With so many ice cream brands out there, it’s easy to forget how genuinely good Van Leeuwen ice cream is. I’ve been to its NYC and LA scoop shops and have enjoyed numerous pints from the grocery store—particularly its Earl Grey tea flavor.

It went on a tear of chaotic collab flavors for a while that I just wasn’t that into, like Hidden Valley Ranch andGrey Poupon Mustard, but Van Leeuwen caught my eye again with the new beer collaboration with Guinness.

There’s no splitting the G with its “Lovely Day for a Guinness” ice cream, but I’d be splitting hairs if I said this wasn’t a fantastic drop.

Technically, it’s a re-release. It first dropped last year at its scoop shops, but it was good enough to bring back for a full rollout at Whole Foods. Whole Foods coming in clutch! The name itself is also a re-release – it’s a nod to Guinness’ classic 1950s tagline “Lovely Day for a Guinness.” The flavor features roasted Guinness stout ice cream with dark chocolate chunks.

First test of any pint: scoopability. Rock hard and bending my spoon makes me sad. Happy to report this scooped easily. The base is a consistent light brown – think the color of the dome on a freshly poured Guinness – flecked with chocolate chunks.

The first bite made me stop and audibly “mmm” in both delight and genuine ponderance because it’s a fascinating flavor. The immediate word that popped into my head was “malty”; I don’t even like malty things like Whoppers or malted milkshakes, but this was dang good. I didn’t have a Guinness on hand for a side-by-side comparison, but it’s pretty spot-on to the one I had last week – except sweeter with zero bitterness. Apparently, they use Guinness 0, the non-alcoholic version, to nail the roasty flavor.

With Van Leeuwen’s French ice cream having double the egg yolks of standard ice cream, means it doesn’t need guar gum or other stabilizers to get its texture. The result is a gelato-adjacent creaminess with a luxurious mouthfeel. This one was no exception!

The sweetness takes over on the finish, so it lands fully in ice cream territory rather than anything bitter or beer-adjacent. The dark chocolate chunks are a perfect textural foil with Ben & Jerry‘s-caliber chunks. It all works better than expected as an ice cream.

At $7.99 a pint, Van Leeuwen is premium, but worth every spoonful. If this was sold this year-round, it’d be my permanent upgrade in the freezer.

The stout verdict: go get this one!

Purchased Price: $7.99
Size: 14 fl oz
Purchased at: Whole Foods
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup – 108g) 310 calories, 22 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 100mg of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 25 grams of sugar, 4 grams of protein.