Top Ten Most Popular Reviews of 2012

Hard to believe it's the final day of 2012. It's been a crazy year that has gone faster than all the years before that. I know, that's just part of getting older, but time really seems to go faster when you have an ever growing list of things to worry about.

Now I haven't tried this before, but I think we need to count down the top ten posts of 2012. This isn't necessarily my top ten favorite products of 2012, but I will admit that #1 is near and dear to my heart gut. If you want, take a second to think of a few things that might be on the list... ok, ready? let's go!

2012 Review Countdown

#10 Breyers BLASTS! Golden Oreo
To my surprise, Breyers BLASTS Golden Oreo starts off our countdown. I'm not a huge fan of frozen dairy dessert, but you have to admire Breyers tenacity with this product line. They've got the pedal to the metal and it should be interesting to see what new flavors might arrive in 2013 (we may even have one of them sooner than you think!)

Homemade Brand Vanilla Ice Cream Review

[By Nick] I was going through our review requests a few weeks ago when I noticed an influx of posts for Homemade Brand Ice Cream (yes, we do actually look at the requests so keep them coming!). Having never heard of them before, I decided to do a little research. According to their website,  the United Dairy Farmers began making ice cream in 1939. However, it wasn't until 1982 however that they started selling their newly formulated premium ice cream under the Homemade Brand Ice Cream name. 

Homemade Brand is based out of Cincinnati, OH and mentions that they’re the Number 1 selling ice cream in Cinci. Why is that so important you ask? Well friends, Graeter’s, who has a very positive track record on this blog, is also based out of Cinci. Now looking around at their flavors, I see Homemade Brand as more of a Ben & Jerry’s type company while Graeter’s is more along the lines of a Haagen-Dazs.

With homemade based out of Cinci and with me living in the middle of nowhere, no stores around me carry this brand. After sending an email inquiring asking if they were willing to send over some samples to be reviewed, I got a response back from one of the nicest PR people that I’ve ever met. Emma, who I know is reading this right now because she’s a big fan of the blog, was more than accommodating and was willing to send over some samples for me to try (Thanks again Emma!).

Actually before we start I want to mention a few things that also came in the delivered package. The first thing I got was this pretty awesome laminated pierce of paper with every employee’s signature on it. Now if that doesn't show a close knit company than I don’t know what does. 

Twix Ice Cream Review

[Note: this flavor is now a light ice cream, my review here]

Brand: Mars Name: Caramel Ice Cream with Twix brand Cookie Bars Product: REAL Ice Cream Base Flavor:  Caramel Swirl:  Fudge Mix-ins: Twix Bits & Caramel X factor?  Twix Sealed?  Outside Size: Pint - 16oz

Merry Christmas!

I forget when it started, but we have the Christmas Eve tradition of baking up some fresh Pillsbury sugar cookies for Santa. My daughter then does the typical thing of setting out a place for him, but once everything is settled, it's time for an ice cream sandwich.

I used some perfectly matched Haagen-Dazs vanilla as my filling this year. The strong, sweet vanilla really brought out the sugary flavor of the cookie. Mmmm, good times.

Alright, gotta go help my son put his Legos together, have a great Christmas everyone!

Cool Dog Review

[These are sadly discontinued. WBUR did a nice article about their history here]

Alright, the following treat was bought over the summer but I just never managed to fit it into my schedule. I guess the problem is that while it looks cool, I was afraid of the likely disappointment... or maybe I was just too lazy to go downstairs, iunno. Well, they are here now, so let's dig in.

Now the Cool Dog claims to be "the COOLEST Ice Cream & Cake Sundae" by being premium vanilla ice cream in a delicious sponge cake bun... man, I hope they mean PREMIUM when they say it.

Haagen-Dazs Butter Pecan Ice Cream Review

Brand: Häagen-Dazs Name: Butter Pecan Product:   Super Premium Ice Cream Base Flavor:  Buttery Cream Swirl:  None Mix-ins:  Pecans X factor?  All Natural Sealed?  Yes Size: Faux Pint - 14oz

[By Nick] Dear Readers, I have come across some very disturbing information recently. Out of the hundreds of reviews on this site, none of them are of Butter Pecan ice cream. Sure Dubba covered a frozen custard once, while I reviewed a frozen yogurt but neither of them were real deal butter pecan ice cream. With my love of all things Butter Pecan, I knew this disservice could not last any longer. With this mindset, I went into the grocery store with intent to find a version of Butter Pecan that I’ve yet to taste. Low and behold there was one pint left of Haagen-Dazs Butter Pecan. Without hesitation I grabbed this pint before anyone else had the chance to.

Perry's Rainbow Sherbet Review

Brand: Perry's Name: Rainbow Sherbet Product:  Sherbet Base Flavor:  Fruity Swirl:  None Mix-ins:  None X factor: low fat Sealed?  Yes Size: Pint - 16oz

Sonic Drive In Winter Solstice Deal Half-off Shakes all day long

Can you believe the Winter Solstice is upon us in just a few days? As I get older, strangely enough I do find a certain satisfaction in knowing the days will start getting longer again (and hopefully less icy). Ok, so, remember how Sonic Drive-in celebrated the Summer Solstice?

Well, the 1/2 price shakes deal is back on December 21st, and to get you psyched up, Sonic has another $20 gift card to give away. Just leave a comment with your email and let us know which shake you are thinking of trying, and then I will pick a winner at the end of the week. Now don't forget that the new limited edition Chocolate Mint Holiday shake won't be around much longer, so this is a good chance to try it.

Update: And the winner is Beatrix_Delilah_Rice for her completely terrible doomsday pun, creativity will always get you bonus points!

Disclaimer: I will receive a $20 gift card as well for mentioning the above offer

Sorano Gelato Double Dutch Chocolate Review - Now Figo Chocolate Duet Organic Gelato

[By Nick] If you like us on Facebook (you don’t? Well, click here!) you might recall there being a post saying I was making another order to Ice Cream Source. Right before I was about to finalize my order, Ice Cream Source decided to add a new brand to their inventory. Not willing to pass up the chance to try another new brand at an introductory price, I added a couple of pints of Sorano Gelato to my shipment. 

Today we’ll take a look at their Double Dutch Chocolate variety.
(this is now figo organic gelato and has new packaging)

Klondike 100 Calorie Ice Cream Sandwich Review

I don't know what's scary: The fact these have been in my freezer for most of the year, or the fact they haven't completely shriveled up into nothingness.

Klondike 100 Calorie Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiches

Formerly Slim-a-Bear  ***   Made with low fat vanillin ice cream

Dennis has a (Minty) Podcast

So we just wrapped up a very special minty version of Dennis has a Podcast. It seems like everyone is rocking the holiday treats this year, so we did our best to cover the very large selection of what is available. Here is a recap of what we covered.

Fast Food Options:
Sonic Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake
December DQ Blizzard of the Month: Candy Cane Chill
McDonald's Holiday Mint McFlurry
Burger King Gingerbread Sundae
Burger King Gingerbread Shake Short Story

Home Options:
Haagen-dazs Peppermint Bark
Graeters Eggnog and Cinnamon Ice Creams
Perry's White Christmas and Peppermint Stick Ice Creams
Stone Ridge Creamery Cinnamon Snickerdoodle
Edy's Holiday Flavors

Additional Info:
Graeter's on Broadway (the world's best ice cream?)
Wegman's Grocery Stores (in search of Perry's)
Supervalu Grocery Stores (in search of Stone Ridge Creamery)
Ice Cream Source (ordering Haagen-Dazs and others online)

You can hear the podcast here or connect to it through itunes here. Big thanks to Dennis for letting me be a part of his show. It was a lot of fun and hopefully we'll bring you a fresh episode in the spring once the 2013 ice cream season swings into full effect.

Ok, thanks in advance for listening, enjoy, and feel free to let me no what you think!

Dubba's Personal Note: If you get a chance, check out Dennis' charity work here. He's done a great job trying to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer and Huntington's Disease support. He's even got a ton of prizes, so the more you give, the better your odds of winning. Hey, maybe we can help get him to his goal!

Milky Way Simply Caramel Ice Cream Bar Review

[Discontinued] Over the last few months, I have repeatedly planned to make this a Friday Night Fight or even a Saturday Night Showdown, but the stars just refused to align. Unfortunately, as was the case many times during 2012, I've waited too long and one of the opponents suffered the sad fate of passing his best by date.

No, it's not the Milky Way Simply Caramel Ice Cream Bar that has gone rogue, it's still good for several more months. No, it's actually the Milky Way Simply Caramel Bar that has gone stale. I guess they don't make candy bars like they use to.

Stonyfield Gotta Have Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Review

[By Nick] I don’t know what has been up with me as of late. I never usually buy just plain vanilla ice cream but after my pleasant experience with Clemmy’s and my life-altering experience with Talenti, I’ve been on a vanilla kick. This time though, I’m going to be looking at a vanilla frozen yogurt since it was suggested I give it a try. Stonyfield has been a player in the freezer albeit it a small one but they do make a good frozen yogurt. Their minty chocolate chip was actually the flavor that got me into trying more mint flavored desserts (possible review in the future?) So with my willingness to fulfill most reasonable requests, I picked up a pint of Stonyfield Gotta Have Vanilla on my last grocery trip.

I really like the background image on this pint. It gives you a feeling of the farm in which the milk was produced to create this treat. There’s the token vanilla flower on the label which is always a pleasing sight. Oh wait I just noticed the cow under the Stonyfield has a vanilla flower behind its ear. That designer definitely earns some points in my book.

A trip to Sonic to check out the new Sonic Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake

I never know how to open these posts, so let me get to the important part first. Sonic would like you to know about this:

It's their Hand-mixed Holiday Cheer in the form of the brand new Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake (made with real ice cream ofcourse). They sent me a $20 gift to go try it out, and one lucky commenter can get themselves a $20 gift card as well (just make sure you leave your email address so I can find you).

Limited Edition Holiday Season Flavors from Perry's

During November, Perry's was running a contest for three lucky people to win a pack of their seasonal flavors. Well, imagine my surprise when after sending out the winning containers, they also sent a pair to me! Woohoo! Well, I like you to Perry's. Let's dig in!

Peppermint Stick - a nice traditional pink and with multicolored bits

"Pink Peppermint Ice Cream with Red and Green Peppermint Candies"

White Christmas - looks like the candies from the Holiday Mint McFlurry

"Mint and White Chocolate flavored ice cream with red and green mint pieces"

More Yoplait Frozen Yogurt Flavor Reviews

[New for 2012] Let's start with the disclaimer that I am a big fan of yoplait yogurt, the original (red) style in particular. It's just been my go to yogurt for years, usually the raspberry flavor but more recently I will mess with mountain berry or mixed berry for my mid-morning snack.

When I went to the store, I decided on cherry (such a popular froyo flavor) and mixed berry. I figure they've both got a decent chance of being winners.

First open is Cherry Orchard (on the left) with a sneak shot of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia on the right. I just couldn't resist the urge to compare the two visually. After a few small servings, I will admit that the cherry yoplait is decent, if not tame shall we say. There's just something about it that doesn't satisfy me.

Hmmmm, let's try the mixed berry instead.

The scary thing is just how much the froyo tastes like the regular variety but in a disconcerting way. I feel liked I've taken my regular yogurt, put it in the freezer, and then started scooping away. Sure, it's not quiet that solid, you can see all the air ripples in the photo, but man does the texture come across as so very flat.

I'm just confused because I've had this yogurt flavor dozens and dozens of times, yet I can't finish a simple serving when it's frozen? That just seems weird to me. I literally was so bored after a few scoops that I put it back in the freezer and finished off the cherry orchard instead.

At this point, I've lost the urge to try any of the other flavors. In fact, I think the mixed berry froyo has partially killed my appreciation for their regular mixed berry yogurt. I tried pawning off the mixed berry on my wife, and while she will finish it off for me, she'd prefer I pick up something else next time.

You know, it's not that they are terrible, I'm just bored. I'd rather go eat sherbet or something.

Verdict?  not tart or tangy.... but kinda boring
Buy Again?  not for awhile