Sweet Science - Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond

Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond - Amaretto-Cinnamon Ice Cream with Rhubarb Compote and Almond Pieces

We continue the exploration of ice cream brands local to my hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota.  Today is the Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond flavor of the Sweet Science brand which was started by Ashlee Olds on the East Side in 2011.  Ashlee is the daughter of local hockey legend Wally Olds and is also the great-great granddaughter of Ransom E. Olds the inventor of the Oldsmobile.  The Sweet Science brand started off small and focused on participating in tasting events and sourcing a few coffee shops for the first couple of years.  Since then, it has grown and is now available in pints in many local markets.  I found my pint at Whole Foods.

I am intrigued by the inclusion of rhubarb in this particular flavor.  Growing up, we had a rhubarb plant in the back yard.  Rhubarb is a very hardy perennial, so it basically showed up in the corner by the garage every year without any effort from us.  Every other year or so, we'd decide to bake something with it.  It was always a challenge because although rhubarb is very flavorful, it is also incredibly tart.

Removing the lid shows the beige color of the amaretto-cinnamon base as well as well as a smattering of the rhubarb and almond mix-ins intentionally placed on the very top.  In the base ice cream, I could taste the cinnamon but I did not specifically notice the amaretto.  Since amaretto is almond-based it could be that its flavor mixed in with the almond mix-ins.  I did enjoy the cinnamon flavoring, though.  The rhubarb swirl was thick, syrupy and quite tart.  It would be too much to eat just the swirl by itself but it worked well when balanced against the base ice cream.  The almond mix-ins are in the form of almond slices.  I think this is the first time I've seen thin almond slices used as a mix-in.  They were quite tasty and provided my teeth with something to crunch on from to time.

I enjoyed this flavor.  Rhubarb is a strong and tart flavor, but I think it did a good job of balancing it so that it was enjoyable.  If you like rhubarb-flavored desserts then you'll have to try this.