Sebastian Joe's - Big Bark

Big Bark - White Chocolate Ice Cream with Almond Pieces

Today I return to Sebastian Joe's for their "Big Bark" flavor.  This flavor is a white chocolate ice cream with almond pieces.  I had this pint hand-packed in their Lowry Hill scoop shop.  It appears to be similar to a "Peppermint Bark" flavor that you often see around Christmas time, but with almonds instead of peppermint.  Let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the base ice cream has an off-white cream color and there are lots of small almond pieces visible already.  Digging in, the base is extra thick and creamy.  White chocolate is a neutral flavor on my palate, but when it is the primary ingredient in the base, it does seem to add thickness.  The almond pieces are of variable size.  None so large has a 'half', but lots of different sizes smaller than that.  These provide a lot of crunch in each spoonful.

This is a very enjoyable almond-based pint from Sebastian Joe's.  Lots of crunchy almonds that almond lovers will enjoy.  The white chocolate base accompanies it quite well.

Sebastian Joe's - Café Latte

Café Latte - Coffee Ice Cream 

 

Today's flavor is from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream and is called Café Latte.  I bought it at the scoop shop on Franklin and Hennepin in the Lowry Hill neighborhood.  This looks like a simple coffee ice cream.  At a coffee shop "café latte" means espresso with steamed milk -- in Italian café means coffee and latte means milk -- but at an ice cream shop, all dairy flavors include milk and cream so the latte designation could be considered redundant.  So, simple coffee ice cream it is.  Sebastian Joe's actually doubles as a coffee shop -- they roast their own coffee blends at the Franklin avenue location.  This has come in handy when I'm out looking for ice cream because they are open in the mornings.  Other ice cream scoop shops don't open until lunch (or even later in the winter).  I do not see any information as to which blend they use in their coffee ice cream, though.  Anyhow, let's check it out.

Removing the lid, the coffee base has a light beige color consistent with other coffee bases.  As I dig into the ice cream, I taste the coffee flavor and it pretty good as expected.  I am not a coffee afficiando, so I don't know how to compare it.  It is not super strong (some coffee bases give a big kick of caffeine).  It is not overly bitter.  I don't taste any grounds (some turkish coffees and cold brew coffees can have a grainy feel to them).  This is just good coffee flavor.  This is a homogeneous pint with no mix-ins.

This is a simple and solid coffee flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  It don't think I would go out of my way to way to get this coffee flavor over other coffee flavors, but if you are in the mood for a coffee flavor and you are near a Sebastian Joe's then this will certainly do.  They do also serve their own coffee there as well.

Sebastian Joe's - Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie - Coconut Ice Cream with Pie Crust Pieces

 

I stopped by the Sebastian Joe's scoop shop in the Lowry Hill neighborhood and picked up a couple of pints.  The first of those pints is Coconut Cream Pie.  I have had many coconut flavors, but I believe this the first time a flavor based on coconut cream pie.  Coconut cream pie is my mother's favorite pie, so I will think of her as I eat this (I hope she is not too jealous).

Removing the lid, the coconut cream base has the expected off-white color and I immediately see quite a bit of pie crust.  The crust looks a bit bready.  It is not the typical pastry flakes or ground graham cracker that other pie flavors use.  Digging in, the coconut cream base is lush and delicious.  Appropriately, it is much "creamier" than the usual coconut base.  Coconut often does well in non-dairy settings because it has its own cream.  I had gotten used to that type of coconut, but here I can tell there is a lot of dairy cream.  Sebastian Joe's does not provide ingredients so I do not know if it is added whipped cream or cream cheese or something else.  The effect is quite delicious.  The bready pie crust pieces work well.  The way they blend with the coconut cream base reminds me a little bit of bread puddings.

This is an excellent implementation of a coconut cream pie ice cream from Sebastian Joe's.  The extra creaminess is a fun change from the usual coconut base.  Fans of this pie should not hesitate to check this out when they see it in the scooping bin at Sebastian Joe's.

Sebastian Joe's - Chocolate Cha Cha

Chocolate Cha Cha - Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

 

Today I am back with another flavor from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream.  This flavor is called Chocolate Cha Cha (facebook link here).  A fun flavor name.  I bought it at their scoop shop on Hennepin & Franklin in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis.  This flavor features a chocolate and peanut butter base with chocolate chip mix-ins.  I am looking forward to checking this out.

Opening the lid, the ice cream is densely packed in there!  They are often quite generous packing the ice cream into the carton at Sebastian Joe's.  The base ice cream is quite dark.  If I didn't know the flavor description, I would assume it was just chocolate -- perhaps even "dark" chocolate.  Digging in, chocolate is indeed the dominant flavor, but significant notes of peanut butter are also evident as well.  This is a good blend.  Next I encounter the chocolate chips.  These don't really add much more chocolate flavor to what is already a very chocolatey base, but they do provide a welcome change in texture.  It is very delicious and also very rich.  I am quite full after finishing this.

This is a successful chocolate-peanut-butter pint from Sebastian Joe's.  Chocolate and peanut butter are a common and winning combination in ice cream and there have been many ways that places combine the ingredients.  This one is really heavy on the chocolate.  If you're in the mood for a rich, chocolate-heavy version of the chocolate-peanut-butter combination, then you'll enjoy this.

Sebastian Joe's - Rum Raisin

Rum Raisin - Sweet Cream with Rum-soaked Raisins

 

Today I return to the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's for their Rum Raisin flavor.  I picked it up at their scoop shop in Lowry Hill.  Rum Raisin is a classic old flavor from decades past.  I have had one Rum Raisin implementation before from Häagen-Dazs and one more complex flavor which included rum raisins as a mix-in from Coolhaus.  It will be fun to see how this flavor compares.

Removing the lid, I see the light color of the ice cream base with many raisins visible right away.  Digging in, there are a lot of raisins!  These raisins are filled with rum flavor which is released every time you bit into one.  There is just enough ice cream to balance out the flavor of the raisins and keep them from becoming overwhelming.

This is an excellent implementation of a rum raisin flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  I liked it better than Häagen-Dazs.  The Häagen-Dazs is cheaper, available in grocery stores and is still pretty good, but it is good to have a premium scoop-shop version of the flavor once in a while as well.  Now, rum raisin is a bit of a polarizing flavor -- some people don't like rum and some people don't like raisins -- but if this flavor is your jam than this Sebastian Joe's flavor is very well done.

Sebastian Joe's - Black Forest

Black Forest - Cherry Ice Cream with Almonds 

 

I return to Sebastian Joe's for their Black Forest flavor.  I picked up this pint at their scoop shop in Lowry Hill.  It is a cherry-based flavor.  I should have asked the exact ingredients.  Cherry and almonds for sure, but checking my archives, the ingredients are similar to their Dakota Cherry flavor (black cherry, white chocolate and almonds).  Since today's flavor is "Black" Forest, it may very well be black cherry as well which would mean that the only difference is that this flavor lacks white chocolate.  Let's check it out and see.

Removing the lid, the cherry back has the expected pink color and appears to be rather thick.  I see some speckling which may be from small cherry pieces or from the almond pieces.  Digging in, the cherry flavor is quite appealing.  The almond pieces are small but provide a bit of crunch to keep this from being a completely homogenous pint.

This is a solid cherry nut flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  I did not sample the flavors back to back, but it is quite a bit similar to their own Dakota Cherry flavor.  That kind of detail bugs me.  Next time I see Black Forest in their scooping bin, I may ask to clarify the exact ingredients so that I can update this review.  It is delicious, though!  If you are at Sebastian Joe's and in the mood for cherry, don't hesitate.

Sebastian Joe's - Bailey's Irish Cream

Bailey's Irish Cream - Ice Cream made with Bailey's Irish Cream

 

My next pint is from Sebastian Joe's of Minneapolis.  It is called Bailey's Irish Cream and I picked it up at the scoop shop in the Lowry Hill neighborhood.  It is based on the famous Irish cream liqueur of the same name.  I have had one other Bailey's themed pint from Sebastian Joe's called Bailey's Raspberry Truffle and I liked it very much.  I have also had -irish-creambased flavors from Häagen-Dazs and Izzy's (Irish Moxie is still available in pints!).  I am looking forward to checking this out.

Removing the lid, the base ice cream has a light cream color which is about what I expected.  Many of the 'bourbon' bases are the same color.  Digging in, the irish cream flavor is quite noticeable right away.  It is not at all 'boozy', but it is very fragrant and 'aromatic' -- the flavors seem to fill up my mouth and nose as I eat them.  I love it when liquor-based flavors have this effect.  This is a homogeneous pint with no mix-ins.

This is an excellent Bailey's-themed flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  Great flavor without feeling too boozy.  I really enjoyed it by itself, but other's might feel since there are no mix-ins that it could serve well accompanying something -- a small scoop in your coffee perhaps, or a scoop alongside a slice of chocolate cake.  Either way, it's good.  Check it out, if you see it in their scooping bin.

 

 

Sebastian Joe's - Immaculate Confection

Immaculate Confection - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Honey, Ginger, and Streusel Topping

 

I return to Sebastian Joe's for a flavor called Immaculate Confection.  I was at the Lowry Hill scoop shop and this flavor sounded really good so I had a pint of it hand-packed.  It is an interesting flavor.  I was having a little trouble remembering all the ingredients, but I got bailed out by a random facebook post from a couple of years ago which gives the flavor details.  I know it's a lot of work, but it would be nice if their website included flavor descriptions.  It is a combination of vanilla bean ice cream, honey, ginger and streusel topping.  Sounds quite interesting!

Removing the lid, the base ice cream has an off-white color with several of the streusel bits visible right away.  Digging in, I taste the honey and streusel right away.  Occasionally I run into a piece of ginger candy pieces which are quite delicious.  The vanilla base is decent but primarily serves as the vehicle for all of the mix-ins.

This flavor was a pleasant surprise.  Sebastian Joe's does candied mix-ins quite well (see Spumoni, and KARE-11 Sunrise).  The ginger pieces were delicious and went well with the strudel.  Check it out if you see it in their scooping bin the next time you are there.

 

 

 

 

Sebastian Joe's - Turtle Latte

Turtle Latte - Coffee Ice Cream with Chocolate Caramel Truffles

 

Today I am back with another flavor from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's.  This flavor is called Turtle Latte and I picked it up at the scoop shop in Lowry Hill in Minneapolis.  The 'latte' means that it has a coffee flavored ice cream base and the 'turtle' means that it has chocolate caramel truffle mix-ins.  Checking my archives, I have not had this flavor combination too often.  Of course there are loads of coffee-chocolate flavors (too many to count) and several coffee-caramel flavors, but all three flavors is much less common.  The closest I can find is a limited batch Caramel Macchiato flavor from Graeter's.  Let's check out Turtle Latte!

Removing the lid, this pint is stuffed!  It is a bit overflowing (thanks Sebastian Joe's scoopers!) and there are lots of large chocolate-caramel truffles visible right away.  I have seen truffles like this before, but normally they don't put so many of them into a pint.  Digging in, these truffles are a bit like Rolo candies, but with a higher chocolate to caramel ratio.    I took some close-up pictures below.  The coffee ice cream base has a decent flavor, but its main purpose here is to serve as a vehicle for delivering all the truffles.

This is packed chocolate-caramel-coffee flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  If you like Rolo Candies, then you'll love this pint.  I must say that I had a similar reaction than I had to the previous Sebastian Joe's flavor -- it was almost too much.  That says quite a bit, because I do not get full that easily.  If you are feeling indulgent, then go for it!  Otherwise, perhaps not a full pint -- or share!

 

 

Sebastian Joe's - Marion Berry D.C. Nut

Marion Berry D.C. Nut - Marionberry Ice Cream with Almond Pieces

 

Back to the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's today for their Marion Berry D.C. Nut flavor.  I have written before about how the marionberry is a caneberry hybrid descended from varieties of blackberries and raspberries which was developed in Marion County, Oregon in the 1940s.  To be honest, though, the first time I bring up marionberries to a friend or a family member, they assume I am making a bad joke about Marion Barry, the crack-smoking mayor of DC from the 1980s.  Well, Sebastian Joe's has decided to work this amusing homophone into their flavor name by calling this flavor "Marion Berry D.C. Nut".  A marionberry base is used and the 'nut' here is almonds.  Previously, I have had marionberry flavors from McConnell's, Tillamook and Van Leeuwen.  Let's check it Sebastian Joe's flavor!

Removing the lid, the marionberry base is a beautiful dark purplish pink color.  They overfill the cartons when you order a pint at Sebastian Joe's and this looks very dense.  Digging in, the marionberry flavor is quite potent, yet still quite delicious.  The flavor is a lot like that of it's caneberry cousins the raspberry and blackberry, sort of like a deeper flavored black raspberry.  Soon I encounter the almonds.  These are almond pieces -- perhaps quarters of almonds.  They supply a decent crunch which gives good textural variety to the pint.  As I continue to eat my way down the pint, I admit that the strong marionberry flavor can be a bit overwhelming at times.

This is a delicious, yet very strong implementation of a marionberry flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  It is hard to complain about something so delicious, but it took effort to eat so much of a strong flavor in one sitting.  I'd still reccomend it, but maybe not a whole pint in one sitting.  Try a scoop of this with a scoop of something like lemon or vanilla.  Or share the pint with a friend.

 

 

Sebastian Joe's - Spumoni

Spumoni - Almond Ice Cream with Orange, Lemon and Apricot Pieces

 

Today's flavor comes from the Minneapolis-based Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream and is called Spumoni.  I bought it at the scoop shop in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis.  I have had an ice cream called Spumoni from the nearby Sonny's Ice Cream, but this flavor looks completely different.  Sonny's had marbled swirls of cherry, pistachio and chocolate.  Today's flavor has an almond flavored base with candied fruit mix-ins (orange, lemon & apricot).  Checking the wikipedia entry for spumoni, the Sonny's flavor focuses mainly on the base ice creams (cherry, pistachio, chocolate) which eventually led to the Neapolitan flavor while today's Sebastian Joe's flavor emphasizes the candied fruit and nuts.  Looks good.  Today's flavor is the first time that I have an ice cream which includes apricots -- an Old World fruit closely related to peaches and plums.  Let's check it out!

Removing the lid, I see that Sebastian Joe's has generously overstuffed my container.  I love it when they do that.  I see the pale yellow off-white color of the almond base and I see quite a few of the fruit pieces.  These looks like little pieces of dried fruit.  Interesting!  Digging in, the fruit pieces are quite delicious.  They do taste like dried fruit pieces that one might pick up at a co-op to take with you on a hike or something.  They work really well as an ice cream mix-in!  I think the cold and moist ice cream perks them up a bit.  There seems to be equal parts of dried lemon pieces, dried orange pieces and dried apricot pieces, although at times I admit they all kind of blend together and just taste 'fruity'.  The almond flavored base serves as an excellent mild vehicle for these mix-ins.

This is an excellent and unique flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  Dried fruit should be used as a mix-in more often!  It reminded me a bit of their KARE 11 Sunrise flavor which also had lemon candy pieces in it.  The next time you see this in their scooping bin, check it out.

 

 

Sebastian Joe's - White Licorice

White Licorice - Vanilla Ice Cream flavored with Black Licorice

 

Today, I return to Sebastian Joe's for their White Licorice flavor.  I bought it at their scoop shop in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis.  I asked the scooper what white licorice was and they explained to me that the flavor was black licorice but that it was blended into a vanilla base -- so it looks white.  Interesting.  The closest flavor to this that I have had in the past was an Izzy's flavor from their scoop shop days called Black Licorice.  Let's see how vanilla in the mix changes things.

Removing the lid, the top of the pint has an off white color.  I think I might see hints of some light marbling in there but it could be how it was packed into the container.  Digging in, I taste the licorice right away.  Yes, the color is white but licorice is a strong flavor which can overpower almost anything.  I do notice the effect of the vanilla at the end of every spoonful.  There is a little bit of muting of the licorice flavor.  That could also be the milk and cream playing this role.

This is a solid implementation of a creamy licorice flavor from Sebastian Joe's.  It is not quite as intense as the old Izzy's Black Licorice flavor, but this is still quite potent.  I checked Sebastian Joe's full flavor list and they only have a white licorice flavor -- no 'black' version, so this is their flavor for those that like licorice.  Black licorice is a very polarizing flavor.  People tend to either love it or hate it.  If you are a black-licorice-lover in Minneapolis, this is the flavor to try now that Izzy's has a smaller list of available flavors.