Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Blue Bunny Hippity Hop Berry Ice Cream


[New for Early 2016] As you may remember, Blue Bunny was suspiciously quiet last year. I didn't know if they were laying low because people kept confusing them with Blue Bell (yes, this really happens) or if there was something else afoot. I'd love to say I knew what was going on, but the old PR rep left and the new one isn't exactly forthcoming with info (or samples).

Anyway, we finally know what's up, Blue Bunny has gone through a pretty significant rebranding. Gone are the old 1.75 quart containers and replaced with these new smaller, see through containers with gold lids (much like Breyers gelato lineup). They are either filled with 46 or 48 fluid ounces of product. Some flavors are gone, some just have new names, but there are a few new flavors mixed in as well. We'll be covering two of them. First up we have...

Blue Bunny Hippity Hop Berry Ice Cream
Strawberry flavored ice cream, strawberry swirls
and strawberry-filled chocolate flavored bunnies

Two squirts to fill a container I guess!

I've just finished my first bowl, and simply put, I really like this ice cream. There is a depth to the strawberry flavor that is lacking in so too many other "strawberry" ice creams. I don't know if it's the swirl or some added sugar or some kind of reduced tartness, but it's just really enjoyable.

Hey, the swirl didn't continue as expected!

The base is a nice, straight forward ice cream. It doesn't seem to rely heavily on gums or other tricks. That base becomes this great delivery system for the strawberry flavor. There's just a richness to it that I feel like I haven't had in awhile... I was just rereading some old strawberry based Blue Bunny reviews and maybe it's that classic buttery note of theirs that amplifies the strawberry vibe. Whatever it is, I like it!

Now, if I could just scoop out a bunny for the penny test...


WHOA! The Bunnies are gone!! It's now a tiny B with ears! That's unexpected! Blue Bunny is really taking this rebranding thing seriously. So they are about half the size of the old bunnies, but from this first scooping, they seem to be about twice as plentiful.We'll have to see if that continues but there is definitely a #funfactor to how these crunch. They are thin walled and well filled, so you definitely get that sense of crushing something hollow and filled.

Ok, that's it for now, but I look forward to my next bowl.... possibly later tonight.

On Second Scoop: I cheated and mixed bowl #2 with some mini Trix, so let's see how bowl #3 goes.... Oh, it went wonderfully. I really do like this ice cream. Granted I do love a good strawberry ice cream, but they dialed this one in nicely. The base is nice, the swirl is similar in flavor to the sweet strawberry topping you find at an ice cream buffet, and the plentiful bunnies add in the #funfactor. Ha, I just realized the bunnies are plentiful. Ahhh. Well played Blue Bunny, well played. 

Oh, one more note. While the swirl does stay to the sides for the most part, it has become more plentiful as I work my way down the container. I hope all the flavors aren't packaged like this because I think we can all agree that a swirl should be swirled, not just hanging out on the sides.

Verdict?  very enjoyable
Buy Again?  yup!


19 comments:

  1. I'm curious to see if my ShopRite gets Blue Bunny now that it's rebranded. I loved their own Strawberry Champ Cone and this sounds similar in taste to that.

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  2. I don't always love strawberry ice cream. It's usually very icy, and buttermilky.But this one was really good. I think it partly has to do with the swirl. Its great. I'm looking forward to this new Blue Bunny lineup

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  3. So is Blue Bunny better than Breyers and Edys?

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  4. I lost respect for breyers a while ago unfortunately, and edy's is fine, they have made some improvements to come back, but if i had to pick of the three, yeah, I'm going blue bunny.

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  5. Not to hijack, but I was going over the new Talenti flavors, and realized I never tried their Raspberry Cheesecake. Is the "raspberry" in Raspberry Cheesecake the same as their "raspberry" in their Raspberries & Cream? IF so, more/less/same intensity? I really didn't like their Raspberries & Cream. I'm not a salad person, but even I could tell it had balsamic vinegar and I hated that.

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  6. head over here for a full review http://www.onsecondscoop.com/2015/05/talenti-raspberry-cheesecake-gelato.html

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  7. @Dubba

    I read it at the time, commented but I'm not sure. I don't want it if it's the same raspberry as raspberries & cream lol

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  8. The bite of the raspberries and cream didnt really bother me and Nick reviewed the raspberry cheesecake (aka now I'm not sure if I remembered to try it!)

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  9. I want to try it, but the difference between 'strawberry ice cream' and 'strawberry *flavored* ice cream' has me flummoxed.

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  10. @Latchkey: I wouldn't worry about it. I'm actually sad this container is now almost empty. Just double check the ingredient list and wait for a sale if you are still concerned.

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    1. Just looked at it, and yeah...the list doesn't look bad at all, and no real difference from other strawberry varieties. So, it seems like it's just wording.

      Good, because this does look good and I'm a sucker for strawberry anything. I will definitely try this

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  11. I'm highly excited about this one. I plan on serving it Saturday for my birthday.

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  12. I thought this was really good for a budget ice cream. My three-year-old niece loved the "pink Easter Bunny ice cream." She keeps talking about it, so I need to get her some more.

    As for Talenti raspberries and cream ... Their best flavor, in my opinion. I adore it.

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  13. @Sascha: happy birthday!

    @Anon: technically it's main stream ice cream, not budget ice cream (though I assume you mean it's budget friendly in comparison to say talenti)

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  14. Yes, I meant budget in comparison to Talenti or Ben and Jerry or Hagaan Dazs ... But true, it is main stream. I sound like an ice cream snob, I suppose.

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  15. no no, sorry, wasnt trying to be mean, I'm just very literal. There's nothing wrong with loving the "high octane" stuff as my neighbor calls it. To me, a ice cream snob is someone who has lost appreciation for the fundamentals of what makes ice cream great, but that's a story for another day.

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  16. Dubba, do you know when the new Yuengling's flavors will make an appearance? I can't wait to try their Cinnamon Churro flavor.

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  17. They original said March and they've begun showing them on their twitter feed, so you should hopefully see them soon.

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  18. I love the new ice cream, but the plastic packaging is for the birds!!! Twice already I have gotten home only to find that the plastic container is broken on the top. It wasn't when I bought it, but got broken while in the shopping bag. Being frozen has caused it to be brittle, so that anything that bumps it, will make it break. Not a good design!

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