Van Leeuwen - Chocolate Fudge Brownie

Chocolate Fudge Brownie - Chocolate Ice Cream with Fudge Brownies

Today's flavor is from the Brooklyn-based Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.  Since I have not been able to get hand-packed pints at scoop shops lately, I am glad to have found that Kowalski's on Grand carries several flavors of this brand.  Today's flavor is Chocolate Fudge Brownie, the classic chocolate-in-chocolate flavor made famous by Ben & Jerry's in the 1980s and now almost every brand implements a version of this flavor.

Removing the lid, I see the chocolate base has bulged a bit on top.  It looks thick.  There is a note on the carton saying that they get their chocolate from Michel Cluizel company which has been making chocolate in Normandy, France since 1948.  Since Van Leeuwen makes "French-style" ice cream (i.e. extra egg yolks), it makes sense that they would use a French chocolatier.  Digging in, the chocolate base has a similar texture to the other Van Leeuwen bases.  Thick and dense, yet easy to scoop.  I believe that is the effect of the extra egg yolks.  The chocolate flavor is quite good.  It has a gourmet chocolate bar taste to it as opposed to the 'frozen hot chocolate' flavor that some chocolate bases have.  The brownie mix-ins are quite soft, my spoon scoops right through them.  They feel a bit like chewy swirls in this pint.  It is all quite chocolatey.

I enjoyed this pint.  Chocolate ice cream with fudge brownies is a common and winning combination.  This particular implementation is quite well done.  That said, this particular flavor is so straightforward that it does not stick out compared to how every other brand does it.  But it's certainly a good pint to try if you are liking Van Leeuwen's French-style pints and are in the mood for a double dose of chocolate.