BACON REVUE (SCOTTS HAMS)

Welcome to the Bacon Revue. We will be entertained by a 15 time National Champion Scotts Hams. They won these awards for their hams. We will be reviewing the bacon of course. Scotts claim to make a wholesome product and not use any MSG, Nitrites, and or Nitrates. They are a small family run business located in Greenville Kentucky. The bacon has been rubbed with a special cure of salt and brown sugar. It is then smoked slowly with hickory chips. I found this company through a fellow bacon enthusiast, Heather, from 'Bacon Unwrapped'.

I read about Scotts and had to give it a try. I ordered a slab online. A slight detail about the order grabbed my attention. Scotts claim that the bacon can be shipped without refrigeration. It does not have to be refrigerated until you receive your order. This seemed a little odd to me, but what the heck. It took 7 days by UPS to receive the order. It arrived in a thick card board box. I opened it right away. It smelled beautiful. It smelled like an old time smoke house from Kentucky. Their was no green fuzz or mushrooms growing from the slabs. I stuck it into the refrigerator for my piece of mind.

The next step was to taste this 'Bluegrass State' smokehouse slab. We organized a bacon tasting party for Friday. We invited the Reverend Biggles to attend. We promised him Kentucky bourbon and 4 different styles of bacon. He showed up with his camera and thirst for all things smoked. We did not have any bourbon so he settled for a Bud. We fried all the bacon's in a cast iron skillets until crispy. The first bacon we tried was Scotts.

The first thing that hits your palate when tasting Scotts Country Bacon is SALT. It is like biting into a salt lick. Biggles claimed it had an iodized salt taste. Ms. Goofy went straight to the water trough. Yes, it was salty. When you got past the initial shock, an 'Old Country Ham' flavor came through. It is a flavor us City folk are just not used to. It was chewy. Biggles proclaimed the texture was just wrong. Ms. Goofy just drank water. This bacon was not a bacon for the weak. It was a flavor and texture that people from California are not used to. I am going to award Scotts Bacon, two and one half stars.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Cost: 30 dollars 8 pound slab

Where: Scotts Country Hams

1301 Scott Rd.

Greenville, Ky. 42345

1-800 318-1353