Sweet Science - Snicker Doodle

Snicker Doodle - Brown-Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream with Swirls of Caramel, Crunchy Peanuts and Crispy Chocolate Shards

Sweet Science at Keg & Case in Saint Paul is back again with new flavors!  My last review of theirs, Vanilla Bean, was last pint from their regular menu that had not reviewed and since they are doing curbside pickup of four-packs during the current pandemic-related shutdown, I was a bit worried about padding future purchases with flavors that I've already had.  But they had four new flavors for me to try!  That's great!  So, now my freezer is stocked with ice cream for a while.  This first flavor is called Snicker Doodle.  The space in the name means that this flavor is part snickerdoodle (with the cinnamon) and part Snickers bar (chocolate, caramel and peanuts).  There is also brown sugar in the mix.  My recipe for snickerdoodles does not call for brown sugar, but it sounds like a good addition to this ice cream anyways.  I am guessing it will complement the cinnamon well.

Let's dig in!  Opening the pint, I see a couple of the shards of chocolate right away and hints of the caramel swirl that I have enjoyed in several other Sweet Science flavors.  Digging in, the I can taste the brown sugar and cinnamon right away in the base.  It is pretty tasty.  Here, the base is just a vehicle for the mix-ins though.  The caramel swirl is indeed as tasty as it is in other Sweet Science flavors such as Salted Caramel Swirl and Coffee Caramel Cookie.  The shards of chocolate are thin and crumbly.  They do resemble the outside covering of a snickers bar, but this is a premium version of that -- it is a darker and more potent chocolate.  There are quite a few peanuts in the mix which add crunch.

I enjoyed this flavor from Sweet Science very much.  It is mostly a snickers bar implementation with the twist of using a brown sugar and cinnamon base instead of a nougat flavoring or a more neutral flavoring like sweet cream or vanilla.  Searching my reviews, I was surprised to see that I have not had that many flavors like this one before.  The closest I could find was an old retired 7-11-exclusive flavor from Ben & Jerry called Nutty Caramel Swirl.  This pint was better than that -- higher quality caramel and the brown sugar and cinnamon is a very welcome addition.  This is a very easy flavor to recommend as these are all very pleasing ingredients -- chocolate, caramel, nuts, cinnamon.  Enjoy.

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. 

Ben & Jerry - Chip Happens

Chip Happens - A Cold Mess of Chocolate Ice Cream with Fudge Chips & Crunchy Potato Chip Swirls

Ben & Jerry's has a new flavor!  I was surprised, but I checked their available list of pints and there is was.  It turns out their their Netflix & Chilll'd flavor from earlier this year was not a one-off collaboration with the streaming network.  They are planning multiple flavors based on specific Netflix programs.  I found their page of Netflix flavors here.  This flavor is called Chip Happens and is based on the Netflix show Nailed It! -- the reality show where amateur bakers try to recreate a complex professional desserts.  I have never seen it, but the premise sounds rather amusing.  Anyhow, the artwork on the carton shows a cow-chef holding up a "Limited Botch" sign -- ha ha -- and describes the flavor as a "Cold Mess" with chocolate ice cream and potato chip and fudge chip mix-ins.  I am excited about the potato chips.  I have not seen them from Ben & Jerry's since their retired Late Night Snack flavor -- the Jimmy Fallon flavor from when Jimmy Fallon hosted Late Night instead of the Tonight Show.  Now the Jimmy Fallon flavor is the Tonight Dough and is cookie-dough based instead of potato chip based.

A note to local readers, I bought this pint at the Midway Target in mid-May.  As I type this a week and a half after eating it, I'm not 100% sure if that store is open because of the unrest in the area, but a lot of Target stores have the same stocking patterns so perhaps another Target will have it.  Also, this is not a Target-specific flavor so it will likely show up in other grocery stores with extensive Ben & Jerry selections.

OK, on to the ice cream!  Removing the lid, I see the brown color of the chocolate base with several fudge chips visible right away on top.  Digging in, the chocolate base itself has a muted flavor -- almost as if it is malted.  I have written before about how Ben & Jerry's has much better chocolate mix-ins (chips, chunks and brownies) than their chocolate base and that is true here.  The fudge chips here are excellent -- as I just said.  The chips are very crunchy and deliver a lot of chocolate flavor.  As I dig in, I start to encounter the potato chips.  They appear completely crunched as a gritty and salty swirl.  It is not that great by itself by I like the salt that it delivers to the spoonfuls that contain it.  The chips were smaller and crunchier in Late Night Snack -- they were fudge-covered to preserve the crispy texture.  Without the fudge-covering here they decided to grind them into finer particles which is why I used the word gritty above instead of crispy.

This is an interesting limited botch batch flavor from Ben & Jerry.  Although imperfect, I applaud the use of potato chip mix-ins.  I understand it's hard to blend them into the ice cream at the factory without them getting soggy.  As I ate my way down the pint, I got used to the gritty swirl and appreciated the salt that it was delivering into the pint.  If you like salty mix-ins, this is a fun flavor to try this summer.

Sweet Science - Vanilla Bean

Vanilla Bean - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

The third flavor from my recent choose-your-own-four-pack from Saint Paul's Sweet Science is Vanilla Bean.  I got it by ordering curbside pick-up on their website and picking it up outside the Keg & Case Market.  The first two pints in my four-pack were new flavors (Banana Cream Pie and Cherry Almond Ganache) and to fill out my order I had to look for regular-menu flavors which I had not tried.  Vanilla Bean was the last one!  So that's what I am reviewing today and there will be no fourth review from this purchase.  For my fourth pint, I got Cayenne Caramel Brownie and gave it to my uncle.

I have reviewed several pints of vanilla at this point.  I have reviewed pints from Ben & Jerry, McConnell's, Coolhaus, and side-by-side vanilla/vanilla-bean reviews for Häagen-Dazs and Izzy's.  Also, I've gotten close to vanilla with Sweet Science having already tried their Malted Vanilla and Honey Vanilla.  Let's check out their Vanilla Bean.

Upon removing the lid, I see that the ice cream has a very light off-white color.  It has a slightly yellow tinge to it.  I checked the ingredient list and there is indeed some egg yolk in the mix.  Looking closely, I do see the occasional been speck in there, so it is indeed vanilla bean.  Digging in, the texture is a bit fluffy.  It is easy to scoop.  It has a nice creamy vanilla flavor which is very pleasing.

This is a decent implementation of a vanilla flavor from Sweet Science.  It would taste excellent with a slice of cake or pie.  I don't know if I am the type to pay a premium price for a full pint of vanilla but if you are in the scoop shop and are looking for a balancing second scoop, or if you are adding your own toppings then is as good of a vanilla as any.  My favorite vanilla of all-time is still Coolhaus but I think that's because I like the taste of Tahitian vanilla.  All of this said, the completionist in me is very happy to have completed my survey of the regular menu from Sweet Science.  I look forward to more new flavors -- and the return of older flavors which I have not tried -- in the future.

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. 

Sweet Science - Cherry Almond Ganache

Cherry Almond Ganache - Light Almond Ice Cream with Swirls of Cherry Compote and Chunks of Chewy, Creamy Salted Ganache

Today, I return to Saint Paul's Sweet Science Ice Cream for the second pint in my choose-your-own-4-pack that I purchased for curbside pick-up at the Keg & Case Market last week.  This flavor is called Cherry Almond Ganache.  It is an almond ice cream with a swirl of cherry compote and chunks of creamy salted ganache.  I don't know if I've had this flavor combination before.  I've had a couple of cherry nut or cherry almond combinations (Izzy's, Ben & Jerry's) and quite a few cherry and chocolate flavors (Sweet Science (again),  Ben & Jerry's, Graeter's, Steve's) but not one that has all three.  So, this should be interesting.

The top of the pint shows lots of the ganache.  I also see a little bit of dark red colorization from the cherry compote.  Digging in, I taste the chocolate first and the cherry is a secondary flavor.  It is a darker cherry flavor which is not too sweet.  As I dig in, I note that the ganache is often present in small cube-like chunks which have a gelatinous texture.  I have never seen ganache like this before -- I usually encounter it as a thick sauce.  It is good, though.  Occasionally the cubes are smeared creating a bit of a swirl.  I checked for the almond flavor in the base -- if it is there, it is quite mild.  I think it just serves as a non-vanilla base for the cherry and ganache mix-ins.

This is a pretty good flavor from Sweet Science.  I really liked the ganache.  Quite chocolatey and I liked the thicker-than usual texture.  The cherry compote here plays a supporting role.  It is quite good but it is definitely not as strong as the ganache.  This is a delcious pint as long as you expect more chocolate than cherry.

Talenti - Vanilla Caramel Swirl

Vanilla Caramel Swirl - Vanilla Bean Gelato with a Swirl of Dulce de Leche

Today we return to Talenti Gelato.  I am done with their new Gelato Layers flavors for 2020 so I am back on their main menu.  This flavor is called Vanilla Caramel Swirl.  I got it at a local grocery store (either Cub or Hyvee, I forget).  This is a relatively simple flavor -- vanilla bean gelato with a dulce de leche (caramelized milk) swirl.  One of the reasons why I picked this up is because the brown swirl through the clear jar looks very enticing.  Let's check it out.

Unscrewing the jar, I see an off-white vanilla base with an interesting pattern of dulce de leche on top.  It looks a little bit like the flux capacitor from the original Back to the Future movie.  That's probably not what it is though.  It might be a artifact of the tool used to mix in the swirl?  I've never seen something like this before.  Digging in, the vanilla bean gelato tastes quite good.  Being a gelato, it is a bit softer and easier to spoon than most vanilla ice creams.  Upon close examination, I can see small bean specks in the base to verify that it is a vanilla bean and not just a vanilla.  The dulce de leche swirl appears to be mostly blended into the base.  I can taste the effects of it, though.  There is an infusement of a light caramel-like flavor into the gelato that is quite appealing, but there's is not as much caramel in here as one would guess from looking at the outside of the clear container.  I saw this issue with the swirl-blending before with Talenti in their Southern Butter Pecan flavor.

This is a decent pint from Talenti.  It is a simple flavor -- vanilla with a swirl of caramel -- but the caramel is overly mixed into the base.  Talenti's dulce de leche has much more of a kick when it is included in a gelato layers pint such as Banana Caramel Crunch.  Vanilla Caramel Swirl still has a smooth and pleasing flavor, though, just not as much caramel as you'd guess from looking at it on the shelf in the freezer case.