Tag: Ben & Jerry’s

Following 2020’s “Fan Favorite” resurrection of Gimme S’more, Peanut Butter Half Baked, and Cannoli, Ben & Jerry’s has once again taken a trip to its Flavor Graveyard and used ice cream voodoo to summon a heralded classic from the dead. Previously RIP’d in 2012, Dublin Mudslide is Irish cream ice cream with chocolate chocolate chip cookies and a coffee fudge swirl.

Irish cream is one of those flavors that seems to have been around my entire life in various forms, from Milano cookies to (more recently) Starbucks drinks, but I’ve never fully understood what it’s supposed to taste like. In its purest form, it’s a mixture of whiskey and milk, but I’ve had iterations that taste more like vanilla, coffee, or even chocolate. So I went into this pint not knowing what to expect.

The base tastes like a really rich sweet cream with a hint of whiskey. The booziness is mild but it’s definitely there, and adds a faint smoky oak note that brings a little depth and intrigue to the otherwise good but tame ice cream. Its main strength is its silky smooth and dense texture, a result of the mere presence of alcohol in the mixture, and it’s fantastic. I wouldn’t mind more punchiness like I’m taking a straight liqueur swig but I can’t deny the velvety richness of the mouthfeel.

For this reinvented version, Ben & Jerry’s teamed up with Wheyward Spirit, a new liquor derived from whey, the liquid co-product of cheese and other dairy products. By partnering with domestic dairy producers they’re able to reduce waste and lower the environmental footprint of production while simultaneously creating a unique and sip-able booze. The Wheyward’s flavor is like a slightly fruity cross between sake and tequila, but in Dublin Mudslide it does a solid job of conjuring mild whiskey.

The mix-in density is excellent, and I’m really happy with the quality control compared to this year’s Chewy Gooey Cookie. The cookies add a rich chocolate flavor with hints of butter and a perfectly soft chew, accented by the crunchiness of harder chocolate chips.

Bringing some sauciness to the equation, the coffee fudge swirl is abundant and tasty with a 60/40 split of chocolate to coffee that does well to add a touch of bitterness to the succulently smooth and mild ice cream. The two components work well in a coffee-meets-chocolate mocha tandem that tastes perfectly familiar and comfortable next to the alcohol-tinged base.

It became clear to me while scooping this pint that the confusion around what an Irish cream flavored product tastes like stems from the fact that something like Baileys is often mixed with other components. You can drink Irish cream straight, but it feels so much more common in an Irish coffee, White Russian cocktail, or even hot chocolate, so this Ben & Jerry’s creation kind of taps into all the components that could be found with Irish cream and brings them together as one.

This is a well executed flavor that does everything it tries to do as quietly but effectively as possible. There’s a little bit of whiskey, a little bit of coffee, and a little bit more chocolate. I can see why this would be considered a fan favorite, and kudos to Ben & Jerry’s for the excellent quality control. I would personally enjoy a stronger handed boozy flourish but I can’t deny how lovely this one is to scoop.

DISCLOSURE: I originally purchased a pint, but also received a free product sample from Ben & Jerry’s and attended a virtual tasting hosted by the company. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 134g) 340 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 34 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

If you happen to be standing in front of the freezers at your local Safeway, see Ben & Jerry’s new Topped Dirt Cake and Topped Chocolate Milk & Cookies, and wonder which one you should get because you don’t want to buy both since a pint costs (checks receipt) $6.49 on sale, reach for the Dirt Cake.

Or wait for a better sale.

Dirt Cake features vanilla pudding ice cream with chocolate sandwich cookies and chocolate cookie swirls topped with milk chocolatey ganache and chocolate cookie crumbles.

To be honest, I kind of rolled my eyes at “vanilla pudding ice cream” because there are so many vanilla ice cream variations, and here we have one more. Does it taste like vanilla pudding? To be honest, it’s hard to isolate a decent spoonful of the base itself because there’s A LOT of chocolatey treasure within it. But from what my taste buds can pick out, I don’t recognize it as vanilla pudding, but it’s definitely a different shade of vanilla.

While I love the flavors from this pint, the most exciting part is the chocolate cookie crumble topping, but mainly because of its crunchiness and less so for its dark, slightly bitter Oreo-like chocolate flavor. The crumbles look, crunch, and can make a mess like dirt.

What? Noooo, I’ve never eaten dirt. What are you suggesting? I’m just relaying what I was told by, uh, my classmate in the third grade whose name I don’t remember, so you can’t ask him.

I also enjoy the dirt-like topping because it can be scraped down into the lower levels of the pint. With other Topped varieties, the ganache and whatever was on top of that would fuse, making it so that it couldn’t be experienced deeper into the pint. Being able to spread that crunch helps compensate for the not crunchy but tasty sandwich cookie chunks in the base. Overall, the pint was successful at reminding me of Dirt Cake, minus the gummy worms.

I thought about purchasing gummy worms, which would’ve completed the whole Dirt Cake experience, but I didn’t want to taint my opinion of the pint by adding some fruitiness and a texture that’s not even close to being like a real worm.

What? Noooo, I’ve never eaten actual worms. What are you even suggesting? I’m just sharing what, um, some kid who lived down the street from me when I was growing up said. And that person doesn’t live there anymore, so you can’t ask him.

As for Chocolate Milk & Cookies, it has chocolate ice cream with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cookie swirls topped with milk chocolatey ganache and fudge chips.

I don’t know if being eaten after the wonderful Dirt Cake is responsible for my feelings about Chocolate Milk & Cookies, but it wasn’t as compelling. There’s nothing about it I can ramble about, like Dirt Cake’s cookie crumbles.

As you can probably guess by reading its description, it’s choco-heavy. But perhaps it’s TOO choco-heavy. Because there are so many choco-mponents, the cookies buried in the pint don’t stand out at all. But it doesn’t taste like straight-up chocolate ice cream because the base, swirls, ganache, and fudge chips bring their own chocolatey nuances and textures. So I guess it’s not one-note, but more like one-and-a-half-note.

Ben & Jerry’s Topped Chocolate Milk & Cookies a fine ice cream, but again, I’d easily pick Dirt Cake over it.

Purchased Price: $6.49* each
Size: 15.2 fl oz
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Dirt Cake), 6 out of 10 (Chocolate Milk & Cookies)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Dirt Cake 430 calories, 24 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 38 grams of sugar (33 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein. Chocolate Milk & Cookies – 430 calories, 27 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 37 grams of sugar (31 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

What is Ben & Jerry’s Chewy Gooey Cookie?

Just in time for Girl Scout Cookie season, Ben & Jerry’s put its own spin on the purple-boxed caramel-y classic Samoas. Chewy Gooey Cookie combines milk chocolate and coconut ice creams with fudge flakes, shortbread cookies, and caramel swirls.

How is it?

It’s good, but not great.

The coconut ice cream is fantastic. I can’t recall the last time B&J’s used this in one of its dairy pints, if ever. It’s sweet and creamy with pieces of shredded coconut that add little pockets of chewiness to the predominately smooth landscape. I really like it. The milk chocolate base was the right choice over the standard, darker chocolate, as its milky sweetness doesn’t overpower the coconut’s gentler fruity and nutty notes. I don’t enjoy the chocolate nearly as much as the coconut on its own, but there’s no denying they’re a dream team when enjoyed in tandem.

The mix-ins do a great job of bringing the Samoas experience full circle when they’re present, but I wish there were more! Most notably, the caramel swirls are pretty thin, and I have to hunt to get some on my spoon. Surprisingly the fudge flakes are also relatively light, and as the least interesting inclusion, I didn’t think I would miss them. But I do wish I had more crunch.

The shortbread cookies are the most prominent of the three, and they’re crucial to realizing the cookie concept. That crumbly floury texture is pivotal to the Samoas, and while I wish their flavor had a bit more of a buttery and salty punch, I overall appreciate what they bring to the pint.

Anything else you need to know?

I know this isn’t Girl Scouts-branded, but I’m fixating on that because the homage jumped out at me when I read the description. Samoas are my favorite Scout cookie, oftentimes overshadowed by Thin Mints. Coincidentally last year, Ben & Jerry’s released an ice cream called Thick Mint, so someone at the company definitely loves these cookies, and I can get behind that.

Conclusion:

Even though the milk chocolate base is good, I would have preferred a fudge swirl for a more interesting texture and dense flavor and to not take any real estate away from the excellent coconut base. There’s a ton of potential in this pint, but it’s lacking the pizazz that some of B&J’s more effective outings, like Phish Food with its legendary dual swirl, bring to the table. Is this ice cream chewy? Absolutely. Is it gooey? Eh, not quite, but it could be exceptional with a couple of tweaks.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 140g) 360 calories, 20 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 31 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein.

I know what some of you are thinking. The combination of mint ice cream and fudge brownies in Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Chance seems a bit simple, and I’m not going to disagree.

My first thought about it was similar to what I initially felt when I learned about the McDonald’s J Balvin Meal, which was just a Big Mac, medium fries with ketchup, and an Oreo McFlurry. It’s stuff we’ve already had, but in a slightly different way. Okay, actually, my earliest thought about the J Balvin Meal was, “Who’s J Balvin?” I’m so uncool.

It would’ve been neat if Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Gurus took advantage of the name “Chance” and added something like fudge question marks and a crunchy chocolate cookie swirl so that when I dip my spoon into a pint, there’s a CHANCE I’ll get brownies, fudge question marks, a cookie swirl, or any combination of the three.

But maybe Chance the Rapper wanted it with just mint ice cream and brownies? You know how some celebrities are. Or perhaps because the name is a play on mint chocolate chip, Ben & Jerry’s wanted to keep it as straightforward as the classic flavor.

That said, with mint-flavored ice cream that’s been the base of other varieties and the same fudge brownies that have been in many different Ben & Jerry’s flavors, I knew there was a good chance that I’d enjoy this flavor, which I did. I think the brownies are a step up from chocolate chips because I love their rich chocolatey flavor and chewiness, but the ice cream’s flavor as a whole reminds me of mint chocolate chip.

Oooh, mid-pint texture update. My teeth have bitten into something in the brownies that snaps like chocolate chips. Oh, there’s another one. Wait. After a closer inspection, it’s just hardened brownie pieces. Oooh, maybe they were end pieces! Those are the best! Also, although the photo above makes it seem there were not a lot of brownies, they were more plentiful as I ate my way down into the pint.

There’s also a non-dairy, certified vegan version of Mint Chocolate Chance with a base made from sunflower butter. It’s less minty and chocolatey than the dairy one, but I found it to be satisfying enough.

Yes, Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Chance is basic, and that gives me the same less thrilled feeling I get when I pull the Advance to the Nearest Railroad Chance card while playing Monopoly and going to a railroad I already own. Can’t buy it, but at least I don’t owe anyone money. With this ice cream, it tastes like something I’ve had before, but at least it’s tasty.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Ben & Jerry’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Mint Chocolate Chance is hitting shelves in January. A portion of the proceeds from Mint Chocolate Chance will go to the rapper’s non-profit, SocialWorks, which empowers the youth through the arts, education, and civil engagement.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 340 calories, 19 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 33 grams of sugar (including 27 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

What is Ben & Jerry’s Limited Batch Totally Unbaked?

Ben & Jerry’s first limited batch release of 2021 is a twist on its #1 flavor — Half Baked. The twist? Unbaking it hence the Totally Unbaked moniker. Instead of chocolate and vanilla ice creams being mixed with the usual cookie dough and fudge brownie gobs, it’s mixed with cookie dough gobs and brownie batter swirls.

How is it?

The classic base flavors were as delicious as expected from the Vermont duo. The ensemble of rich chocolatey notes with a trill of fudge and the bass of familiar vanilla and cookie dough sang in perfect harmony.

I am a texture fiend, though, so I was a little worried that it would lack in that department, especially since the brownie batter swirls look more like subtle ribbons. I wishfully thought they would add some nuance like the way the chocolate pudding swirls do in the Chocolate Therapy flavor, but no dice. However, the cookie dough and mini chocolate chips carried Team Texture just fine while maintaining the usual eat-straight-from-the-pint scoopability.

Anything else you need to know?

I found it more chocolate-forward when comparing head-to-head with its OG counterpart because the brownie batter was dispersed throughout for a fudge-y bite in nearly every spoonful.

Conclusion:

Pick it up if you see it! It’s a limited batch flavor – which means it changes 4-6 months – so it’s an excellent way to shake up your ice cream rotation. However, it’s not as novel as its Topped or Core innovations.

But a Limited Batch variety can become a permanent flavor like Peanut Butter Half Baked, so you never know!

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Meijer
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup/142 grams) 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 37 grams of sugar, 6 grams of protein.