Mint Chip is a staple of most ice cream brands but Haagen Dazs is one of the best. While many mint chip ice creams are a fluorescent green color, Haagen Dazs specifically points out that its rendition retains its natural white hue.
Name
This is the typical name for the flavor; nothing witty or whimsical, just straightforward mint with chocolate chip shavings.
Availability
Being a very common flavor, Mint Chip is available year-round in scoop shops and in take-home pints from markets. The ice cream keeps very well in the freezer and is slow to thaw.
Flavor
High Notes
There are only two flavors in Mint Chip and the mint is certainly the high note here. The mint is fantastic: crisp, light, and fast. It really plays on the coldness of the ice cream to leave the palate with a sense of cleanliness and refreshment like a breath of chilly air. What I like about this mint as opposed to other varieties is that Haagen Dazs maintains the natural tenets of a strong mint flavor. It does not taste artificial like toothpaste or gum the way most mint ice creams come out, but it still maintains a soft boldness. The flavor has such a pure and even sweetness to it that it really fills up the mouth with flavor, yet it doesn't become overbearing. It is a very clean flavor and although it can be tasted well after the spoonful is swallowed, it remains unbelievably light.
Low Notes
The chocolate chip flakes provide the perfect counter to the light sweetness of the cool mint flavor. While the sweetness of the mint gives a nice armoa to the flavor, the chocolate is able to be the stronger flavor while not overpowering the delicate mintiness. What I like the most about this chocolate is the uniqueness of its flavor as its own ingredient. This chocolate isn't quite milk chocolate but it isn't dark or bittersweet chocolate either. This is the mistake a lot of other Mint Chip ice creams run into: disgustingly sweet chocolate. Haagen Dazs really does a great job of creating a chocolate that blends perfectly with the mint.
Texture
The mint ice cream is a bit icy and sometimes begins melting before I could bite into the chocolate chips. Overall, the chocolate chip pieces were plentiful, well-distributed, and cut into small rectangles.
Concluding Comments
The beauty of the flavor is the way that the mint hits hard at first and then lingers in the background as the semi-sweet chocolate flakes take center stage. This is one of the best Haagen Dazs ice creams I have ever had and one of the best renditions of Mint Chip as well. Its clean, simple sweetness is a thing of beauty that few other brands have perfected.
Banana Split
Banana Split is definitely a novelty flavor and is one of the more low brow Haagen Dazs selections. It has a banana ice cream base with fudge, strawberry, and cherry swirls. While banana splits are fantastic ice cream treats, to try and capture the parlor specialty using artificial means is quite the challenge. It is a very heavy ice cream that is much stronger on the split than the banana.
Name
Simply based on the flavor combination that is in this ice cream, Banana Split is an appropriate title. But then again the term "Banana Split" implies a promise of old fashioned ice cream goodness and integrity, a promise that Haagen Dazs breaks.
Availability
Banana Split isn't the most widely distributed flavor but it is far from uncommon. I got mine in the take-home variety and I believe it is seasonal in scoop shops. This ice cream doesn't keep too well in the freezer and gets icy fairly easily.
Flavor
High Notes
It is difficult to decipher what the high notes in Banana Split are because everything is so artificial and sugary. The strongest of these flavors is the fudge swirl. Although fudge is typically a deeper taste, the sweetness of it in this mix is just way too strong. Right underneath the fudge is the cherry and strawberry paste, some of the most artificial flavors I have ever tasted in a super-premium ice cream. While these are the same toppings one would expect on a traditional banana split, there is just way too much of them and not in proportion with the banana base underneath it all. In fact, the banana ice cream can hardly be tasted in this flavor. Banana Split is one of the most disgustingly top heavy flavors I have ever tried. Too much sugar!
Low Notes
If I had to pick out a low tone in this ice cream, I guess it would be the fudge. While it is mostly a sugary taste, it is still rich and thick. The key with fudge is moderation and Haagen Dazs surprisingly forgets this kernel of wisdom.
Texture
The banana ice cream would be perfectly fine on its own: light, smooth, and subtle. But the fudge, strawberry, and cherry swirls were sticky, thick, and chunky. When frozen, the swirls became icy and hard while the fudge quickly melted when taken out of the freezer. As indicated above, the proportions of ice cream to other flavors is incredibly unbalanced with the flavor swirls completely dominating the ice cream with sugar and artificiality.
Concluding Comments
It's like eating a banana split without the ice cream. Or the banana for that matter. All this ice cream has is a lot of sugar. I am honestly disapointed in Haagen Dazs after eating this ice cream based on their lack of balance and natural flavors in making Banana Split.
Name
Simply based on the flavor combination that is in this ice cream, Banana Split is an appropriate title. But then again the term "Banana Split" implies a promise of old fashioned ice cream goodness and integrity, a promise that Haagen Dazs breaks.
Availability
Banana Split isn't the most widely distributed flavor but it is far from uncommon. I got mine in the take-home variety and I believe it is seasonal in scoop shops. This ice cream doesn't keep too well in the freezer and gets icy fairly easily.
Flavor
High Notes
It is difficult to decipher what the high notes in Banana Split are because everything is so artificial and sugary. The strongest of these flavors is the fudge swirl. Although fudge is typically a deeper taste, the sweetness of it in this mix is just way too strong. Right underneath the fudge is the cherry and strawberry paste, some of the most artificial flavors I have ever tasted in a super-premium ice cream. While these are the same toppings one would expect on a traditional banana split, there is just way too much of them and not in proportion with the banana base underneath it all. In fact, the banana ice cream can hardly be tasted in this flavor. Banana Split is one of the most disgustingly top heavy flavors I have ever tried. Too much sugar!
Low Notes
If I had to pick out a low tone in this ice cream, I guess it would be the fudge. While it is mostly a sugary taste, it is still rich and thick. The key with fudge is moderation and Haagen Dazs surprisingly forgets this kernel of wisdom.
Texture
The banana ice cream would be perfectly fine on its own: light, smooth, and subtle. But the fudge, strawberry, and cherry swirls were sticky, thick, and chunky. When frozen, the swirls became icy and hard while the fudge quickly melted when taken out of the freezer. As indicated above, the proportions of ice cream to other flavors is incredibly unbalanced with the flavor swirls completely dominating the ice cream with sugar and artificiality.
Concluding Comments
It's like eating a banana split without the ice cream. Or the banana for that matter. All this ice cream has is a lot of sugar. I am honestly disapointed in Haagen Dazs after eating this ice cream based on their lack of balance and natural flavors in making Banana Split.
Caramel Cone
Caramel Cone. Two words, too perfect of an ice cream. It is a caramel based ice cream with a caramel swirl and chocolate covered waffle cone pieces. This is one of my favorite flavors, period. It succeeds on all levels: texture, balance, flavor.
Name
The name is simple, descriptive, and I like the alliteration. I feel that the title should include some part about the crunch or the chocolate that are so crucial to this flavor.
Availability
As usual, I got mine in the take-home variety but it is available in scoop shops too. Caramel Cone is also one of the most popular Haagen Dazs varieties and you should generally have no trouble finding it at a grocery store. It keeps very well in the freezer and does not develop iciness as many ice creams do.
Flavor
High Notes
Caramel Cone has a rich caramel base, not too strong, but very powerful and sweet. I am impressed with the base flavor's ability to be recognized despite all the strong flavors surrounding it. The sweet end is also enhanced by a very present sugar taste from the waffle cone pieces. These two rich flavors hold the high end of this ice cream together, and while the sweetness is definitely the strongest part of the ice cream, the nostalgic hints of freshly baked waffle make the sinful sweetness a pleaser.
Low Notes
The low end was first expressed by the chocolate coating on the waffle pieces. It wasn't quite a dark chocolate but it was very rich and lacked the sugary sweetness of milk chocolate. Regardless, this was the first flavor to be expressed on the palette and lingered throughout each spoonful. It was perfectly followed and complemented by the equally rich caramel ribbon. I tend to classify most caramel swirls as lower flavors because of their richness and depth. When sugar is heated until it forms caramel, the sugar becomes a warmer taste that is often interpreted as a low, powerful flavor. While the high notes were slightly stronger, I found it to be acceptable considering the link between both ends of the spectrum: caramel.
Texture
Simply gorgeous! I feel that Caramel Cone is the standard to which any non-smooth ice cream should be held. The pure ice cream was smooth as a typical Haagen Dazs should be. The caramel ribbon was nicely distributed and blended well with the smoothness of the ice cream. The chocolate covered waffle cone pieces kept their web shape underneath the chocolate and the sizing of each chunk was perfect. This ice cream was packed full of caramel and waffle cone throughout every spoonful.
Concluding Comments
Overall, a fantastic flavor and definitely one of my favorites. The sweetness of the ice cream is gorgeous and has a perfect complement in the caramel swirl and chocolate coating. This is as close to ice cream perfection as it comes. This flavor deserves a huge recommendation to anyone who enjoys a fairly sweet and crunchy ice cream.
Name
The name is simple, descriptive, and I like the alliteration. I feel that the title should include some part about the crunch or the chocolate that are so crucial to this flavor.
Availability
As usual, I got mine in the take-home variety but it is available in scoop shops too. Caramel Cone is also one of the most popular Haagen Dazs varieties and you should generally have no trouble finding it at a grocery store. It keeps very well in the freezer and does not develop iciness as many ice creams do.
Flavor
High Notes
Caramel Cone has a rich caramel base, not too strong, but very powerful and sweet. I am impressed with the base flavor's ability to be recognized despite all the strong flavors surrounding it. The sweet end is also enhanced by a very present sugar taste from the waffle cone pieces. These two rich flavors hold the high end of this ice cream together, and while the sweetness is definitely the strongest part of the ice cream, the nostalgic hints of freshly baked waffle make the sinful sweetness a pleaser.
Low Notes
The low end was first expressed by the chocolate coating on the waffle pieces. It wasn't quite a dark chocolate but it was very rich and lacked the sugary sweetness of milk chocolate. Regardless, this was the first flavor to be expressed on the palette and lingered throughout each spoonful. It was perfectly followed and complemented by the equally rich caramel ribbon. I tend to classify most caramel swirls as lower flavors because of their richness and depth. When sugar is heated until it forms caramel, the sugar becomes a warmer taste that is often interpreted as a low, powerful flavor. While the high notes were slightly stronger, I found it to be acceptable considering the link between both ends of the spectrum: caramel.
Texture
Simply gorgeous! I feel that Caramel Cone is the standard to which any non-smooth ice cream should be held. The pure ice cream was smooth as a typical Haagen Dazs should be. The caramel ribbon was nicely distributed and blended well with the smoothness of the ice cream. The chocolate covered waffle cone pieces kept their web shape underneath the chocolate and the sizing of each chunk was perfect. This ice cream was packed full of caramel and waffle cone throughout every spoonful.
Concluding Comments
Overall, a fantastic flavor and definitely one of my favorites. The sweetness of the ice cream is gorgeous and has a perfect complement in the caramel swirl and chocolate coating. This is as close to ice cream perfection as it comes. This flavor deserves a huge recommendation to anyone who enjoys a fairly sweet and crunchy ice cream.
Butter Pecan
Butter Pecan is a staple in most ice cream lines and has a generally accepted flavor and texture to it. Haagen Dazs, on the other hand, offers a much different approach. The typical elements of a Haagen Dazs ice cream, premium ingredients and smooth flavor, are there but slightly underwhelming.
Name
Butter Pecan is a common flavor and there is little room for creativity with this name. My only qualm with the name is the word "butter." It is completely deceiving based on the lack of richness.
Availability
Although Butter Pecan is a common flavor, it is not as common in the Haagen Dazs variety. I picked it up in a take-home pint from a local grocery store. It keeps fairly well as it has been sitting in my freezer for about a month and has not become icy or tough.
Flavor
High Notes
Butter Pecan did lack quite a bit on the high end but most rich flavors do so. It is composed mostly of dark, milky tones which I think is fine for a heavy flavor like Butter Pecan. The creaminess is a great complement for the pecans but does leave a lot of emptiness on the sweeter side. It is not a particularly complex flavor but there are no discernable high notes, which is unfortunate. Because pecans have a tendency to have a lingering bitterness, I feel that there needs to be some sort of sugary tatste to counter them.
Low Notes
This flavor is full of richness that stems from both the cream and the pecans. Although subtle, the cream provides a strong, overarching base for the nutty tones in the ice cream. I am incredibly disapointed by the lack of richhness in Haagen Dazs' variation of Butter Pecan. What I typically look forward to in this flavor is the powerful, sweet butter that the name promises. I understand that Haagen Dazs is a high-brow ice cream, but a lack of butteriness is unacceptable for a quality Butter Pecan ice cream. The pecans are the one redeeming quality about this flavor. They are rich, dark, and flavorful just like pecans should be. Haagen Dazs is known for its use of premium ingredients and the pecans were definitely some of the flavorful that I have ever tasted.
Texture
As usual, Haagen Dazs ice creams are smooth, creamy, and delightful. There was an even texture and flavor from top to bottom, even if the taste was unbalanced. I was also pleased with the distribution of pecans both in quantity and consistency.
Concluding Comments
Overall, Butter Pecan was bottom heavy and slow. Quite frankly Butter Pecan has no sweetness to blend with the pecans and is a one-sided, empty flavor.The Haagen Dazs' variation of this flavor can only be described as dirty and impure. The high end was nonexistent and the low tastes just left me simply wanting more. I cannot buy the "Haagen Dazs is sophisticated" argument because any truly great ice cream should include balanced flavor.
Name
Butter Pecan is a common flavor and there is little room for creativity with this name. My only qualm with the name is the word "butter." It is completely deceiving based on the lack of richness.
Availability
Although Butter Pecan is a common flavor, it is not as common in the Haagen Dazs variety. I picked it up in a take-home pint from a local grocery store. It keeps fairly well as it has been sitting in my freezer for about a month and has not become icy or tough.
Flavor
High Notes
Butter Pecan did lack quite a bit on the high end but most rich flavors do so. It is composed mostly of dark, milky tones which I think is fine for a heavy flavor like Butter Pecan. The creaminess is a great complement for the pecans but does leave a lot of emptiness on the sweeter side. It is not a particularly complex flavor but there are no discernable high notes, which is unfortunate. Because pecans have a tendency to have a lingering bitterness, I feel that there needs to be some sort of sugary tatste to counter them.
Low Notes
This flavor is full of richness that stems from both the cream and the pecans. Although subtle, the cream provides a strong, overarching base for the nutty tones in the ice cream. I am incredibly disapointed by the lack of richhness in Haagen Dazs' variation of Butter Pecan. What I typically look forward to in this flavor is the powerful, sweet butter that the name promises. I understand that Haagen Dazs is a high-brow ice cream, but a lack of butteriness is unacceptable for a quality Butter Pecan ice cream. The pecans are the one redeeming quality about this flavor. They are rich, dark, and flavorful just like pecans should be. Haagen Dazs is known for its use of premium ingredients and the pecans were definitely some of the flavorful that I have ever tasted.
Texture
As usual, Haagen Dazs ice creams are smooth, creamy, and delightful. There was an even texture and flavor from top to bottom, even if the taste was unbalanced. I was also pleased with the distribution of pecans both in quantity and consistency.
Concluding Comments
Overall, Butter Pecan was bottom heavy and slow. Quite frankly Butter Pecan has no sweetness to blend with the pecans and is a one-sided, empty flavor.The Haagen Dazs' variation of this flavor can only be described as dirty and impure. The high end was nonexistent and the low tastes just left me simply wanting more. I cannot buy the "Haagen Dazs is sophisticated" argument because any truly great ice cream should include balanced flavor.
Hawaiin Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream
I am really excited about this ice cream because it's one of the Haagen Dazs Reserve flavors. Lehua is a Hawaiian flower with a light, sweet flavor that blends very well with the sweet cream ice cream and dabs of honey.
Name
So I'm not 100 percent sure what Lehua tastes outside of ice cream, but I'm going to assume that it's accurately describing the floral tones of this flavor. There is visual evidence of honey in the ice cream so the name is accurate and straightforward. I like it.
Availability
Because this is a Haagen Dazs Reserve flavor, it's going to be a little more difficult to find in stores. I stumbled upon this one at a local grocery store. I don't believe Haagen Dazs Reserve flavors are available in scoop shops but I could be wrong.
Flavor
High Notes
The one word I can use to describe the flavor of this ice cream is delicate. It is a very subtle flavor that builds once it hits your mouth. It has a very sweet flavor but it's not heavy at all. It is dominated by the sweet cream and honey flavors, the previous being slightly stronger. The sweet cream is not a thick cream at all, which provides a perfect base for this flavor. The taste is very high which allows the low, floral end to really be expressed with a very natural tone. The honey itself provides optimal balance as its own independent flavor because of its sweetness and natural low notes.
Low Notes
The floral tones of the Lehua flower are so delicately balanced, yet well represented in this ice cream. Lehua's flavor is a bit similar to Chrysanthemum so it's not terribly sweet. The kind of low notes in Lehua are very unique for ice cream; I wouldn't call it heavy, but its definitely a deep, complex flavor. The natural combination of the flower and honey add a bit of sweetness to this low end, which works surprisingly well because of the lightness of the sweet cream.
Texture
As most Haagen Dazs ice creams are, Hawaiin Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream is amazingly smooth and even. The mix is consistent and tastes great from start to finish. The take-home pint keeps perfectly in a freezer at home and doesn't get icy.
Concluding Comments
The blend of creamy, natural, and sweet flavors in this exotic reserve flavor are amazing. If you are looking for something unique and light, Hawaiin Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream definitely hits the spot. It's very natural, very earthy, and a great after dinner ice cream.
Name
So I'm not 100 percent sure what Lehua tastes outside of ice cream, but I'm going to assume that it's accurately describing the floral tones of this flavor. There is visual evidence of honey in the ice cream so the name is accurate and straightforward. I like it.
Availability
Because this is a Haagen Dazs Reserve flavor, it's going to be a little more difficult to find in stores. I stumbled upon this one at a local grocery store. I don't believe Haagen Dazs Reserve flavors are available in scoop shops but I could be wrong.
Flavor
High Notes
The one word I can use to describe the flavor of this ice cream is delicate. It is a very subtle flavor that builds once it hits your mouth. It has a very sweet flavor but it's not heavy at all. It is dominated by the sweet cream and honey flavors, the previous being slightly stronger. The sweet cream is not a thick cream at all, which provides a perfect base for this flavor. The taste is very high which allows the low, floral end to really be expressed with a very natural tone. The honey itself provides optimal balance as its own independent flavor because of its sweetness and natural low notes.
Low Notes
The floral tones of the Lehua flower are so delicately balanced, yet well represented in this ice cream. Lehua's flavor is a bit similar to Chrysanthemum so it's not terribly sweet. The kind of low notes in Lehua are very unique for ice cream; I wouldn't call it heavy, but its definitely a deep, complex flavor. The natural combination of the flower and honey add a bit of sweetness to this low end, which works surprisingly well because of the lightness of the sweet cream.
Texture
As most Haagen Dazs ice creams are, Hawaiin Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream is amazingly smooth and even. The mix is consistent and tastes great from start to finish. The take-home pint keeps perfectly in a freezer at home and doesn't get icy.
Concluding Comments
The blend of creamy, natural, and sweet flavors in this exotic reserve flavor are amazing. If you are looking for something unique and light, Hawaiin Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream definitely hits the spot. It's very natural, very earthy, and a great after dinner ice cream.
Everything but the...
Everything but the... is a Ben & Jerry's flavor that I have never tried, which is very exciting. As I was browsing the ice cream freezer I noticed a flavor that had chocolate and vanilla ice creams filled with Heath bar chunks, white chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and chocolate covered almonds. I quickly decided that each of these things are components of other wonderful ice creams so Everything but the... sounded like a delightful selection. Plus, I didn't have to decided between vanilla or chocolate!
Name
Everything but the... has a positive connotation despite the lack of accuracy. This flavor is a combination of 6 different flavors. I don't know why that sounded appealing to me at first because that's fairly gross. Everything but the... implies that it is lacking something but in all seriousness, it isn't. I would have called it something like All the Good Stuff or something like that to maintain its deceivingly tasty sounding name. What I'm trying to say is that Everything but the... is a bad name.
Availability
I have rarely seen this flavor in supermarkets although it makes an appearance once in a while. To my understanding it is unavailable in scoop shops. I guess this is a hard to find flavor, and when it's in stock it comes in pints.
Flavor
High Notes
Everything but the... is quite the anomaly for my tastebuds because there is so much strong flavor, it's difficult to tell what is what. Just looking at the mix of the ice cream I would believe the vanilla to have some exceptional sweetness along with the white chocolate chips and the milk chocolate coating. I couldn't taste any of these. The chocolate is too dominant and completely washes the vanilla ice cream. The peanut butter cups and the almonds were too strong and salty to allow the high notes to be expressed. The white chocolate chips and the Heath bar are completely lost. When I first read the flavor description I was very excited because I love all the ingredients, but it was just too much. I would say that there are traces of the light, sweet high notes but they did not pull their weight in this mix.
Low Notes
The low end of this ice cream is just way, way too strong. It's not just heavy on the robust flavors, but the saltiness as well. The only things I taste in this ice cream are the chocolate ice cream, the peanut butter cups, and the salty chocolate covered almonds. I felt like this was an awful version of a Peanut Butter & Chocolate or Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. I cannot quite express how heavy and tasteless this ice cream was. I really hate to be so critical but I had high expectations for this ice cream, but I couldn't taste any of the flavors I was hoping for. I understand the vanilla being washed because it's subtle but then again, if it's not tasted, why leave it in to dilute the chocolate ice cream. Both white chocolate and Heath bar are strong high end flavors so there's no reason why they shouldn't be evident, especially if they're the flavors that keep the ice cream balanced. The low flavors were way too strong and completely dominated the ice cream.
Texture
Everything but the... is a smooth, creamy, super-premium ice cream. It has few air pockets and it's heavy. The mix is incredibly uneven and has far too many peanut butter cups. The toppings come in large chunks making it difficult to get a normal sized spoonful. When I pulled out a large piece of candy, the ice cream came out disproportionately. I think a lot of the balance issues could be solved by the mix of the ice cream and the size of the candy pieces.
Concluding Comments
The one and only criticism I have for Everything but the... is it has severe balance issues. I really had high hopes for an ice cream that has so many wonderful concepts but it was completely bottom heavy. I am really disappointed because a lot of these problems could have been alleviated by simply changing the proportions of the flavors. This ice cream doesn't do anything well except overload strong flavor.
Name
Everything but the... has a positive connotation despite the lack of accuracy. This flavor is a combination of 6 different flavors. I don't know why that sounded appealing to me at first because that's fairly gross. Everything but the... implies that it is lacking something but in all seriousness, it isn't. I would have called it something like All the Good Stuff or something like that to maintain its deceivingly tasty sounding name. What I'm trying to say is that Everything but the... is a bad name.
Availability
I have rarely seen this flavor in supermarkets although it makes an appearance once in a while. To my understanding it is unavailable in scoop shops. I guess this is a hard to find flavor, and when it's in stock it comes in pints.
Flavor
High Notes
Everything but the... is quite the anomaly for my tastebuds because there is so much strong flavor, it's difficult to tell what is what. Just looking at the mix of the ice cream I would believe the vanilla to have some exceptional sweetness along with the white chocolate chips and the milk chocolate coating. I couldn't taste any of these. The chocolate is too dominant and completely washes the vanilla ice cream. The peanut butter cups and the almonds were too strong and salty to allow the high notes to be expressed. The white chocolate chips and the Heath bar are completely lost. When I first read the flavor description I was very excited because I love all the ingredients, but it was just too much. I would say that there are traces of the light, sweet high notes but they did not pull their weight in this mix.
Low Notes
The low end of this ice cream is just way, way too strong. It's not just heavy on the robust flavors, but the saltiness as well. The only things I taste in this ice cream are the chocolate ice cream, the peanut butter cups, and the salty chocolate covered almonds. I felt like this was an awful version of a Peanut Butter & Chocolate or Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. I cannot quite express how heavy and tasteless this ice cream was. I really hate to be so critical but I had high expectations for this ice cream, but I couldn't taste any of the flavors I was hoping for. I understand the vanilla being washed because it's subtle but then again, if it's not tasted, why leave it in to dilute the chocolate ice cream. Both white chocolate and Heath bar are strong high end flavors so there's no reason why they shouldn't be evident, especially if they're the flavors that keep the ice cream balanced. The low flavors were way too strong and completely dominated the ice cream.
Texture
Everything but the... is a smooth, creamy, super-premium ice cream. It has few air pockets and it's heavy. The mix is incredibly uneven and has far too many peanut butter cups. The toppings come in large chunks making it difficult to get a normal sized spoonful. When I pulled out a large piece of candy, the ice cream came out disproportionately. I think a lot of the balance issues could be solved by the mix of the ice cream and the size of the candy pieces.
Concluding Comments
The one and only criticism I have for Everything but the... is it has severe balance issues. I really had high hopes for an ice cream that has so many wonderful concepts but it was completely bottom heavy. I am really disappointed because a lot of these problems could have been alleviated by simply changing the proportions of the flavors. This ice cream doesn't do anything well except overload strong flavor.
Cherry Garcia
Cherry Garcia is a staple of the Ben & Jerry's brand so I thought it would be appropriate to post about it early on. Cherry Garcia is a cherry based ice cream with pieces of bing cherries and fudge flakes.
Name
Cherry Garcia was first released in 1987 as a tribute to Grateful Dead lead vocalist and guitarist Jerry Garcia. The word "Cherry" is cleverly used in place of the name Jerry in order to hint at the base flavor of the ice cream. Ben & Jerry's loves witty names and puns and its flagship flavor fits perfectly in line with the rest of its super-premium partners.
Availability
Cherry Garcia, being the most popular flavor in the Ben & Jerry's line, tends to be widely available in any scoop shop and any market that carries Ben & Jerry's ice cream (available in 3.6 ounce servings, pints, and quarts). The take-home version doesn't keep too well as it becomes a bit icy and gritty over time, although the flavor is unaffected. It probably has about a 2 week freshness life.
Flavor
High Notes
Cherry Garcia does not have an overbearing high tone. The cherry base flavor is creamy but not heavy like most artificial fruit flavor bases. Its lightness allows for flavor that is simple, yet evident. This is one of Cherry Garcia's most remarkable points: the subtleness of its creamy, cherry flavor. The chunks of bing cherries is the perfect complement to the creaminess of the base. The actual cherries are a bit sweet but they have a redeeming natural quality that does not get lost in the artificial flavors of ice cream. Overall the high notes are wonderfully sweet and subtle with the right balance of creaminess and natural structure. I am impressed with how well the base flavor and the cherries balance each other without overlapping flavors. Together they create a much fuller cherry flavor staying true to the name Cherry Garcia.
Low Notes
The key to the beauty of Cherry Garcia as a flavor lies in its balance, and considering the fragility of the sweeter tastes in this ice cream, the low end also needs to remain light. Cherry Garcia is able to create this balance with its very even low end, drawing a majority of its heaviness from the fudge flakes and the natural flavor of the cherries. Both of these flavors are subtle, complementary, and long. The flavor of the thin fudge flakes beautifully fills in the gaps in the lightness of the cherry ice cream. The fudge is a bit bittersweet making it heavy but because it is cut so thin, it is still a bit loose. The cherries, although sweetened, retain a bit of their natural acidity. This airy tartness is an unnoticed counter-flavor to the otherwise balanced sweetness of Cherry Garcia. The complexity of Cherry Garcia is often overlooked simply because it is so popular and so sweet; however, the balance of high and low notes, along with the counter-flavor, are what really contribute to the beauty of this ice cream.
Texture
Ben & Jerry's is, by definition, a super-premium ice cream. It is a fairly thick, heavy ice cream with little air in the mix. Cherry Garcia, however, is a little bit icy in the take-home variety but the texture grew on me. It is not a typically icy ice cream and as I ate it, the creaminess became more and more evident. The distribution of the cherries and the fudge is fairly consistent and I got a little bit of both in each spoonful.
Concluding Comments
As I said earlier, Ben & Jerry's most popular flavor achieved its reputation because if its beautiful, modest mix of complexity that is often overlooked. I have no real criticism of this ice cream except that it is good, not great It is simple, sweet, and full of subtle fruit flavor and there is no doubt why it has become such a staple in the American ice cream market.
Name
Cherry Garcia was first released in 1987 as a tribute to Grateful Dead lead vocalist and guitarist Jerry Garcia. The word "Cherry" is cleverly used in place of the name Jerry in order to hint at the base flavor of the ice cream. Ben & Jerry's loves witty names and puns and its flagship flavor fits perfectly in line with the rest of its super-premium partners.
Availability
Cherry Garcia, being the most popular flavor in the Ben & Jerry's line, tends to be widely available in any scoop shop and any market that carries Ben & Jerry's ice cream (available in 3.6 ounce servings, pints, and quarts). The take-home version doesn't keep too well as it becomes a bit icy and gritty over time, although the flavor is unaffected. It probably has about a 2 week freshness life.
Flavor
High Notes
Cherry Garcia does not have an overbearing high tone. The cherry base flavor is creamy but not heavy like most artificial fruit flavor bases. Its lightness allows for flavor that is simple, yet evident. This is one of Cherry Garcia's most remarkable points: the subtleness of its creamy, cherry flavor. The chunks of bing cherries is the perfect complement to the creaminess of the base. The actual cherries are a bit sweet but they have a redeeming natural quality that does not get lost in the artificial flavors of ice cream. Overall the high notes are wonderfully sweet and subtle with the right balance of creaminess and natural structure. I am impressed with how well the base flavor and the cherries balance each other without overlapping flavors. Together they create a much fuller cherry flavor staying true to the name Cherry Garcia.
Low Notes
The key to the beauty of Cherry Garcia as a flavor lies in its balance, and considering the fragility of the sweeter tastes in this ice cream, the low end also needs to remain light. Cherry Garcia is able to create this balance with its very even low end, drawing a majority of its heaviness from the fudge flakes and the natural flavor of the cherries. Both of these flavors are subtle, complementary, and long. The flavor of the thin fudge flakes beautifully fills in the gaps in the lightness of the cherry ice cream. The fudge is a bit bittersweet making it heavy but because it is cut so thin, it is still a bit loose. The cherries, although sweetened, retain a bit of their natural acidity. This airy tartness is an unnoticed counter-flavor to the otherwise balanced sweetness of Cherry Garcia. The complexity of Cherry Garcia is often overlooked simply because it is so popular and so sweet; however, the balance of high and low notes, along with the counter-flavor, are what really contribute to the beauty of this ice cream.
Texture
Ben & Jerry's is, by definition, a super-premium ice cream. It is a fairly thick, heavy ice cream with little air in the mix. Cherry Garcia, however, is a little bit icy in the take-home variety but the texture grew on me. It is not a typically icy ice cream and as I ate it, the creaminess became more and more evident. The distribution of the cherries and the fudge is fairly consistent and I got a little bit of both in each spoonful.
Concluding Comments
As I said earlier, Ben & Jerry's most popular flavor achieved its reputation because if its beautiful, modest mix of complexity that is often overlooked. I have no real criticism of this ice cream except that it is good, not great It is simple, sweet, and full of subtle fruit flavor and there is no doubt why it has become such a staple in the American ice cream market.
Welcome
Hi. My name is Michael. And I enjoy ice cream. I created this blog to both give me an entertaining outlet to passionately discuss ice cream and to help you find your favorite flavors.
I will evaluate an ice cream based on the following criteria:
Name- originality, sound, and its accuracy in describing the flavor
Availability- who makes it, where you can purchase it (scoop shop, market, chain, local, etc.), and how it keeps in the freezer for the take-home ice cream
Flavor- there are two components to flavor, high notes and low notes, both of which must be present and balanced in a quality ice cream
Texture- the quality and feeling of the ice cream, the grade of the ice cream (economy, premium, super-premium), and the consistency of its composition throughout the sampling
Concluding Comments- I will make comments about the overall opinion I have of the ice cream as well as any possible combinations, toppings, or critique of the flavor
Tags- I will tag each post by manufacturer, quality (economy, premium, super-premium), base flavor (chocolate, vanilla, fruit, etc.), availability (store, take-home, local), and recommend/not recommend
I will sample the ice cream, both in-store and take-home, in the same fashion. Prior to the tasting I will rinse my mouth with lukewarm water and then eat a salt-free cracker or other starch followed by another lukewarm water rinse. I will then use a tasteless spoon (either gold or plastic) and distribute the spoonful of ice cream to every area of the tongue with a consistent air supply. I will continue this procedure by taking spoonfuls from all identifiable layers of the ice cream, totaling at least 2 ounces.
I feel qualified to create this blog because of my lifelong passion for and experience with ice cream. Since childhood I have consumed an estimated 500 different ice cream flavors in scoop shop, take-home, and local variations. Eating and trying new ice cream is a particularly enjoyable activity for both myself and my close friends. I worked at a local Baskin Robbins through high school and a year of college, although I have no bias towards Baskin Robbins. I love to eat and I am clearly passionate about great ice cream.
I will try to update this blog at least once a week with a new flavor, as long as health permits. I will also promise to keep these reviews strictly to ice cream and not frozen yogurt, despite the recent trend of frozen yogurt consumption. Some of my future plans for this blog will include guest reviews from my close friends whose palettes I trust, blind taste tests between various brands, as well as reviews on flavors you suggest. Go out and try the flavors I review and let everyone know what you think, whether you agree with me or not. It is my sincerest wish that you enjoy yourself while reading my blog and you contribute to this community. I believe that every human being must give in to indulgence to maintain happiness so allow yourself to express your joie de vivre through taste. I hope you share my passion for ice cream and please comment or contact me with any information you would like to see here. Happy tasting!
I will evaluate an ice cream based on the following criteria:
Name- originality, sound, and its accuracy in describing the flavor
Availability- who makes it, where you can purchase it (scoop shop, market, chain, local, etc.), and how it keeps in the freezer for the take-home ice cream
Flavor- there are two components to flavor, high notes and low notes, both of which must be present and balanced in a quality ice cream
Texture- the quality and feeling of the ice cream, the grade of the ice cream (economy, premium, super-premium), and the consistency of its composition throughout the sampling
Concluding Comments- I will make comments about the overall opinion I have of the ice cream as well as any possible combinations, toppings, or critique of the flavor
Tags- I will tag each post by manufacturer, quality (economy, premium, super-premium), base flavor (chocolate, vanilla, fruit, etc.), availability (store, take-home, local), and recommend/not recommend
I will sample the ice cream, both in-store and take-home, in the same fashion. Prior to the tasting I will rinse my mouth with lukewarm water and then eat a salt-free cracker or other starch followed by another lukewarm water rinse. I will then use a tasteless spoon (either gold or plastic) and distribute the spoonful of ice cream to every area of the tongue with a consistent air supply. I will continue this procedure by taking spoonfuls from all identifiable layers of the ice cream, totaling at least 2 ounces.
I feel qualified to create this blog because of my lifelong passion for and experience with ice cream. Since childhood I have consumed an estimated 500 different ice cream flavors in scoop shop, take-home, and local variations. Eating and trying new ice cream is a particularly enjoyable activity for both myself and my close friends. I worked at a local Baskin Robbins through high school and a year of college, although I have no bias towards Baskin Robbins. I love to eat and I am clearly passionate about great ice cream.
I will try to update this blog at least once a week with a new flavor, as long as health permits. I will also promise to keep these reviews strictly to ice cream and not frozen yogurt, despite the recent trend of frozen yogurt consumption. Some of my future plans for this blog will include guest reviews from my close friends whose palettes I trust, blind taste tests between various brands, as well as reviews on flavors you suggest. Go out and try the flavors I review and let everyone know what you think, whether you agree with me or not. It is my sincerest wish that you enjoy yourself while reading my blog and you contribute to this community. I believe that every human being must give in to indulgence to maintain happiness so allow yourself to express your joie de vivre through taste. I hope you share my passion for ice cream and please comment or contact me with any information you would like to see here. Happy tasting!
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