Izzy's - Dessa's Existential Crunch

Dessa Existential Crunch - Dark Brown Sugar and Creme Fraiche ice cream, flavored with Jameson Irish Whiskey and Disaronno Originale amaretto mixed with Praline Pecan pieces and a crunchy cashew brittle

For the last pint of 2016, I decided to stick with Izzy's for their Dessa's Existential Crunch flavor.  Izzy's created this flavor last month for a rooftop social in which the Minneapolis-born hip hop artist Dessa was performing.  Dessa herself helped in designing the flavor by providing Izzy with a list of her favorite types of snacks.  The name of the flavor reminds me of Dexy's Midnight Runners but listening to some of Dessa's songs on youtube, it doesn't sound anything like that.  The flavor itself has a large number of ingredients, a brown sugar base with two liqueurs added and with both praline pecans and cashew brittle mixed in.  It will be interesting to see how it all goes together.

Opening the pint reveals the light color of the brown sugar and creme fraiche base with plenty of the nutty mix-ins visible right away.  Eating my way into the pint, the base ice cream is delicious.  Brown sugar always makes for a good base flavor and creme fraiche in the mix just acts to make sure that it is not too strong.  The irish whiskey and amaretto are not really that distinctly noticeable but they do add a bit of complexity and some sweetness to the brown sugar flavor.  Amaretto is also an almond-based liqueur so that flavor might also blend in with the nut-based mix-ins.  Those nutty mix-ins are dispersed generously through the pint in small pieces and provide crunchy texture as well as candied nut flavor.  As with the liqueurs in the base, the nuts blended fairly well together and blended into the pint as well.  The result mixture was quite good even if I couldn't always make out all of the individual ingredients.  If you have a more sensitive palate than mine, you could challenge yourself to try and taste each ingredient instead of just enjoying the blend as I did.

All in all, a very successful pint.  For those that like brown sugar and nut flavors, then give this a try.

  

Izzy's - Irish Moxie

Irish Moxie - Coffee Ice Cream made with Jamison Irish Whiskey with a mix of Oreo cookies and Heath Bar Pieces

I decided to stick with Izzy's for the duration of my holiday trip to Minnesota.  The next flavor is called Irish Moxie which is a flavor which mixes coffee and irish whiskey -- an ice cream version of an Irish Coffee.  Oreos and Heath Bars are added to this base as mix-ins.  It looks like an interesting combination.  I am 25% Irish, but do I have the moxie to enjoy this flavor?  (groan)

Removing the lid shows the beige color of the coffee/whiskey base.  The color matches those of previous coffee bases.  Plenty of chocolate-colored mix-ins are visible right away on top.  Digging into the pint, the coffee flavor is visible right away but it is a sweeter flavor than previous flavors.  That seems to be the effect of the Jamison Irish Whiskey.  Other whiskey flavors tended provide a kick with a slight burn in the back of the throat but in this pint it makes the coffee taste sweeter.  The Oreo and Heath Bar pieces are dispersed generously throughout the pint and provide the expected amount of chocolate flavor and crunch.  As mentioned in previous reviews, chocolate complements coffee very well.

I really enjoyed this pint.  If you're a fan of Irish Coffee or if you're interested in a coffee flavor which is also sweet then you should give this flavor a try.
  

  

Izzy's - Maple Nut

Maple Nut - Maple Syrup Ice Cream with Salty Walnuts

I am in Minnesota for the holidays so I am again sampling the local brands of ice cream.  Izzy's Ice Cream is a Saint Paul institution so I had to check their first.  I found a pint of Maple Nut and decided to give it a try as I have not reviewed too many maple-syrup based flavors in the past.

Removing the lid shows a light creamy color to the base.  Maple syrup does not evidently add too much of its own color into the mix.  The worry with a maple syrup base is that its flavor won't stick out either but digging in, I could taste it.  It was not too strong and checking the ingredient list on the side of the carton confirms that there is also some vanilla in the mix as well, but a distinct maple flavor was in there.  Dispersed throughout the pint were the walnut mix-ins.  The walnuts had their skins still on and much of the unique flavor of the walnut is in the skins.  Often the walnut skins are too bitter, but here there appeared to be some maple syrup mixed in.  It was a good combination.

I enjoyed this pint.  It was simple, basic and well done but the walnut skins added just enough flavor to prevent the pint from being boring.   I think this would be a good fall flavor, so perhaps I am eating it a couple of months too late in the year than I should be but I still enjoyed it. 

  

Jeni's - Xocorosa

Xocorosa - Tongue-tingling chocolate with jalapeño and smoked paprika. Spiked with rose.

The holidays are upon us, so I felt like trying a holiday flavor.  Shopping at Whole Foods, I found this particular pint from the Columbus-based Jeni's brand.  It is called Xocorosa.  The flavor was designed in collaboration with the Stone Brewing Company to be served alongside a pint of the Stone Xocoveza Winter-Spiced Mocha Stout.  So, a holiday ice cream designed to go with a holiday beer.  I debated whether or not I should track down a pint of the beer to eat with the ice cream and decided against it.  I didn't want the beer to numb my taste buds and a pint is a lot to have in one sitting already.  I'm looking forward to giving this flavor a try though, so let's dig in!

Removing the lid reveals a very dark chocolate base.  Digging into the pint, the chocolate flavor was quite strong and was delicious.  I could taste the spices right away but they were not as strong as the chocolate.  The spices were a flavorful complement to the chocolate rather than a providing a strong kick.  I could actually taste the rose!  It was an aromatic sensation which did not mix with the other flavors but it was there in the background.  It was very interesting.  Flowery accents like lavenders and roses are fun and should be more common.  I'm actually glad that I skipped the beer as I don't know if I'd have been able to notice the flowery undertones of this pint if I was sipping stout in between my spoonfuls.

Another successful pint from Jeni's.  If you want a spicy chocolate ice cream with a lot of kick, then I think you go with Steve's Mexican Chili Chocolate flavor but this pint from Jeni's is a much more subtle and intelligent mix.  Jeni's is a premium brand and you do get your money's worth here.  So, if you'd like to try an interesting twist on a strong chocolate pint, then give this flavor a try.

  

Graeter's - Double Chocolate Chip

Double Chocolate Chip - Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

We return to the Cincinnati-based Graeter's brand this week for their Double Chocolate Chip flavor.  As mentioned in previous reviews, Graeters is the century-old company which uses the old "french pot" process.  One innovation they've added onto that is how they do their chocolate chip mix-ins.  They pour the chocolate into the spinning pot while it is still melted and then break up the pieces as it hardens in the mix.  It makes for rather large and chewy chips.  I'm getting excited just typing that.  On to the ice cream!

Removing the lid shows a medium brown color to the chocolate base.  It is not a dark chocolate by any means.  Digging in, the chocolate base is thick and flavorful but not too strong but right away I start encountering the chocolate chips.  These chips are excellent!   They are variable in size, the larger ones take up almost a full spoonful.  They're soft and chewy somehow not too chocolatey.   As much chocolate as their is in this pint, none of it seemed too strong so I never felt like I was getting a chocolate overdose.

This is another successful 'chip' pint from Graeter's.  With the chocolate base, this is the Graeter's pint for chocolate lovers.
 

  

Tillamook - Double Peanut Butter

Double Peanut Butter - Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Sauce topped with Salted Peanuts

Shopping at my local grocery store, I saw a Tillamook flavor that I hadn't seen before so I decided to give it a try.  This is the Double Peanut Butter flavor which is a peanut butter base with peanut butter and peanut mix-ins.  Should be a good one for people who like peanut butter.

Removing the lid, I see that Tillamook has covered the top of the pint with the peanut mix-ins.   I've seen this in previous reviews as well.  Once you get past the top layer than the base ice cream is free of mix-ins for a while.  About halfway down, there is another layer of peanut butter and peanuts.  The base ice cream was delicious.  The peanut butter flavor in the base is noticeable but not too strong.  Like other Tillamook bases, it is thick and creamy but not heavy.  I liked it.  The layers of mix-ins look beautiful and they tasted good as well but I must admit that I like my mix-ins blended or swirled in a bit more.

So, a tasty peanut butter centric pint.  I'll leave it up to the reader to decide how they feel about the layered mix-ins.  If you don't mind that and you're a peanut butter lover, then give this one a whirl.   One unique aspect here is that there's chocolate in the mix.  Other peanut butter-centric flavors tend to have at least a little bit of chocolate.  Checking my archives, I could only find the Peanut Buttuh flavor which as a 'core' flavor is also not fully mixed.

  

Ben & Jerry's - Confetti Cake

Confetti Cake - Vanilla Cake Batter Ice Cream with Sprinkles, Cake Pieces & Vanilla Frosting Swirls

A new Ben & Jerry's flavor!  They've cycled their exclusive flavor with Walmart retiring the Pecan Sticky Buns flavor in exchange for a new cake-based flavor called Confetti Cake.  Long time readers will know that Ben & Jerry's is the brand that started it all for me.  It's been a while since there has been a new flavor and it is nice to come 'home'.

Opening the pint shows the light color of the vanilla base with a few small cake pieces visible right away and some purple sprinkles also in view.  Digging in, its a relatively sweet pint as the frosting swirls are blended into the base ice cream.  They were blended together pretty well, it was hard to tell them apart most of the time.  The cake pieces were of decent size and were generously dispersed throughout the pint.  They were soft and cakey despite being frozen and immersed in ice cream.  The sprinkles added some additional doses of concentrated sweetness but otherwise their impact was mainly visual.  

All in all, it was another successful cake flavor.  If you have a sweet tooth and like a cake-based flavor then this is a good pint for you.  It was similar to the Cake My Day limited batch flavor from last year.  Cake My Day had a raspberry swirl instead of sprinkles.  I guess which one you would like better depends on how much you like raspberry -- some people have strong opinions on raspberry.  If you liked the raspberry there, you might miss not having it here, but if raspberry is not your thing you may look forward to a cake-based flavor without it.  It is interesting that these cake-based flavors are common in these limited batch flavors.  I wonder if they're experimenting with the right mix before they promote one to full time. 

  

Ample Hills - Snap, Mallow, Pop!

Snap, Mallow, Pop! - Marshmallow Ice Cream with Buttery Rice Krispie Clusters

It is my last day in New York, so I thought I'd sneak in one last pint of ice cream.  I've had so much success with Ample Hills this trip that I figured I'd go with them again to make it a clean sweep.  This time, its the Snap, Mallow Pop! flavor which is their implementation of Rice Krispie Bars in ice cream format.  Rice Krispie Bars were a regular treat when I was a kid so I am very much looking forward to this flavor.

Removing the lid shows a very textured pint of ice cream.  The rice krispie clusters are everywhere.  Eating my way in, the clusters are crunchy of course, they seem a bit toasted compared to rice krispie bars but it does not affect the flavor.  The marshmallow base is thick, and connects the clusters as you'd expect -- it really does taste like a rice krispie bar.  As I ate my way down, I started to notice a mild buttery flavor mixed in.  It did not hit me right away, it was something that built up over the course of the pint.

I really enjoyed this pint.  Another successful Ample Hills flavor!  If you're in the New York area and like bold flavors with a lot of mix-ins then check out this brand.  They always seem to know how to load a pint filled with interesting ingredients yet still get the mix right.  I'm already looking forward to my next trip to New York so that I can try more flavors.

 

Ample Hills - Autumn in New York

Autumn in New York - Apple cider sorbet made with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and amaretto liqueur

It is autumn and I am in New York, so when I saw that Ample Hills had a seasonal flavor called "Autumn in New York", I figured I had to try it while I was here.  The flavor is based on a spiked and spiced apple cider.  It is a sorbet an not an ice cream, which means there are no dairy products in the mix.  This is a different flavor mix for me, so I am curious to try it out.  The pint I got was missing the flavor sticker on the front, so I included an extra photo of the lid below.

Removing that lid shows a solid beige color of the apple cider sorbet.  As I scoop into it, it is a bit icy like a sorbet but there is a thickness to it which reminded me of what frozen applesauce might be like.  The first thing that hits you is the amaretto liqueur.  It provides quite a noticeable kick.  Once your mouth gets used to that there is plenty of apple flavor.  The spices are relatively mild, noticeable but no kick like what was provided to by the liqueur.  It was tasty.  Tasted like a good glass of apple cider.  It was very thick and the flavor was fairly concentrated, so it was a lot to eat the entire pint in one sitting.  This is not a knock on the quality of the pint, it's just one of those flavors that is best eaten in one or two scoop serving sizes.

So, an interesting seasonal flavor from Ample Hills.  If you are a fan of apple cider, I'd still recommend you get this despite my note about about serving sizes above.  Apple cider is best enjoyed with friends anyways.

Ample Hills - They Scoop Gilmores, Don't They?

They Scoop Gilmores, Don't They? - Coffee (of course) chocolate pudding ice cream (because Emily is trying after all) but oy, with the snickerdoodles already-- topped with pink [Pop Tart] sprinkles.

The pop culture event this holiday weekend is the Gilmore Girls "revival" on Netflix.  It turns out that the Brooklyn-based Ample Hills creamery has a limited batch flavor to honor this occasion.  To be honest, I never watched Gilmore Girls during its original run -- I may have caught part of an episode once or twice -- but years later I'm surprised at how much of a cult following it has.  Although I was not part of the cult, I appreciate watching others getting excited about things, so I am happy to join in at least for the ice cream part.  This does look like an interesting flavor.  A coffee-chocolate pudding base with snickerdoodle cookie and pop-tart sprinkle mix-ins.  Evidently, Gilmore Girl aficionados know the episode being referenced by every ingredient, which is fun.  Anyhow, I am anxious to dig in.

Removing the lid shows the dark brown color of the coffee-chocolate base with some cookie pieces visible and some red sprinkles also visible on the top.  Eating my way into the pint, the base is very thick and creamy.  I can really tell that it is a pudding base and not just flavored ice cream.  The chocolate flavor is fairly rich and I did notice some coffee in the mix but nothing overwhelmingly strong.  As mentioned in previous reviews, coffee and chocolate have similar active ingredients so they naturally go well together.  The snickerdoodle mix-ins were dispersed randomly through the pint.  They were soft and chewy and provided an occasional cinnamon-laced respite from the chocolatey base.  The sprinkles provided a mostly visual accent -- you could see specks of red in the chocolate from time to time but I did occasionally get a sugary kick from biting into one.

I did enjoy this flavor quite a bit.  Even if you are not a Gilmore Girls fan, a thick chocolatey pint is good eating while binge-watching whatever your favorite TV show happens to be.  But, if you happen to be a fan, then you'll no doubt appreciate the references as well.

Ample Hills - Salted Crack Caramel

Salted Crack Caramel - Salted butter caramel base with Deb's Famous Crack Cookies: salted crackers coated with butter, sugar and chocolate

I am back in New York for the Thanksgiving holiday.  That means, more New York ice cream!  One of my favorites from my previous trip was the Brooklyn-based Ample Hills so I decided to start with them for my first pint.  The Salted Crack Caramel flavor is one of their signature flavors so I figured I would give it a while.  I am curious to see what the "crack cookie" mix-in is like.  There is actually a recipe for it online.  It's saltine crackers cookied in butter with a chocolate coating.  Sounds interesting, but might be too salty?  We'll see.

Opening the pint shows the tan color of the salted caramel base.  It's fairly soft and almost melted.  That could have been the way it was stored?  Anyhow, that didn't end up affecting the flavor so I'll just note that and move on.  Eating my way into the pint, the salted caramel tasted a bit like a Sugar Daddy or a Slo Poke which makes sense as those are caramel candies.  You notice the salt in the mix, but not enough so as to make you thirsty.  Then there are those crack cookies that I was curious about and are visible in a picture below.  These are small square wafers with chocolate on one side the saltines and butter formed a soft and mushy layer on the other.  The soft side was able to blend well with the caramel base and the chocolate side provided a lot of chocolate flavor.  These mix-ins were fun to eat.  They had a snacky feel similar to that of Chubby Hubby but somehow did not add too much additional salt into the mix.  Indeed, like an addictive snack food, I found myself accelerating my eating as I worked my way to the bottom of the pint and was quite disappointed when I got to the end.  No more.  Sad!

This was a much more successful pint than I expected.  I'm not generally a junkie for salted caramel or snack-food mix-ins but this was a well-done combination which was flavorful, crunchy yet was not too dry and did not overdo it on the salt.  I'm not sure who the Deb of Deb's Famous Crack Cookies is, but she deserves to be more famous.  Anyhow, if you're in New York and like salty snacks, give this flavor a try.

McConnell's - Cardamom & Gingersnaps

Cardamom & Gingersnaps - Cardamom flavored Ice Cream with "Pepparkakor" Gingersnap cookie pieces

Right back to McConnell's for another holiday-themed pint, Cardamom & Gingersnaps.  I had been having trouble finding this flavor.  I ended up finding it the same day I picked up their Egg Nog flavor.  Technically, this flavor is available year-round but it is part of their "holiday pack" of four pints available for shipping along with the aforementioned Egg Nog, Pumpkin Pie, and Peppermint Stick flavors.  With today's write-up, I will have reviewed all four.

The romance copy on the back of the pint is a fun read.  My family background is mostly Scandinavian.  I'm am 50% Norwegian and 25% Swedish (the remaining 25% is Irish).  Funny that its only been in the last couple of years that I've known about the cardamon connection in Scandanavian desserts.  So, although my background doesn't give me extra insight, it does motivate me to try to appreciate it.  My only previous foray into a cardamom flavor had more of a Indian feel to it, so it'll be fun to try a Swedish take on the spice.

Opening the pint shows a beige color to the base ice cream and several small specks of cookie pieces are available right away.  Digging in, the aromatic flavor of cardamom hit me right away.  Its funny, in some respects cardamom doesn't specifically taste like much but its a feeling in the nose that hits you.  I think that's what makes it a good complementary spice.  It does not directly compete with the other flavors.  The other flavor here are the chunks of Swedish-style "Pepparkakor" ginger cookies.  These cookies were spicy and flavorful.  They were also soft.  The gingersnaps I had as a kid were hard and crunchy unless dipped in milk.  Here, the cookies are effectively "dipped" in ice cream, so I'm glad they were soft.

This is a new and successful flavor combination for me.  I enjoyed this pint.  There could have been more cookie pieces, but that's a minor complaint.  If you're in the mood for some Swedish or you just like cardamom and ginger then go ahead and give this a try.