Tried Heartbrand beef ...

To me, Heartbrand wasn't even in the same realm as Flannery. I picked up a strip and a ribeye at a local supermarket, which gets Heartbrand (located not too far from Houston). There was nice marbling, and the flavor was good, but there clearly wasn't aging. The marbling perhaps was more than what's on Bryan's usual Midwestern prime. But in the flavor department? Well, it's like having Carlos Delgado batting cleanup for you in his prime with the Flannery, compared to letting Paul Lo Duca drop into the spot like the Nationals did a few times last year. Yeah. To be honest, given the insane tariff on the Heartbrand, I would rather stick to Costco Prime or my faithful Pete's here in town (about $17 a pound) ... just wasn't worth it, particularly considering that Heartbrand costs more than Flannery!