Van Leeuwen - Earl Grey Tea

Van Leeuwen - Earl Grey Tea - Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream

Today we return to the Brooklyn-based Van Leuewen Ice Cream for their implementation of an Earl Grey Tea flavor.  I got this pint at the Kowalski's on Grand Avenue.  I have had Earl-Grey-based flavors twice before --   once from McConnell's (with shortbread cookie mix-ins) and once from Sweet Science (with white chocolate stracciatella mix-ins).  Here there are no mix-ins.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, I see a very clean looking top of the pint.  It is a very light beige color.  Digging in, it is unexpectedly bright and tasty.  I can really taste the bergamot orange flavor!  Eating further down, the ice cream has a nice smooth texture.  Van Leeuwen implements a "French-style" which means that they use extra egg-yolks that give it a custardy texture.  This is a homogenous pint with no mix-ins.

I really liked this flavor.  It is very bright and delicious which quite a bit of tasty bergamot flavor yet I can really taste the tea in there as well.  This is my new favorite Earl Grey flavor -- although I liked Sweet Science quite a bit as well -- and the fact that there are no mix-ins makes this an ideal reference pint to compare any other Earl Grey flavors that I may try in the future.  Earl Grey Ice Cream may have niche appeal, but if this is your niche then you should check this pint out.