Milkjam Creamery - Mint Chip

Mint Chip - Salted Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

 

Today, I move onto the third flavor in Milkjam Creamery's American Classics series (instagram link here).  It is Mint Chip (instagram link here).  Long time readers may remember that Mint Chip is my favorite flavor, so I am always excited when I can review a new pint of Mint Chip.  Actually, I'm not even 100% sure if this is a new flavor because I did review a flavor from Milkjam a few years ago called True Colors which was basically Mint Chip.  So, this might be breaking my rule of not having a repeat review, but there is a chance that it might be different and of course, I do want my mint chip.  Let's dig in!

Removing the lid, it is a green base with a dense amount of chips.  It does resemble the photos I took in my True Colors review quite a bit.  Digging in, the chips have that crumbly-flakey crunchiness which I like and they deliver quite a bit of chocolate.  The mint tastes a little bit different from last time.  This almost tastes like a mint liqueur.  There's no alcohol in it, but it has a bit of that creme de menthe aftertaste to it which I did not taste last time.  Both the instagram link above and my old True Colors review mention that it is made with large amounts of fresh mint lives rather than a peppermint oil.  This explains the color and it's possible that the liqueur like flavor may very from batch to batch when using fresh mint leaves while you wouldn't get much flavor variation when using a peppermint oil.  Overall, it is good.  I really like mint chip and this hits the spot.

This is a fun implementation of mint chip from Milkjam Creamery.  It's basically the same flavor as their old True Colors flavor but more of an aromatic liqueur-like flavor here than in the previous batch.  I still would probably go with Graeter's and McConnell's for my favorite Mint Chip pints but those are both peppermint-oil implementations and it is fun to see a mint-leaf implementation as a variation.  Enjoy!

 

Sebastian Joe's - Mint Milano

Mint Milano - Mint Ice Cream with Milano Cookies

Today I return to Sebastian Joe's for their Mint Milano flavor.  I got this at the scoop shop in Lowry Hill.  This is an interesting flavor.  Mint-chocolate flavors are everywhere and mint-cookie flavors are not uncommon, but it is usually mint-Oreo (or imitation Oreo).  Here, the cookie used is the Milano cookie from Pepperidge Farm.  A Milano is also a 'sandwich' cookie, but with chocolate in the middle and biscuit-style cookies on the outside.  Let's see how this interesting combination works out.

Removing the lid, the mint base is a bright white color.  I can see lots of green flecks within the mint base.  This appears to be a mint made with mint leaves as opposed to just an oil or extract.  I can see one of the Milano cookies (almost whole) underneath the surface.  There are also little flakes of chocolate floating around which have escaped from the cookies.  Digging in, the leafy mint produces an interesting flavor.  It also tastes like spearmint but since I don't have an ingredient list I cannot confirm that.  At any rate, it is different from the usual mint flavor.  I encounter the cookies next.  Some pieces are large like the one I saw near the top of the pint, but some are smaller.  There is some chocolate, but the predominant flavor is actually the outer biscuits.

This is an interesting an eclectic mint-chocolate combination from Sebastian Joe's.  Although I applaud the uniqueness and creativity of using spearmint-like leafy mint instead of regular mint and the use of Milano cookies with their biscuit outsides and chocolate insides, I did not like this as much as the usual mint-chocolate combinations.  I found myself wanting the mint to be a little more potent and the cookies to be more chocolatey.  So, this is a fun try for me, but on future visits I'll be on the lookout for a more standard mint-chocolate combination.

Lick - Roasted Beets & Fresh Mint

Roasted Beets & Fresh Mint - Ice Cream flavored with Roasted Beets and Fresh Mint

I made an online purchase from a new brand!  I got a six-pint shipment from the Austin-based Lick Ice Cream (with the very cool website URL of ilikelick.com).  They look like they have an interesting selection of regular and seasonal flavors so I pulled the trigger online and the package came in the mail the other day.  A note to Minnesota readers that I do not believe that the Lick brand is available in local grocery stores.

Lick was founded in 2011 by Anthony Sobotnik and Chad Palmatier in Austin, Texas.  Like most premium shops of this era, they use locally-sourced ingredients and have interesting and eclectic flavor implementations.  Here is an early review of their first scoop shop in Austin and a more recent write-up.  In 2016, they were featured on a Time/People documentary series called American Doers.  They now have three scoop shops in Austin, two in San Antonio and ship nationwide via Goldbelly -- which is how I ordered them.  I am excited to check out their ice cream.

The first flavor I am trying is called Roasted Beets and Fresh Mint.  It is one of their signature flavors that they offer year round.  It sounds really interesting!  I have never had beets in an ice cream before!  Beets (or beetroot in the UK) is an old-world root vegetable known for its bright red color.  The flavor has been described as both earthy and bitter but also can be sweet.  I found an interesting article on the flavor of beets here.  Here they pair the beets with mint.  Sounds very interesting!

On to the ice cream.  Lick Ice Cream comes in these clear plastic cartons with their fun licking-cow logo on the top.  Removing the lid, the ice cream has a very bright reddish pink color.  It almost looks like a fruit sorbet because ice creams normally do not get this red.  Digging in, I taste the beets right away.  It is a cleaner and earthier flavor than I am to but I think I usually have pickled beets.  These are definitely not pickled.  It's got a layer of sweetness underneath as well.  Beets are an interesting flavor.  I taste the mint mainly as a finishing flavor.  It complements the beets quite well -- adds a lot of palatability.  The texture of the pint is a bit on the icy side -- a bit sorbet-like.  I wonder if specific to this flavor or if it applies to their whole line.  I'll find out as I try other Lick flavors.  This is a homogeneous flavor with no mix-ins.

This is a very interesting and unique flavor from Lick Ice Cream.  I did not quite love it, but it is very fun to try new flavors.  Perhaps it would take me a while to acquire a taste for it.  It is definitely not a flavor for kids.  It's not bad, though, and I had no problems finishing the pint in one sitting.  But certainly, if you're a beet-lover and have access to this brand then you should check this out.  Curious adventurous types would be interested as well. 

Izzy's - Strawberry Mint Mojito

Strawberry Mint Mojito - Strawberry Ice Cream, Pureed Fresh Mint, Lime Juice and a Hint of Rum

Today's flavor is from the Saint Paul-based Izzy's Ice Cream.  The flavor is called Strawberry Mint Mojito and is the Best in Show flavor of the People's Flavor Awards event which Izzy's held last month.  The contest is held every other year and this year I was able to go.  Included below are a few pictures that I took while I was there. 

2019 People's Flavor Awards registration desk

Scooping Bins for Kids Flavor finalists

Flavor Card for the Best in Show

Fruit Category Finalists:  Strawberry Mint Mojito (right), Mango Lassi Coconut Crunch (bottom), Cranberry Craze (left), Soccer Mom (top)

It was a really fun event.  They served Izzy-scoop sized portions into little paper cups.  There were six categories with 4 flavors each in most of the categories and 6 flavors in the non-dairy category to make a total of 26 flavors.  You could eat the ice cream at your own pace and could even go back in line for seconds if you really liked a flavor.  I had a good time and would definitely go ahead.

The Best in Show flavor was from the Fruit category and is called Strawberry Mint Mojito.  It is a strawberry ice cream mixed mixed with lime juice, pureed mint leaves a touch of rum.  Being the winning flavor means that it is likely to be promoted to a regular flavor and put into their scooping bin rotation alongside previous flavor award winners.  Izzy's has written a blog post about the new flavor which includes some cool photos.  I do remember enjoying this flavor quite a bit from the day of the contest and I am looking forward to having it again in pint format.

Removing the lid, I see the dark pink color of the strawberry base which quite a few dark specks visible throughout the pint.  Digging in, the strawberry flavor is fairly strong, a little bit tart and quite delicious.  The dark specks are not seeds, though.  They are small pieces of mint!  I definitely do notice the mint flavor from time to time -- and especially when I bit into one of these small flecks. I do taste a bit of rum from time to time.  It adds a bit of flavor without being at all 'boozy'.

This is a great new flavor from Izzy's Ice Cream -- a very deserving winner of the People's Flavor Award contest.  It has a good strong mix of strawberry and lime when you first taste it and the mint and rum are noticeable as a 'finish'.  This has me curious about other fruit-and-mint blending possibilities.  Enjoy.

Milkjam Creamery - True Colors

True Colors - Mint Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

When Minneapolis' Milkjam Creamery came out with a limited-batch mint chocolate chip flavor, I quickly went down and picked up a pint.  Long-time readers know that mint chocolate chip is my favorite flavor so I am always interested to see how each brand will implement it.  Milkjam calls this flavor True Colors.  I am not sure why.  Their flavor names usually sound cool but about half the time they are over my head.  Anyhow, this should be fun.

Opening the pint, there are a lot of chocolate chips visible right away!  So many chips that it is hard to tell if the base is greenish or yellowish.  Digging in, this is the highest density of chocolate chips that I have seen in an ice cream.  It almost looks like the speckling of micro-crumbs of a cookies and cream implementation, but these are actually small chocolate chips.  Through the chips, I could tell that the mint flavor comes at least partly from mint leaves.  Because of this, it is perhaps not as strong as some mint bases but it was still pretty minty.

This is a fun implementation of a mint chip.  It is definitely the chippiest of mint chips that I've ever had, that is for sure.  I love a strong mint flavor so I can't put it in my inner circle of mint chips (Graeter's & McConnell's) but it still very successful.  Of course chocolate chip fans will absolutely love this.  Unfortunately, as with many Milkjam limited batch flavors, the flavor is gone by the time I get around to eating it and writing it up.  Hopefully, they'll bring it back often.

Sweet Science - Mint Cacao

Mint Cacao - Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs

Today is the second of Sweet Science flavors for July, Mint Cacao.  Long-time readers know that mint chocolate chip is my favorite flavor and it is fun when there is a twist on the mint and chocolate combination.  We have seen brownies, cookies, peppermint patties, and from Sweet Science themselves: fudge sauce.  Here we have cacao nibs!  I have had cacao nibs one time before.  They are the edible part of the cacao bean from which cocoa solids are extracted.  Eating a cacao nib is a bit like crunching on an coffee bean.

Opening the pint, I see the off-white color of the mint base plus mean of the cacao nibs are visible on top.  The nibs do indeed look like coffee beans.  Digging in, the mint has a softer and less intense flavor than many other mint bases.  I checked the container and it looks like they used mint leaves to create this base.  They add a little bit of peppermint extract to keep things from getting too 'herbaceous'.  I wasn't sure what that meant at first but as I continued to eat, I did notice a leafy aftertaste after a while.  I had a similar feeling eating their Basil flavor last month -- basil and mint are related herbs after a while.  The occasional leafy after taste was not at all bad, it was just different from the usual.  The cocoa nibs were generously dispersed throughout the pint.  The nibs themselves are fun to crunch on.  Interestingly, the chocolate flavor of the nib itself is not as intense, but they are coated with dark chocolate to help out.  The nibs are quite fun to crunch on.

This is fun and unique twist on the classic mint and chocolate combination.  I enjoyed it very much.  That said, I see this as more of an interesting and experimental variation on a classic than a replacement for it.  Also, I enjoyed their Vanilla Mint Fudge flavor from last year a bit better.  Still, it is hard to find flavors that use cacao/cocoa nibs and these are good.  Check this flavor out if this particular twist on mint chip is of interest to you.