Graeter's - Madagascar Vanilla Bean

Madagascar Vanilla Bean - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Today I return to the Cincinnati-based Graeter's Ice Cream for their Madagascar Vanilla Bean flavor.  It is the sixth and final flavor from my recent online shipment from Graeter's.  Although I bought this online, you can also find this at local grocery stores.  I have definitely seen this flavor at Whole Foods.  Kowalski's and Oxendales also stock Graeter's and since this is such a basic flavor you might be able to find it there as well.  I have mentioned this in previous reviews, but "Madagascar" Vanilla is the most common type of natural vanilla.  The vanilla flower is indigenous to Mexico, but its production thrives now in the islands off the coast of southeast Africa (Madagascar and Réunion/Bourbon).  Let's check this out!

Removing the lid, the base ice cream has the expected white coloring to it and I can see a handful of the bean specks immersed within it -- visually very good looking.  Digging in, the vanilla flavor is good.  I like the texture as well.  Not much else to say about it.  I was easily able to finish it in one sitting.

This is a solid implementation of a vanilla bean flavor from Graeter's.  Since vanilla is such a basic flavor, it is hard for me to rank it against other brands without a direct side-by-side tasting but this is quite good.  Graeter's is usually a reasonably priced mid-premium brand (~$5/pint) so if you feel like splurging and not using a budget brand to accompany your next slice of pie, this is a decent suggestion.

One final point, whenever I do a review of a vanilla pint, it often means that I am completing my survey of a particular brand and that is the case here!  This shipment included both of their sorbets (raspberry and lemon) and now their vanilla, so I have now completed a survey of their standard menu of flavors.  I always have a bittersweet feeling for me when this happens.  I do feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, but I also know that online shipments require six pints so going forward it is going to get a lot harder to fill out my order with flavors that I have had before.  Graeter's still comes out with new and/or limited-batch releases, but not usually six of them at a time.  I do love Graeter's, if three or four new flavors come out I might be tempted to order from them and pad the order with a couple of pints of Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip to give away to family members and friends.