The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B
Duke’s Bourbon Glaze Beef Steak Strips
with Jim Beam
(Credit: Duke’s Smoked Meats)
As a guy who loves whiskey and has a sideline in cooking with whiskey, I always have two fundamental questions when it comes to whiskey and food: can you taste the whiskey, and does the whiskey enhance or improve the flavor? In too many food products, the amount of actual whiskey used is so minimal as to merely be a marketeer’s toehold, so they can advertise truthfully. Take Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce, which is basically just Heinz with a whiskey name.
That is not the case with this Duke’s steak jerky. The addition of some Jim Beam White to the molasses and spices creates the kind of flavor I usually seek in my homemade sauces and marinades. It’s tangy and sweet in tandem, with a dash of smokiness and a pinch of pepper.
You can feel the Beam working on half of that combination, so if you like whiskey food like I do and you like dried meats, this is something you want to try. Folks who want some flavorful protein on the go, like hikers and travelers, should pick some up as well.
