Häagen-Dazs - Whiskey Hazelnut Latte

Whiskey Hazelnut Latte - Coffee Whiskey Ice Cream with a Hazelnut Fudge Swirl and Chocolate Espresso Flakes

Häagen-Dazs has a pair of new flavors for their Spirits Collection for this year.  I was able to find one of them at Cub Foods in the Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul so I eagerly scooped it up and took it home.  Tonight is the night that I check it out.  The base here listed as "coffee whiskey" while the mix-ins are a hazelnut fudge (that is Nutella-like) swirl and then some chocolate espresso flakes.  This actually sounds quite a bit like one of the other spirts flavors: Irish Cream Brownie.  What is the difference between "irish cream" and "coffee whiskey (ice) cream"?  I guess there is nothing wrong with having two flavors based on similar liqueurs (there are two 'bourbon' flavors in the collection here and here) but I find it interesting that they describe them so differently.  I guess the picture on the side of the carton shows a straight whiskey where the Irish Cream Brownie picture shows a creamed liqueur, but the whiskey is getting blended with milk and cream for the ice cream.  Anyhow, I think I am belaboring a trivial point.  The mix-ins are different.  Here a fudge swirl and espresso flakes are used instead of brownies. 

Enough chatter, let's get on to the ice cream!  Opening the pint and peeling back the label, the base has a creamy flavor a little more cocoa colored than coffee colored and I can see the fudge swirl and a few of the chocolate flakes right away.  Digging in, I taste the whiskey flavor right away.  I do taste some coffee flavor, but mainly my mouth gets flooded with the smell of whiskey.  These Spirits Collection pints do such a great job of capturing the aromatic effect of the liquors used without any burning sensation.  Also, the ice cream maintains its usual consistency -- alcohol can lower the freezing point which can result in a gooey pint.  So, all the flavor without the 'booziness'.  I approve.  The fudge swirl is delicious.  The flakes are crunchy and chocolatey and I can taste a bit of coffee in there as well.

This is a really good spirits pint from Häagen-Dazs.  One of my favorites of the series.  The aromaticity really comes through and accentuates all the chocolate mix-ins.  My opinion is that this one tops Irish Cream Brownie (but that one wasn't too bad either).  Check it out if you are a chocolate fan and like these Spirits flavors.