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

[Tyler2106]

This is missing the point. People have budgets.

$94 for 4 9-10/10 pints from Tamara

vs.

$74 for 4 "greatly under-delivered" pints from company Misc.

Go ahead and tell me you don't want the $74 back to put 20 on top and get something great.

I have ZERO regrets putting my order in with them. I wanted to try them, so I did. Now that I've tried them, I can tell people, who are on budgets, to pass on this company

Let's not forget about the flavors that were terrible from Clementine's, so it's not like it's a guarantee you'd get "great" pints.

[crpav]

Starting to come to the end of my ice cream stash from past orders. I enjoyed a majority of the flavors from Salt and Straw and even the McDough Little G. I also have to say my second pint of Triple Cookie Dough from Little G is awesome. Some may not like it but it's a great flavor in my opinion. For as old as it is it's not icy and mix ins are superb. Anyway, seems to be a big drought of "must order" flavors and/or companies to me. Might go back to Ample Hills for a small hold me over order with some past flavors I enjoyed and try a few I have not. Any other companies and flavors I should look into until either S&S has flavors I want or Little G is back?

[Tyler2106]

Starting to come to the end of my ice cream stash from past orders. I enjoyed a majority of the flavors from Salt and Straw and even the McDough Little G. I also have to say my second pint of Triple Cookie Dough from Little G is awesome. Some may not like it but it's a great flavor in my opinion. For as old as it is it's not icy and mix ins are superb. Anyway, seems to be a big drought of "must order" flavors and/or companies to me. Might go back to Ample Hills for a small hold me over order with some past flavors I enjoyed and try a few I have not. Any other companies and flavors I should look into until either S&S has flavors I want or Little G is back?

Clementine is the "safest" bet right now. My guess is Little g isn't coming back.

Question: Does anyone know the components to the OG Cinnatopia? I know the recent one was changed up a bit, but curious how the OG was different.

[ugasar]

7-Select Toasted S'mores


I was on a weekend trip to North Carolina when I ran across a 7-Eleven right by my hotel. I immediately knew I couldn't pass this pint up with the countless number of great reviews.



Their freezer had either been open for a while previously, or wasn't cooling properly, because all of their pints were soft. Therefore, this pint was already melting pretty fast. The density is along the line of Ben & Jerry's, at least with what I could tell form this pint. Not as dense as some companies, but certainly considered a premium ice cream.



The flavor of the base was phenomenal. Normally, graham cracker bases are very mild in flavor and hard to notice among the other s'mores components. The exact opposite is true here! The base was sweet from the honey and tasted exactly like graham crackers. Most importantly, it stood its ground against the chocolate and marshmallow mixins.



Both of the chocolate and marshmallow swirls were all over the place. They weren't as thick or dense as I was expecting, but were still very sticky. The marshmallow swirl was sugary and much sweeter than the graham cracker base. The fudge swirl wasn't quite as sweet, but incredibly rich in fudge flavor.



The chocolate chunks weren't as abundant as the swirls, but certainly weren't lacking either. They had a soft chew and immediately melted in your mouth upon scooping them. Their flavor was more along the lines of milk chocolate, which contrasted the fudge swirl, but still combined well with the graham base.



This pint definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it. There really isn't anything unique about it or the mixins, except for the fact that the flavors actually compliment one another perfectly. The graham cracker base is arguably the most flavorful component of the pint. The swirls are sticky and add both sweetness and richness to the pint. Lastly, the chocolate chunks bring the s'more concept full circle with their melt-in-your-mouth texture. In case you need another review to persuade you, this is easily the best s'mores ice cream in the game. A-

[crpav]

Clementine is the "safest" bet right now. My guess is Little g isn't coming back.

Question: Does anyone know the components to the OG Cinnatopia? I know the recent one was changed up a bit, but curious how the OG was different.

Thanks and really? You think her situation is that bad that she will close up?

[Tyler2106]

Thanks and really? You think her situation is that bad that she will close up?

Close up? No. I meant return to nationwide shipping. I don't think she will.

[crpav]

Close up? No. I meant return to nationwide shipping. I don't think she will.

Ahh I see. Yeah I was also going to add "close up or just sale local". As for Clementines no place for me to order or buy so they are out. Might just have to go Ample Hills for now. Wish Goldbely had something at least a little worth trying since I do have $15 credit to use.

[ADD61]

Salt & Straw Apple Frosting Caramel Crackers

Despite not being the biggest fan of apple desserts in general, this pint received many great reviews to not have high expectations. Some people even suggested it as being in the running for ice cream of the year for 2017 so far.



The base is described as mix of vanilla and graham cracker ice creams. I can definitely taste the sweetness of the vanilla. The graham cracker flavor may be a stretch, but there are hints of honey and molasses in the base that mimic graham crackers. However, both flavors are present with a fairly good balance.



The lighter swirl in some of the pictures is described as a vanilla caramel cupcake frosting. The flavor is fairly light unfortunately, but it has a kick of sugary sweetness to it, as well as some butteriness from the caramel. It doesn’t taste exactly like cupcake frosting, but I can see where Salt & Straw was going with this.


Imagine scooping icing off of a cake or cupcake, and this is the texture of the frosting. Sticky, thick and gooey is the only way to describe it. You realize this because it's the type of sticky where you have to lick your spoon over and over to get it off.


If I wasn't impressed enough already, the apple pie filling brought everything full circle. Whereas the frosting swirl was all one consistency and extremely viscous, the apple pie filling was denser and more like chunks of crust and globs of gooey apples combined together into the ice cream.


There is no other way to describe the flavor of the filling other than it tastes exactly like a freshly baked apple pie. Every aspect is present from the butteriness of the pie crusts to the hints of cinnamon spice flavor. The apples are perfectly caramelized, but also have a tiny hint of tartness to them.

I enjoyed this pint a lot, but the flavor profile just didn't appeal to me as much as other reviewers. The base doesn't exactly taste like graham crackers even though it contains honey and molasses. However, the sweet vanilla caramel cupcake frosting and the dense apple pie filling added tons of sweet, cinnamon and buttery flavors to the pint, along with a sticky gooey texture. Although I'm not the biggest fan of apple desserts, I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a top tier pint from Salt & Straw. A-

I really can't describe it any better than you did. If they bring this back it's a multiple pint order. One of the better things I've scooped this year.

[ADD61]

Close up? No. I meant return to nationwide shipping. I don't think she will.

What makes you say that? Interesting thought either way.

[Tyler2106]

What makes you say that? Interesting thought either way.

Too busy with other things. Doesn't seem as focused on the business. Just observations though. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

[ADD61]

Too busy with other things. Doesn't seem as focused on the business. Just observations though. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

I know what you mean and I don't disagree at all.

[eriikr]

First time trying Sweet Me Creamery as it was buy one get one free at Jewel Osco.

Maple Toffee Blondie


I enjoyed the swirl a lot. It had a bit of a salty after taste that was great. The density of the base was on the lighter side, airy. The blondie brownies were good but I barely got any. Same goes with the toffee pieces. C+


Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler


This pint was good. The strawberry rhubarb swirl blended in well with the vanilla base and each bite was a great tart strawberry taste. Never had rhubarb so I wasn't able to really discern it from the strawberry taste.



This pint had a decent amount of mix-ins. The cobbler pieces were soft and crumbly. Again the density of the base felt a bit lighter than a super premium base. B

[Tyler2106]

First time trying Sweet Me Creamery as it was buy one get one free at Jewel Osco.

Maple Toffee Blondie


I enjoyed the swirl a lot. It had a bit of a salty after taste that was great. The density of the base was on the lighter side, airy. The blondie brownies were good but I barely got any. Same goes with the toffee pieces. C+
[img]http://i.imgur.com/TyxyPvV.jpg?1[img]

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
[img]http://i.imgur.com/aa2tbe5.jpg?1[img]

This pint was good. The strawberry rhubarb swirl blended in well with the vanilla base and each bite was a great tart strawberry taste. Never had rhubarb so I wasn't able to really discern it from the strawberry taste.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/sclPzpj.jpg?1[img]

This pint had a decent amount of mix-ins. The cobbler pieces were soft and crumbly. Again the density of the base felt a bit lighter than a super premium base. B

For the price, I like Sweet Me Creamery. Can't expect it to blow you away at $3 a pint, but flavor combos usually work well for a good tasting pint.

[Tyler2106]

Finished up my last Sweet Action Ice Cream flavor. It was Chocolate Fudge Brownie. After the first 3 pints being mediocre, I didn't have high expectations for this one and it delivered just that, mediocrity. Chocolate base was a slight upgrade from a Blue Bunny chocolate base. Brownie pieces were decent, but there weren't many of them and the fudge swirl was very fudgy in places, but lacking in quantity.

Obviously, I do not recommend Sweet Action Ice Cream. They had potential with quite a few good sounding flavors, but they're not worth it. I'd even say they're not worth scooping if you live in Colorado. Seems like the "Best in Colorado" award doesn't mean much these days :/

Next up is 6 pints of Humphrey Slocombe: Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple, Toast & Jam, Secret Breakfast, Blueberry Boy Bait, Fig & Creme, and Early Grey Plum.

[ugasar]

Next up is 6 pints of Humphrey Slocombe: Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple, Toast & Jam, Secret Breakfast, Blueberry Boy Bait, Fig & Creme, and Early Grey Plum.

First 4 will be good.. Last two, I don't know haha! Humphrey Slocombe just lacks in the mixing category for the most part!











Jeni's Bangkok Peanut


Spoiler alert: this pint is a sleeper from Jeni's. I have never had such a unique combination of flavors that tasted so good. Let me get to it.



The base is mainly composed of honey, although there are many more ingredients incorporated into the base. While it may not taste exactly like honey, it has a perfect amount of sweetness to it without being overbearing (nowhere near as bad Ample Hills' Sweet As Honey).



Also ground up into the base are shreds of coconut and finely chopped peanuts. This gave the base somewhat of a gritty and slightly crunchy texture that was quite enjoyable.



There are spices mixed into the base with cayenne pepper being the main one. It doesn't hit you right at first, but has more of a kick on the back end of each bite. This it the kind of spicy that tingles on your throat a little bit after it is eaten. Overall though, it is well balanced from the honey and coconut sweetness.



The peanuts are very thinly chopped and almost indistinguishable from the coconut shreds. However, the peanuts are slightly crunchier whereas the coconut shreds are chewier. They are everywhere in the pint and it's pretty much impossible to scoop a bite without them. The only downside is that the peanut flavor isn’t that strong due to the coconut, honey and cayenne flavors.



Believe it or not, the coconut shreds provide a lot of flavor and are in every bite of the ice cream. Coconut has grown on me tremendously since I started reviewing ice cream, and I definitely loved this one. It has a different kick of sweetness to it when compared to the honey base. However, what is best about the coconut flavor is the fact that it cools down the heat from the cayenne pepper.



Out of my winter shipment, I saved this pint for last because I truly wasn't expecting that much. However, I was incredibly wrong! The honey base is sweet, but well balanced. The coconut shreds provide a unique texture to the ice cream and help to cool down the heat from the cayenne pepper spices. The peanuts give the pint a slight crunch, but the flavor is lacking. This cracks my top 10 for Jeni's flavors (#7 actually) and the unique combination of sweet and spicy flavors make this a "must-scoop" while it is still available. B+

[lazymuchacho]

I have ZERO regrets putting my order in with them. I wanted to try them, so I did. Now that I've tried them, I can tell people, who are on budgets, to pass on this company

Let's not forget about the flavors that were terrible from Clementine's, so it's not like it's a guarantee you'd get "great" pints.

It is a guarantee when they are flavors that I've given a very high rating to.

Look, life is like those games where they put people inside a "money booth" that has cash flying around: you have a limited amount of time to grab (experience) the greatest most amount of cash (enjoyable experiences).

I'm telling people that if they have a $1 and $100 dollar bill within reach, then they should prioritize going for the $100. Trying mediocre brands first is like spending your time stuffing your pockets with $1s.

I'll let other folks decide which strategy is most advantageous.

[ADD61]

It is a guarantee when they are flavors that I've given a very high rating to.

Look, life is like those games where they put people inside a "money booth" that has cash flying around: you have a limited amount of time to grab (experience) the greatest most amount of cash (enjoyable experiences).

I'm telling people that if they have a $1 and $100 dollar bill within reach, then they should prioritize going for the $100. Trying mediocre brands first is like spending your time stuffing your pockets with $1s.

I'll let other folks decide which strategy is most advantageous.

At this point are standard store brands like B&J, HD, etc. non-starters for you in regards to new flavors?

[Tyler2106]

It is a guarantee when they are flavors that I've given a very high rating to.

Look, life is like those games where they put people inside a "money booth" that has cash flying around: you have a limited amount of time to grab (experience) the greatest most amount of cash (enjoyable experiences).

I'm telling people that if they have a $1 and $100 dollar bill within reach, then they should prioritize going for the $100. Trying mediocre brands first is like spending your time stuffing your pockets with $1s.

I'll let other folks decide which strategy is most advantageous.

Lol that hypothetical makes no sense in this situation. Of course people will pick the $100 bill if it's right in front of them. Me deciding to try an unknown company, with potential of it being good, is not the same as choosing a $100 over a $1. Sweet Action Ice Cream was voted best in Colorado, they were featured in a recent magazine, and their flavors sounded very good. Obviously, those things meant nothing after trying them.

While I had my doubts of them being super premium quality, I thought there was a chance that for the price I paid, it could have brought me just as much satisfaction, maybe even more, than spending more on Clementine.

So, to keep with your silly hypothetical, Clementine was the $100, but Sweet Action had the possibility of being the $1 bill or the $200 bill. Unfortunately, it was the $1 bill. You and I both had no way of knowing if Sweet Action was as good as Clementine. I took a chance that I don't regret.

[ngloading]

Sucks,down in South Florida,we don't have any of these gourmet ice cream brands.Best we got is Ben and Jerrys in the supermarket,and I am definitely not paying $15 a pint to have it shipped.

[ADD61]

Sucks,down in South Florida,we don't have any of these gourmet ice cream brands.Best we got is Ben and Jerrys in the supermarket,and I am definitely not paying $15 a pint to have it shipped.

Publix carries good flavors of Gelato Fiasco

[Tyler2106]

Publix carries good flavors of Gelato Fiasco

I would also imagine that Whole Foods carries good brands as well.

Also, ADD61, who are you on IG? I forgot.

[ADD61]

I would also imagine that Whole Foods carries good brands as well.

Also, ADD61, who are you on IG? I forgot.

Good call on WF

IG: dawsonatl

[Tyler2106]

Good call on WF

IG: dawsonatl

That's right, thanks

Also, anyone read Little g's Q&A on her website? It's very sloppy and hard to read. Interesting part is that she won't be running her business when she's in college. I've heard her replacements were the people who helped with all the bad pints that went out last pack...

[ADD61]

That's right, thanks

Also, anyone read Little g's Q&A on her website? It's very sloppy and hard to read. Interesting part is that she won't be running her business when she's in college. I've heard her replacements were the people who helped with all the bad pints that went out last pack...

I was just about to post the link to it. Doesn't sound promising IMO.

[SOH11]

Yeah I just read the Q&A.

Little concerned about the future. Hope she gets her ice cream back in stock before Sept 1st but I doubt it. Rest of the ice cream on Goldbely looks bleh.

[Tyler2106]

I was just about to post the link to it. Doesn't sound promising IMO.

Honestly, without Grace in the kitchen, I don't see her offering nationwide shipping. If she does, I can't imagine the quality being good enough to order it. Having others run your business seems like a bad idea. Not everyone has the necessary passion to put out high quality ice cream day in and day out.

[ADD61]

Honestly, without Grace in the kitchen, I don't see her offering nationwide shipping. If she does, I can't imagine the quality being good enough to order it. Having others run your business seems like a bad idea. Not everyone has the necessary passion to put out high quality ice cream day in and day out.

Was she doing that much locally to only offer that?

Maybe they can sustain if it's only her best known flavors

[lazymuchacho]

Most concerning part of that post is reading that the owner's favorite flavor is Triple Cookie Dough.

...and the lie about all components "being made from scratch"...

But who was Oreo, Kit Kat, Twix, M&M, Reese's, Whoppers, Snickers, Ritz, Thin Mint...plus generic buckeyes, peppermint bark, potato chips...?

[ADD61]

Most concerning part of that post is reading that the owner's favorite flavor is Triple Cookie Dough.

...and the lie about all components "being made from scratch"...

But who was Oreo, Kit Kat, Twix, M&M, Reese's, Whoppers, Snickers, Ritz, Thin Mint...plus generic buckeyes, peppermint bark, potato chips...?

I immediately thought about that in the candy jar pints

[ugasar]

There's some strong hate in here right now towards Grace.. I'm not necessarily mad about it, as you all have your opinions, especially if you have been burned before.. However, I don't agree with it all, mainly because I have not been burned by her before! Yeah I may have had 1-2 two pints lacking a certain mixin or swirl, but nothing that I didn't think was premium and worth my money!

As far as her future company, I think she will be back! Will the quality be the same? Who knows! I know she won't have her hands on it near as much because of college, but I still think she is more than capable of producing great ice cream. Am I disappointed that she didn't produce a great summer pack? Yeah, but I can't say that I wouldn't want to enjoy my last summer before college either. I haven't even scooped the summer pack either, so all I can see if people's reviews.

All I am saying, is that I PERSONALLY can NOT comment on the lack of quality! Everyone one of my pints have been up to par, if not exceeding that bar. I look forward to trying some future pints, to see what all of the fuss is about!

Lastly, I'm not trying to suck up for Grace at all. I am just giving my personal two cents from my pints that I have received and scooped!