Sebastian Joe's - Bananas Foster

Banana's Foster - Banana-Caramel Ice Cream with a Hint of Rum Flavor

Today, we return to the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream for their implementation of a Bananas Foster flavor.  I bought this at the scoop shop in the Lowry Hill neighborhood.  Bananas Foster is a popular dessert invented in New Orleans involving banana, ice cream and a caramelized liqueur sauce (often served flambé).  Several brands have implemented Bananas Foster flavors including Coolhaus (my first banana's foster review so includes more historical discussion of the dessert), Tillamook,  Izzy's, and New Orleans Ice Cream as well as similar flavors from Lick and Jeni's.  Let's see how this flavor from Sebastian Joe's compares.

Removing the lid, the ice cream has a beige color.  It's browner than you'd expect the usual banana base, but lighter than the usual caramel base.  Checking my archives, it is similar in color to their signature flavor Pavarotti which also has a banana/caramel base (plus vanilla).  Digging in, I taste the banana right away and it is delicious.  I can also taste the caramel in the mix.  It is quite delicious.  Unlike other Bananas Foster implementations, though, there is no swirl or mix-ins delivering the caramel -- this is a homogenous  pint with all the flavors blended together.  Bananas Foster usually has a bit of rum in the mix and I think I taste a bit of it.  I'll rum tag because it's probably in there, but this is mainly a banana caramel blend.

I liked this pint.  It is basically a banana-caramel blend with perhaps a smidge of rum.  This is a very agreeable flavor combination. That said, I did not like this flavor as much as other Bananas Foster implementations because the flavors were fully blended together.  I remember thinking something similar with Sweet Science's Ashlee's Birthday Celebration flavor a couple of months ago.  That was also banana and caramel (and also coconut) and was also fully blended.  This could be a personal preference on my part.  I think I prefer a caramel swirl.  Also, this Sebastian Joe's flavor is quite close to Pavarotti without the chocolate chips.  Perhaps I am being too picky here -- it's still a very agreeable flavor -- but it is also quite close to flavors I like a bit better.