McConnell's - Pineapple Rum and Guava Jam

Pineapple Rum and Guava Jam - Pineapple Rum Ice Cream with a Swirl of Guava Jam

Today, we move on to the second pint in my recent four-pint shipment from the Santa-Barbara-based McConnell's Fine Ice Creams.  This is a seasonal flavor called Pineapple Rum & Guava Jam.  A very interesting flavor combination!  I have had a few pineapple pints before, but none paired with rum.  And believe it or not, this is my first pint which includes guava. 

Guava is a tropical fruit in the myrtle family which is native to Mexico, Central and South America.  It can be eaten by itself, but I often see it blended with other fruits.  It can be a bit confusing because many varieties of guava are actually named after other fruits (e.g. pineapple guava, strawberry or cherry guava, etc.), so I have to check the ingredients to which it is.  Here, it is pineapple and guava -- specifically pineapple and rum in the base and the mix-in is a swirl of guava jam.

On to the ice cream!  Opening the pint, I see the yellowish-white color of the pineapple base and the guava jam swirl forms a near perfect spiral.  I wonder if there is some special tool used to spin the jam into each carton?  Digging in, the pineapple and rum flavors are fully blended.  This is not a bright and fruity pineapple like the Häagen-Dazs Pineapple Coconut flavor.  The rum darkens the flavor quite a bit.  It's not at all boozy, though.  It tastes pretty good.  The guava jam is thick and pasty.  It also has a milder and darker flavor than I expected (I associate guava with bright and fruity drinks).

This is a very interesting pint.  It has all these tropical flavors in it, but it contains darker and richer flavors than I was expecting.  Some of that is due to blending in the rum, but it affected the guava jam as well.  It is still quite delicious though.  This may be a good pint for people who want tropical flavors without it being too sweet.