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

[ugasar]

Jeni’s Thai Pumpkin Curry


This was a flavor I really wasn’t looking forward to that much to be honest, but it was surprisingly good. There is actually quite a bit going on in this pint described as a pumpkin base blended with sweet Thai curry spices and coconut.



To start, I am not a fan of Thai or curry. I can definitely taste the Thai and curry flavors, but it is completely different than what I was expecting. It has a very earthy lemongrass flavor to it that is pretty strong, but I am sure it is a mixture of the spices as well.



The coconut is very dominant, which is probably why I enjoyed this pint a lot more than I expected. The coconut really adds some creaminess to the pint, and also kicks the sweetness up quite a bit. The base really reminds me of Salt & Straw’s vegan bases in terms of flavor.



I wouldn’t consider this a pumpkin ice cream by any means. You can’t even taste any pumpkin between the Thai, curry, lemongrass and coconut flavors. However, the combination of all of these really meshed together to make a surprisingly good pint from Jeni’s. I recommend giving this one a shot. I bet it will exceed your expectations. B

[lazymuchacho]

Salt & Straw Cranberry Walnut Stuffing:



They weren't lying in the flavor description when the cranberries were described as "crazy delicious"; this is coming from someone who doesn't particularly like cranberry sauce. It really is an excellent base though.



You really don't get so much tartness. In fact, I'd describe it as a really milky and creamy strawberry shake flavor; not the fake Nesquik garbage. And the texture of it is fantastic: firm yet creamy.

Now, there aren't a "ton" of apple, walnut, cinnamon, raising bread pudding mix-ins, but the number is more than fair and you aren't upset because the base shines without any help.



That being said, these bread pudding pieces are damn good. Perfectly spiced, moist, chewy, half-way baked cookie textured, chunks of homemade greatness. And the walnuts are studded into every piece to provide a crunch (not soggy) + sugar balance.



Enjoyed this flavor much more than I imagined and will be happy to include it once again in the 2017 Thanksgiving order. Recommended.

[Tyler2106]

I read Grace said that the last few shipments were "put through the ringer" shipment wise which is why they're having ice issues. I'm glad people in this thread jumped the gun and decided to bash her over something that wasn't her fault rather than contact her directly. She said if you had issues she would replace them and add a few extra goodies for the inconvenience.

[Partyrocking]

Just placed an Ample Hills order. Should arrive on Wednesday.

FLAVOR1: chocolate-milk-cookies
FLAVOR2: the-munchies
FLAVOR3: butter-pecan-brittle
FLAVOR4: egg-nog
FLAVOR5: ooey-gooey-butter-cake

[EmperorRyker]

I read Grace said that the last few shipments were "put through the ringer" shipment wise which is why they're having ice issues. I'm glad people in this thread jumped the gun and decided to bash her over something that wasn't her fault rather than contact her directly. She said if you had issues she would replace them and add a few extra goodies for the inconvenience.

Who's bashing Grace?

Oh, and I did contact her directly. I first sent her a couple of photos and she just said it was strange, and only once I informed her that all pints were like that did she suggest a replacement or a refund. Well, it has been more than a week since I last heard from her, so I'm not sure anything will be done about this let alone with a few extra goodies for the inconvenience.

From what you're saying, it also seems as if she was aware of this, but didn't inform the customers beforehand or did anything to correct it. So she knew the pints sent out were going to be bad and was hoping people wouldn't complain? She's also fully in charge of who takes care of her shipments, so if she's aware Goldbely is messing up and does nothing about it, it's absolutely her fault.

Don't be a homer, this is expensive stuff. The price for a 10-pack is $149 and people are supposed to just grin and bear that a third of her ice cream has the consistency of Halo Top? Everyone here just added their unbiased opinion on what the product was like and you're the only one trying to sweep things under the rug. Please, if you got a pint of Ben & Jerry's that had a tenth of these issues, you'd be fuming, but since Little G is the latest Instagram bandwagon, people are supposed to be quiet about issues with her stuff. I was actually really excited about this, too, but, yeah, I can't just not say anything when I wasted $100+ on ice.

I'll update on whether I get a replacement and whether it looks better, but my post will still stand as a fair review of what I first got. People should be aware of this before they spend tons of cash on it.

[Partyrocking]

Little G's is not cheap. Of course people are going to complain if they spent $15/pint and got ice. I didn't have an ice problem w/ my shipment, but I ordered a while ago (presumably before this ice issue appeared), so my experience was understandably better than some other people's.

So what? My experience and theirs are all equally valid. They all happened.

[lazymuchacho]

Just placed an Ample Hills order. Should arrive on Wednesday.

Not a fan of snickerdoodles?

[Partyrocking]

Not a fan of snickerdoodles?

Don't think that was an option. I didn't see it on Choose Your Own Story.

[EmperorRyker]

Don't think that was an option. I didn't see it on Choose Your Own Story.

I think he was referring to They Scoop Gilmores, Don't They?

[Partyrocking]

I think he was referring to They Scoop Gilmores, Don't They?

Oh, I'm not a fan of coffee ice cream, so I decided not to get that one.

[champ531]

Only have through the end of today, but if you use the code 'NEWYEAR' on the Gilt City site, you can take an additional 20% off on the Goldbely promotion.

giltcity_com/national/goldbelydec16

[SOH11]

Only have through the end of today, but if you use the code 'NEWYEAR' on the Gilt City site, you can take an additional 20% off on the Goldbely promotion.

giltcity_com/national/goldbelydec16

Thanks, bought another voucher. Have until Feb 22nd to burn it.

[lazymuchacho]

Salt & Straw Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey:



It took a combination of guts and stupidity to order, but boy am I glad I did.

Although the base has turkey stock/fat mixed in, caramel is at the forefront. The difference is that it has a noticeably salty and "roasted" savory underlying tone.

If you've ever enjoyed fried chicken with syrup/honey, it is a combo you'll love.



The caramel swirl is literally everywhere. Liquid in consistency and powerful in taste: true salted caramel.



But those "turkey skins"...if you look at the ingredients...are actually chicken skins and I think they've been fried in duck fat.

It is a brilliant mix-in. Appropriately sized to give a noticeable but not overwhelming experience; at first, it is as if you are eating a chewy toffee with a slight crisp, but as you continue chewing and they are the only components left in your mouth, the roasted poultry experience comes in.



Even better than the Cranberry pint. Both get the green light.

[lazymuchacho]

Salt & Straw Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache:

A review that was long overdue, so time to finally write it up.



Not a vanilla guy, but S&S does a quality base. Flawless texture, rich in real vanilla flavor, yet mild enough to let the other components shine.



The caramel is liquid in consistency and well balanced in terms of sweetness. As a true caramel (water + sugar), there is no butter to be found.

Generously distributed, it is mixed with almond slivers that remain crunchy. This combination forms creates a winning swirl: unique, delicious, balanced, and perfectly executed.



Highlight of the flavor though is undoubtedly the salted chocolate ganache chunks. Fudgy and deeply cocoa flavored with a subtle salty undertone.

This isn't cheap "lower the cost by increasing the amount of sugar" fudge. It is obvious that high quality chocolate has been used and they give it center stage.



Think of the other parts of this pint as complements that enhance the frontline player.

Top 5 for S&S? Nah, but well worth trying. Tomorrow, I'll show you what can go wrong when attempting something of this nature.

[ugasar]

Salt & Straw Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache:

Hate me all you want ice cream bro, but this one wowed the hell out of me.. My second all-time favorite ice cream period!






Humphry Slocombe Pumpkin Nut


I wish you guys could get your hands on this pint. It is that good and it caught me completely off guard. This is easily the pumpkin ice cream of the year for me.



The base is super dense and definitely high quality ice cream. It is a roasted pumpkin base that is full of fall pumpkin spices. The flavor is also roasted so you are getting somewhat of a butternut squash type of taste. It is fairly sweet, but not overwhelming.



The mixins consist of hazelnut biscotti pieces. They aren’t as hard and crunchy as your typical biscotti, but are quite chewy. Occasionally, you come across a hard crunch when you get an actual hazelnut, but for the most part the pieces are soft. The flavor pairs perfectly with the roasted pumpkin base. The hazelnut is a little sweeter and helps to balance the base out.



This pint was great! I have no complaints with it at all. The base was roasted and full of pumpkin spice flavor. The chewy hazelnut pieces were scattered throughout the entire pint and paired great with the pumpkin flavor. I highly recommend giving this pint a shot if you ever get the chance. B+

[lazymuchacho]

Hate me all you want ice cream bro, but this one wowed the hell out of me.. My second all-time favorite ice cream period!

It's a respectable choice: quality is not in dispute. Just depends on where your sensibilities lie.

Off the top of my head, I'd put Sauvie pb&j, Sweet Potato and Candycopia above.

Although I haven't had the privilege, I can also imagine that the past two Cupcake flavors, the Birthday cake one, or Petunia's Caramel Bars would rank above for me, hence why I left it out of the top 5 for them.

[ugasar]

It's a respectable choice: quality is not in dispute. Just depends on where your sensibilities lie.

Off the top of my head, I'd put Sauvie pb&j, Sweet Potato and Candycopia above.

Although I haven't had the privilege, I can also imagine that the past two Cupcake flavors, the Birthday cake one, or Petunia's Caramel Bars would rank above for me, hence why I left it out of the top 5 for them.

This is true!! Salted Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake is the only flavor ahead of it and that's my #1 all-time..

Sweet Potato was great, as was PB&J.. On the other hand, I think Cinnatopia was good, but slightly overrated IMO! However, I didn't get near as loaded of a pint as PBI did in his review so my thoughts are biased at the moment..

[lazymuchacho]

This is true!! Salted Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake is the only flavor ahead of it and that's my #1 all-time..

Sweet Potato was great, as was PB&J.. On the other hand, I think Cinnatopia was good, but slightly overrated IMO! However, I didn't get near as loaded of a pint as PBI did in his review so my thoughts are biased at the moment..

Good point! I had forgotten about Cinnatopia...had The Great Candycopia from Halloween in mind when I typed up the post.

Since Cinnatopia was a flavor that came from one of those school collabs - and the results of these change every year - unfortunately I don't think we'll get to try it again. Unless, it wins enough votes for the March graveyard flavor revivals.

[ugasar]

Good point! I had forgotten about Cinnatopia...had The Great Candycopia from Halloween in mind when I typed up the post.

Since Cinnatopia was a flavor that came from one of those school collabs - and the results of these change every year - unfortunately I don't think we'll get to try it again. Unless, it wins enough votes for the March graveyard flavor revivals.

Whoops I misread haha.. And actually funny you mention it, Candycopia is up next on my list of Salt & Straw pint's! I am looking forward to it and hopefully it will rank in the top tier for S&S..

You are probably right, S&S doesn't like to bring back the "same" pints again. They always throw a little twist in it if they bring it back, which I actually enjoy most of the time.

[lazymuchacho]

Little G Peanut Butter Brittle & Salted Fudge:

And another one bites the dust. Story was that here we had something as good or better than S&S's Ganache pint.

Right.



So let's go over some of the more egregious ways in which that is false.

Base? S&S nails a slow melting yet creamy texture with natural vanilla flavor. This one? Sugar is more prevalent and the texture, when not icy, isn't particularly memorable.



Then there are these hard brittle pieces. Somewhat softer than the toffee she's used in other flavors, they do deliver on peanut butter + caramel...but at the level of a PayDay candy bar.

S&S's caramel + almond sliver swirl is much more refined and actually combines smoothly with the other elements. Here you are going from one hard car wreck of sugar into another.



Which brings me to the "salted chocolate fudge chunks." Fudge? Not even once. Think Hershey's candy bar. That quality of chocolate; that level of hardness.

I won't even begin to compare it with S&S's truffle like ganache pieces out of basic decency.



If a supermarket brand were selling this flavor for $3 a pint or less, it'd be acceptable.

At $15 each or higher through Goldbely? Let the shills buy them up.

[ugasar]

Salt & Straw Essence Of Ghost


This is another unique pint from Salt & Straw. The base is a cobination of both and ice cream and a sorbet. The mixture really helped the texture of this pint out when compared to just a normal sorbet. The bites the ice cream were night and day difference in terms of creaminess.



The flavor of this one is strange as it really isn’t that sweet at all. It combines vanilla ice cream with a scotch spiked sherbet. I get hints of vanilla, but it is very very different. I don’t know if it is the scotch, but the sweetness is certainly lacking.



I’m not a fan of scotch, but this isn’t strong at all. The flavor is very subtle, and surprisingly, the two bases mix very well. I’m not sure why, but when the two combine, I get a bit of a smokiness flavor.



Overall it is a simple, well-executed pint. The vanilla nor the scotch are overpowering, but instead both work to balance each other out. The lack of mixins was definitely a complaint with this pint, but the two bases are intriguing enough to keep you interested in this pint. C+

[MosToorani]

@Lazy...

I don't have any experience with Little G because well .. I didn't try any! Nevertheless, I respect your views and Eric's .. Eric was/is raving about little G (okay, maybe raving is a bit too much? Lets say he was happy) ... I don't know what I'm getting at here haha .. Is it possible the bad shipment (logistics) led to crappy pints?

[lazymuchacho]

@Lazy...

I don't have any experience with Little G because well .. I didn't try any! Nevertheless, I respect your views and Eric's .. Eric was/is raving about little G (okay, maybe raving is a bit too much? Lets say he was happy) ... I don't know what I'm getting at here haha .. Is it possible the bad shipment (logistics) led to crappy pints?

These are two different shipments. Also, the only thing bad handling affects is the base, but an entirely different major flaw is the quality of the mix-ins.

Eric and I disagree about a bunch of stuff and that's perfectly ok; he is an honest guy as well.

In the though, I have no interest in having people agree with me. These reviews are posted to discipline me into structuring my ideas for future reference and to give a no bullsh - often times different - set of views for those who care to read.

[MosToorani]

These are two different shipments. Also, the only thing bad handling affects is the base, but an entirely different major flaw is the quality of the mix-ins.

Eric and I disagree about a bunch of stuff and that's perfectly ok; he is an honest guy as well.

In the though, I have no interest in having people agree with me. These reviews are posted to discipline me into structuring my ideas for future reference and to give a no bullsh - often times different - set of views for those who care to read.

Thank you for that bud.. Appreciate it!

[lazymuchacho]

Ben & Jerry's Confetti Cake & Pecan Sticky Buns:

Neither one of these is remarkable but missed out on them while abroad so let's pack two quick reviews in.



What will decide how much you like this one is your affinity for vanilla. Sure the base isn't "plain vanilla", I'll even grant you "cake batter" flavor...whatever that really is.

But the cake pieces though plentiful and pleasing in texture (moist and with sufficient chew) are once again vanilla, while the sprinkles are there purely for decoration: zero flavor, zero crunch.



As you can see from the second picture, it is nice that they included a swirl which stands out, but it's just sweet and lacks the tangy aspect (vanilla vs buttercream) which made the one in Cake My Day superior as it contributed to the pint by creating contrast.

Yes, Cake My Day was better but I won't s*ht on this flavor. It is well worth trying.



Weaker of the two. Base is meh. Plain brown sugar isn't going to cut it folks, however it gets some help by a slight cream cheese aspect from a non-detectable swirl which we are to assume has been blended in.



And these dog food pellets of cookie dough that so many brands continue to use are something I just don't have patience for nowadays; much better "less standardized" cookie dough options exist in the 2017 ice cream world.

Ok, but they do have a sticky bun flavor and make a solid 1-2 punch with the pecan pieces; however, overall they are way too gritty to even come close to the glory of the original baked good.

Pass.

[lazymuchacho]

Salt & Straw Foie Gras Oatmeal Cream Pie:

When S&S released January's flavors, this one almost made me place 2 separate orders before even trying.



...and it wouldn't have been a bad idea. To start, you know something is right when their excellent vanilla base is the weakest component.

It is described as a "salty" one which scared me, but you'd be hard pressed to taste salt. Just their usual top notch product.



A candied raisin coulis literally inundates the entire pint. So much better than a simple jam or jelly, it has body/texture and depth of flavor: caramelized sugar, natural raisin, and brandy.

That's right, brandy. Not mentioned in the flavor description, but found on the ingredients. Awesome addition.



Annnndd...foie gras frosting filled oatmeal cookies. As if the sophisticated swirl didn't exemplify it well enough, here is a further example of the difference between S&S and 95% of it's peers (OddFellows is still #1).

While other Taco Bell emulators like AH are looking to lower costs and effort by reusing existing ingredients for "new" flavors, S&S is always looking to push the boundary and is not shy about turning to the more expensive alternative (butter vs. foie gras).



Ok, but how do they taste? Incredible. The cookie is somewhere between crispy and chewy. You get a full dose of traditional oatmeal raisin cookie flavor with all the right spice notes.

While that rich frosting (which you can see a chunk of above) benefits from the density and savoriness - which is not individually detectable but contributes to balancing sweetness - of foie gras over butter. Pieces of it are sometimes mixed into the base giving you a "second" swirl.

TL;DR : tied with Sweet Potato Casserole, but probably behind Candycopia & PB&J (will rescoop). On the basis of this flavor alone, I'm placing a second order however Elvis must go down first to see it will also be included again.

[lazymuchacho]

Salt & Straw's Happy Birthday Elvis!:

Coming clean about my prejudices: love bacon, love peanut butter.



If you are in it for the banana ice cream tho, you're going to be dissapoint. Banana is a powerful flavor so S&S made the decision to use it in such a way that it is present as an aftertaste.

I think that's smart. It would have easily taken over had it been a "true" banana base; however, you may see it differently.



Marionberries aren't tart and so the swirl, which is even more plentiful than the raisin one, comes off as a purely sweet jam akin to a blackberry.

Per the usual, it is delicious and provides the dose of heightened sugar in the pint.



Those cookie dough pieces are fantastic though. Hand-cut with the consistency of a fudge and just the slightest grit.

Full of rich peanut butter flavor and pieces of candied bacon that you end up chewing and deliver an unmistakable smoky bacon flavor.

The best cookie dough (in ice cream) that I've had in months.



Overall not as epic as Foie Gras, but if you love cookie dough, bacon, and/or epic swirls, this flavor is worth the price.

In this context, your order should be 3 Foie, 2 Elvis or 4 Foie, 1 Elvis; everyone needs to at least try it.

[champ531]

Salt & Straw's Happy Birthday Elvis!:


Overall not as epic as Foie Gras, but if you love cookie dough, bacon, and/or epic swirls, this flavor is worth the price.

In this context, your order should be 3 Foie, 2 Elvis or 4 Foie, 1 Elvis; everyone needs to at least try it.

Glad to see the positive reviews on both, definitely pulling the trigger this month.

Also, most of you may already be aware of this, but you can add a 6th pint to your Salt and Straw orders. It brings down the cost per pint, and obviously equals more ice cream too. Just mention the add'l pint you want to add in the comments when you make your order.

[ugasar]

Salt & Straw Foie Gras Oatmeal Cream Pie:

Salt & Straw's Happy Birthday Elvis!:

Thanks for the reviews! I know I will love these.. Probably going to order Universe & Truffle too just to try.. AND highly considering doubling up on these two pints, especially that oatmeal cream pie! It is one of my favorite flavors from Morelli's here in ATL

[ugasar]

Little g Peanut Butter Brittle & Salted Fudge


Finally, we strike gold with a flavor from little g that is over-the-top impressive. I won’t get into the vanilla bean base much as it is utilized a lot in many of her pints that most of you have tried by now. The vanilla is creamy and rich in flavor, but nothing too powerful. It is a great base as it sits back and lets the mixins do the talking.



The peanut butter brittle was very interesting. Some chunks had the consistency of actual peanut butter out of the jar, and others had a crunchy bite to them like chewing on actual brittle. Although this doesn’t replicate brittle exactly, I like how it had a softer texture to it.



It tastes just as you would expect from peanut butter. Like scooping straight from the jar, it is somewhat salty, but still sweeter due to the incorporation of brittle.



Although I would have preferred a slightly saltier peanut butter, the salted fudge made up for what was lacking. The fudge has an extremely rich chocolate flavor to it that is loaded with saltiness. This is exactly how salted chocolate should taste. The texture of them is dense, similar to brownies, but a little more moist and gooey.



This is what I was waiting for with little g’s ice cream, and hopefully many more to come. This is a great pint for all around sweet and salty flavors. The crunchy peanut butter brittle is slightly salty, but mainly sweet still. The fudge is rich and much saltier than the peanut butter. These two mixins perfect the sweet and salty combo of flavors within the vanilla bean ice cream. This was an outstanding pint by little g and ranks at the top of my list so far. A-