Häagen-Dazs - Vanilla, Tangerine & Shortbread

Vanilla, Tangerine & Shortbread - Vanilla Ice Cream with a Tangerine Swirl and Shortbread Cookie Pieces

It appears that Häagen-Dazs has retired their Artisan line of flavors and in their stead they have introduced what they are calling a "Destination Series".  With these flavors, Häagen-Dazs hopes to transport us somewhere.  One way this differs from the Artisan line is the packaging.  Here, Häagen-Dazs has chosen a design much more similar to their regular flavors with just a red "Destination Series" bar added above the flavor name.  I think this helps maintain the brand recognition for the customer scanning the grocery store freezer case.  Which destination are we being transported to today?  Well, it appears that the Vanilla, Tangerine & Shortbread flavor is supposed to be reminiscent of a tea time snack in the to the United Kingdom.  I knew about the Brit's love of shortbread, but I did not know about the tangerines.  I'll go with it.  For the tangerine swirl, they have employed the help of Rare Bird Preserves.  I'm in the mood for something fruity and tangerines in ice cream is a new one for me, so I'm looking forward to this pint.

Opening the pint shows the the vanilla base with some hints of yellow from the tangerine swirl.  Digging in, the first couple of spoonfuls tasted mostly like vanilla.  Bits of tangerine curd did get into my mouth though and they were flavorful.  The shortbread pieces show up down in the pint as well.  For me, shortbread is not something that provides much by itself.  These were just chewy sections of the pint.  Certainly nothing objectionable about these pieces though.  They just changed up the texture a bit now and then.  As I continued eating my way through the pint, I happily found that the flavor of the tangerine curd got more stronger.  I think it may have taken a while for it to build up on my taste buds.  After a while the tangerine and ice cream mix reminded me a bit of an orange Dreamsicle -- or maybe a Creamsicle, I don't remember the difference.

After a slow start in the first couple of spoonfuls, this turned out to be very successful pint.  Citrus & ice cream are tough to mix but it seems like Häagen-Dazs has figured it out here.  If you like tangerines or oranges in your ice cream, you should check this out.  I'm also looking forward to seeing what else is in store in Häagen-Dazs' Destination Series.