Ample Hills - Butter Pecan Brittle

Butter Pecan Brittle - Dark Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Pieces of Housemade Pecan Brittle

The third pint from my recent Ample Hills shipment is one from their standard line.  It is called Butter Pecan Brittle.  In previous reviews, I have mentioned that Butter Pecan is one of the most popular flavors of ice cream in the United States (after chocolate and vanilla).  Some brands like to implement a straight butter pecan, while others like to throw in a twist.  Ample Hills has gone with the twist here.  A pecan brittle is used as the mix-in while brown sugar is added to the base.  Let's check it out!

Opening the pint, the brown sugar base has the expected caramel color, but the first thing I notice is the mix-ins.  The brittle has melted a bit.  This is actually quite common.  Something about being immersed in ice cream causes it to soften.  Sometimes it even goes so far as to dissolve into the surrounding base, but here it form little syrupy pools of liquid that surround the pecan pieces.  The effect is actually quite good.  Digging in, the base is quite different from the brown sugar base of their Nonna's Oatmeal Lace flavor.  The base here is less sweet and aromatic and has a strong molasses flavor.  The syrupy pecan mix-ins go well with the base.

I enjoyed this pint.  At first, I was going to write that this is an interesting twist on butter pecan, but I think it is so much of a twist that people should not expect a butter pecan-like ice cream.  I think 'molasses praline' would be a better description as the base has a strong molasses flavor and the pecans are coated with a sweet candy-like syrup.  An interesting flavor.