! Bacon is good. This isn’t bad. But with so much delicious jerky and biltong to choose from I’m not sure why you’d ever choose greasy, limp bacon jerky instead.
Rating
It’s bacon so it’s not bad, but it’s definitely not great. If it were crispier, it would probably get an extra Adam Heart Eyes.