** ~ Ice Cream Eating Now Thread -- Round 4 ~ **

[ugasar]

Salt & Straw The Great Candycopia
The butterscotch base is nice upon first bite without scooping any mixins. It is buttery, sweet, and somewhat reminiscent of caramel, although not as creamy in my opinion. However, it takes a back seat to the mixins once you start hitting those, which thanks to Salt & Straw, happen to be everywhere in this pint.



Out of all the mixins, the Whoppers and Heath Bars were the most abundant, then the Snickers and PB cups were slightly behind them. Believe it or not, the Whoppers have the most flavor of any mixin. It has that chocolate malt flavor that is unique and really stands out. However, the texture was the worst with these though. It wasn’t bad, but they were just a little stale-like on the inside from being frozen in ice cream.



Snickers is one of my favorite candy bars, but it was probably the least abundant as far as mixins go. The caramel in Snickers was stronger than I expected and built on the butteriness of the butterscotch base even more. Most of them were crushed up, which allowed the chocolate and caramel to form this gooey, almost swirl-like texture.



The PB cups are soft and chewy with a slight crunch from the chocolate coating around the peanut butter. These also had a strong, noticeable flavor to them as well, tasting exactly like a Reese’s cup. The slightly salty peanut butter combined with chocolate is always a great pairing.



The Heath Bars were probably the crunchiest, but still not overly hard, providing a perfect texture. As you would expect, the flavor had a buttery, almond nutty taste to it surrounded by chocolate. This was probably my favorite pairing with the butterscotch base because of all the extra butteriness.



This was an above average pint form Salt & Straw. However, it doesn’t rank in the top tier. This was more fun than anything. Who doesn’t love a buttery base with a bunch of chocolate candies as mixins? If you passed on it this year, you better hope it returns in the fall of 2017, because this is a “must-scoop” from Salt & Straw. A-

[lazymuchacho]

Salt & Straw The Great Candycopia

Unfortunate that your Snickers chunks got crushed and Whoppers were soggy.

Both of the pints I've had so far were free of these problems so that probably explains our different assessments.

[ugasar]

Little g Snack Attack
I expected big things going into this pint and it delivered. I am glad I saved this one and PB Brittle with Salted Fudge for my last two pints of the first shipment.



The vanilla bean has been talked about enough with everyone’s reviews. It is simple, creamy and once again, takes a backseat to let all of the mixins do the talking.

I would say the most abundant mixins were the candy coated chocolates (m&m’s) and the peanut butter cups. The m&m’s were full of milk chocolate flavor and contrasted the vanilla base nicely. My big complaint here was that they were rock hard. They did not melt in your mouth, and were extremely crunchy.



The peanut butter cups had a somewhat stiff chocolate outside to them, but had a soft chewy peanut butter inside. The taste was exactly like a Reese’s cup. This added a little bit of saltiness to the pint as well.

The next most prominent mixin was the butter crackers. These were arguably my favorite mixin of the pint. They broke apart when your spoon hit them because they were so soft and moist. But most importantly, they were extremely buttery and salty.



I came across a few pretzels and maybe one potato chip throughout the pint. There was already so much going on that little g easily could have gone without these. The pretzels were somewhat stale and soft in texture from the ice cream. The same goes with the lone potato chip I encountered as well. Lastly, they weren’t as salty as I would have liked either.



I have mixed feelings about this pint, and I will definitely rescoop it down the road. The chocolate and peanut butter flavors are a nice contrast to the vanilla bean base. The pretzels and potato chips were a letdown in both texture and saltiness, however, the buttery crackers more than make up for it. I am going slightly above average with this pint. Although the pretzels and potato chips were an extreme miss, the other mixins are enough to satisfy your taste buds with the sweet and salty combo. B+

[lazymuchacho]

Ugh, the Foie Gras flavor is probably never coming back.

They are getting hammered in social media by animal rights people.

Think I'll go ahead with the second order to stock up.

[ugasar]

Ugh, the Foie Gras flavor is probably never coming back.

They are getting hammered in social media by animal rights people.

Think I'll go ahead with the second order to stock up.

That sucks for them! I just ordered my 5-pack.. Elvis, Truffle, Universe and two Oatmeals!!








Jeni’s Sun-Popped Corn


I was visiting my sister last summer and picked this up while at the scoop shop in ATL. I just now remembered it was in her freezer still. Luckily, it was still in perfect condition. It sounds interesting, but it is a pretty basic pint.



The base replicates buttery popcorn very well. In fact, it is better than “A Night At The Movies” that Ample Hills released last year. It reminds me of kettle corn popcorn to be exact. The sweetness is present with every bite from the cream and milk. However, it is the buttery aftertones that really makes this pint great.



There aren’t any mixins noted in this pint, but there are little bits of corn and kernels throughout the ice cream. They aren’t as aggravating as kernels left in the bottom of a popcorn bag though. They are kind of like small seeds that are hardly noticeable, but do give the occasional crunch every few bites.



I wasn’t expecting too much from this pint but it delivered. Each bite begins with a sweet creamy flavor that ends with a buttery after taste, replicating popcorn to perfection. I wish Ample Hills would have used this base or Jeni’s use their mixins to make an amazing pint. This was a great base, but was lacking mixins. Still, I recommend scooping this one if it comes back this summer. B

[lazymuchacho]

That sucks for them! I just ordered my 5-pack.. Elvis, Truffle, Universe and two Oatmeals!!

Some have complained about not getting enough cookies, but S&S is pretty darn solid with mix-in quantity/consistency so I'm hopeful that you'll get some good Foie Gras pints.

If that turns out to be the case, I have no doubt that you'll enjoy that flavor a fair amount.

[EmperorRyker]

B&J One Love:

Did you get this in Europe? It looks good. Apparently, this flavor is coming to the US, as well, and I was told there were going to be plenty of new ones soon. Can someone remind me which ones have been announced already? Oh, and I got to snag a pint of Boston Cream Pie from the scoop shop before it's gone, so that's cool as I've never had or even seen it before.

For anyone interested, an update on my Little G "situation" is that I'm getting replacement pints delivered on Thursday. I'm not getting the same flavors as the original shipment (I chose some different ones, but the pumpkin bread one wasn't available anymore anyway, ugh) and hopefully this time there aren't any issues with freezer burn or iciness.

Speaking of freezer burn, is it just my experience or does this problem arise way more frequently at these hipster stores and co-ops? I've NEVER had freezer burn with pints from Food Lion, Walgreens or Harris Teeter, whereas with The Fresh Market and a local community owned grocery store it seems as if around a third have some sort of problem. I've only bought from Whole Foods and can't really remember. As for online orders, I had issues with some stuff from IceCreamSource.com and, obviously, Goldbely, but FoodyDirect has been flawless so far (Capannari and Ice Cream Jubilee).

[merpmerp]

Surprised nobody mentioned Halo Top ice cream, which is low-calorie, high-protein, and low-sugar. The original flavor, vanilla bean, has 240 calories for the entire pint, and 24 g protein. It has 44 g of carbs though, which consists of 12 g of dietary fiber, 16 g of sugar, and 16 grams of sugar alcohol. Do fiber and sugar alcohol count towards macros for carbs or no?

[SOH11]

Surprised nobody mentioned Halo Top ice cream, which is low-calorie, high-protein, and low-sugar. The original flavor, vanilla bean, has 240 calories for the entire pint, and 24 g protein. It has 44 g of carbs though, which consists of 12 g of dietary fiber, 16 g of sugar, and 16 grams of sugar alcohol. Do fiber and sugar alcohol count towards macros for carbs or no?

A lot of people have mentioned Halo Top.

And it sucks, sorry.

[ADD61]

Is Gooey Butter Cake at Jenis limited/seasonal?

[ugasar]

Is Gooey Butter Cake at Jenis limited/seasonal?

Yes, it is part of their winter seasonal flavors. When I bought all of my winter pints, the server said they would definitely be around through February and most likely into early March.







Salt & Straw Cranberry Walnut Stuffing


I didn’t quite know what to expect going into this pint, as I am not the biggest fan of cranberries. However, stuffing is one of my favorite foods, especially stuffing made of apples, toasted walnuts and cinnamon-raisin bread pudding.



I was worried the cranberry base would be “in your face” strong with tartness. However, this was not the case at all. The cranberry taste is definitely there and easily identified, but it is pretty subtle and not that sweet at all. Salt & Straw managed a perfect balance between the sweet and tart flavors of the cranberries.



The stuffing was the perfect mixin for this pint. You can actually see chunks of apples and raisins within the bread pudding. Some pieces are soft and chewy, while the ones that contain walnuts are crunchier. This provides a nice contrast of bites with each spoonful. The flavor is much sweeter than the base with the raisins and apples providing much of the sugary taste. The hint of cinnamon adds a little extra kick to each spoonful that brings everything together.



Overall, I was very impressed with this pint. I wasn’t too excited about the cranberries, but the stuffing had me intrigued. Thankfully, everything played to my favor with the cranberry taste being noticeable but not overpowering. And if you don’t like soft apple, walnut and cinnamon-raisin bread pudding acting as stuffing for mixins then something just isn’t right with you. Put this one in your cart next Fall when Salt & Straw releases their Thanksgiving flavors. B

[ADD61]

Yes, it is part of their winter seasonal flavors. When I bought all of my winter pints, the server said they would definitely be around through February and most likely into early March.

Thanks. Looks like I will be traveling over to the scoop shop for it. I missed your review if you did one. Thoughts?

[lazymuchacho]

Let it go, buddy. You just seem like a weirdo with grudge now.

*kiss*

Did you get this in Europe? It looks good. Apparently, this flavor is coming to the US, as well, and I was told there were going to be plenty of new ones soon.

Unaware of announcement saying it's headed for the States; I picked it up in Zurich.

Not bad enough to recommend avoiding if it arrives, but should be a one and done for most.

Salt & Straw Cranberry Walnut Stuffing

Enjoyed this one a surprising amount as well.

[lazymuchacho]

February S&S:

https://www.fb101.com/2017/01/share-...y-salt-straws/

missing out on some strong LA collabs unfortunately...

[SOH11]

Kinda worried...my Little G shipment I ordered back a few weeks ago is supposed to arrive today. FedEx tracking shows a tracking number registered to my place, but it's only listed as "label created". Really hope it shows up today...

[crpav]

I follow this thread as much as possible and enjoy ice cream as much as the rest but can't spend time going through every page and post. First off miss ErickStevens, despite his opinion of ice cream and others, but/and also miss when this was about enjoying ice cream and not berating others and their opinions...but anyway.

What are the top brands to order? Where I live I am limited to ordering online. Have done several Graeters orders but want to try others. Cost isn't a big issue but the best deal the better. I would love to try Salt and Straw, Jenis and Little Gs. Feel I am missing many others. Can others offer brands and places to order? Seems ice cream source and goldbely are limited so many might have to be direct.

[lazymuchacho]

What are the top brands to order?

Best advice I can give you: save up for Salt & Straw's March flavors (favorites voted by people are coming back) and when they come out place two orders, each for 6 pints.

You'll get 12 pints of some of the best ice cream you'll ever have.

[SOH11]

****.

Still no tracking update on my ice cream shipment from Goldbely/Little G. Was supposed to be delivered today but it looks like FedEx never even picked up the shipment on Tuesday.



Update:

Emailed Little G. Got a response back saying Goldbely was supposed to contact me because they no longer have the Winter collection in stock. I picked this Thursday cause it was the closest Thursday I had off. I had emailed them a few days after my order asking for another pint of Gingerbread Man instead of Peppermint Bark and even gave them the delivery date again. They told me it wouldn't be an issue.

They came back and offered me 8 pints to replace the missing 6. Holiday flavors sounded awesome, but this is a super generous offer. Now to pick 8 flavors...

1. Hot Chocolate
2. Chocolate Milk and Cookies
3. Snack Attack
4. Maple Pecan French Toast
5. That Peanut Butter Dough
6. Movie Night
7. Puppy Chow
8. Cowboy Cookie

Should come Feb. 2nd.

I also have another order coming Feb. 16th with Movie Night, Puppy Chow, Cowboy Cookie, Maple Pecan, Go Bananas, and Going to the Circus.

SO. MUCH. ICE CREAM. Any tips on how to make sure they don't get all freezer burnt?!!

[mussina123]

Any tips on how to make sure they don't get all freezer burnt?!!

eat them haha..

[ADD61]

****.

Still no tracking update on my ice cream shipment from Goldbely/Little G. Was supposed to be delivered today but it looks like FedEx never even picked up the shipment on Tuesday.



Update:

Emailed Little G. Got a response back saying Goldbely was supposed to contact me because they no longer have the Winter collection in stock. I picked this Thursday cause it was the closest Thursday I had off. I had emailed them a few days after my order asking for another pint of Gingerbread Man instead of Peppermint Bark and even gave them the delivery date again. They told me it wouldn't be an issue.

They came back and offered me 8 pints to replace the missing 6. Holiday flavors sounded awesome, but this is a super generous offer. Now to pick 8 flavors...

1. Hot Chocolate
2. Chocolate Milk and Cookies
3. Snack Attack
4. Maple Pecan French Toast
5. That Peanut Butter Dough
6. Movie Night
7. Puppy Chow
8. Cowboy Cookie

Should come Feb. 2nd.

I also have another order coming Feb. 16th with Movie Night, Puppy Chow, Cowboy Cookie, Maple Pecan, Go Bananas, and Going to the Circus.

SO. MUCH. ICE CREAM. Any tips on how to make sure they don't get all freezer burnt?!!

Take a credit on one of the order and use for a later date when she releases another collection.

Semi-related:

Does anyone have a goldbely promo code they want gain some points on? I'm ready to make another Little G order.

[nakkiz]

SO. MUCH. ICE CREAM. Any tips on how to make sure they don't get all freezer burnt?!!

Put the pints in zip lock bags and make sure that your freezer is set to the lowest temperature available. I've stored pints for more than 6 months this way, and they've never been freezer burnt.

[SOH11]

Put the pints in zip lock bags and make sure that your freezer is set to the lowest temperature available. I've stored pints for more than 6 months this way, and they've never been freezer burnt.

Bah, rep on spread! Thanks boss!

Take a credit on one of the order and use for a later date when she releases another collection.

Semi-related:

Does anyone have a goldbely promo code they want gain some points on? I'm ready to make another Little G order.

I should've thought of that, but I already sent them my list of 8 pints! Oh well, doubt I regret it. Also...Check CP!

eat them haha..

All 14 pints? So much ice cream haha

[ADD61]

Bah, rep on spread! Thanks boss!



I should've thought of that, but I already sent them my list of 8 pints! Oh well, doubt I regret it. Also...Check CP!



All 14 pints? So much ice cream haha

Nakkiz's suggestion bag will cover you. What is CP?

[SOH11]

Nakkiz's suggestion bag will cover you. What is CP?

Basically, it means check your rep. Click on "User CP". It's on the top left by the "Private Messages" tab.

[lazymuchacho]

Basically, it means check your rep. Click on "User CP". It's on the top left by the "Private Messages" tab.

If you want to be extra careful, you can wrap them in saran wrap before putting them in the freezer bag (the bag's seal leaks a non-trivial amount over long time periods).

[ugasar]

Thanks. Looks like I will be traveling over to the scoop shop for it. I missed your review if you did one. Thoughts?

I have not scooped them yet. I have so much ice cream in my freezer right now. I should be tapping into the first of the 5 winter flavors for Jeni's in about 2 weeks!

Enjoyed this one a surprising amount as well.

That cinnamon-raisin bread pudding stuffing was great!






Little g Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel


I was excited to scoop another one of Little g’s limited edition fall pints. As usual, this pint was chalked full of mixins.



The vanilla bean base was actually more of a player in this pint than I expected. In previous pints, the mixins have really overpowered the vanilla bean base. However, the base stood out quite a bit in certain spoonfuls. It is dense, creamy but melts slightly faster than I would have liked. The richness of the vanilla beans is one of my favorite flavors.



As you can tell, it was impossible to scoop a spoonful of just the base without hitting either some peanut butter or chocolate covered pretzels. The peanut butter in this pint was not thick and sticky like your traditional peanut butter out of a jar. The peanut butter acted more as a swirl with a thinner consistency to it. The taste was sweeter as well. I enjoyed the consistency of the peanut butter but I wanted more salt with it.



I was hoping the pretzels would make up for the lack of salt in this pint, but that wasn’t the case. The pretzels themselves are everywhere, but lack salt and some lack crunchiness as well. I would say majority of them started out crunchy, due to the chocolate coating surrounding them, but ended up being stale-like in texture.



This was just a middle of the road pint for little g. I do think it is better than most of the flavors I have tried so far because of the absurd amount of mixins and swirls. The chocolate, peanut butter combination is great. However, I would have preferred a little more saltiness, as well as crunchier pretzels. Still an above average pint for Grace! B

[ADD61]

Basically, it means check your rep. Click on "User CP". It's on the top left by the "Private Messages" tab.

Thank you sir

[EmperorRyker]

Put the pints in zip lock bags and make sure that your freezer is set to the lowest temperature available. I've stored pints for more than 6 months this way, and they've never been freezer burnt.

For what it's worth, I've stored pints for that long without doing that and they were fine, too. If you open your freezer a lot, the best way to prevent freezer burn is to store the pints at the bottom or back. If you do that, there's practically no way anything will happen to them. But what you suggested is definitely gonna help in either case.

I follow this thread as much as possible and enjoy ice cream as much as the rest but can't spend time going through every page and post. First off miss ErickStevens, despite his opinion of ice cream and others, but/and also miss when this was about enjoying ice cream and not berating others and their opinions...but anyway.

What are the top brands to order? Where I live I am limited to ordering online. Have done several Graeters orders but want to try others. Cost isn't a big issue but the best deal the better. I would love to try Salt and Straw, Jenis and Little Gs. Feel I am missing many others. Can others offer brands and places to order? Seems ice cream source and goldbely are limited so many might have to be direct.

I'd also recommend Ice Cream Jubilee. Capannari is quality ice cream, as well, but their flavors aren't as exciting.

[lazymuchacho]

O lordy, AH couldn't even be bothered to put a swirl in these Super Bowl pints.

Pass.

[pdizzlecity]

O lordy, AH couldn't even be bothered to put a swirl in these Super Bowl pints.

Pass.

AH flavors almost never have swirls