Top Ten New Reviews of 2016

Can you believe 2016 is over? or better yet, are you glad it's over? As you get older, the years go by faster and faster, and this one was a blur. It was also a challenging year logistically as all the companies dumped their products at once and that was after I had vowed to myself not to spend a fortune buying the latest and greatest just for the sake of a few extra page views. Ice cream hunting is fun, but spending an extra 40% to review it first has lost a bit lot of luster for me... look, I'm sidetracking already, let's get to the countdown!

Edy's Slow Churned Vermont Maple Syrup Ice Cream

[New for 2016] Ok, time for our last review of 2016. I know I haven't covered all of the new 2016 freezer aisle products, but checking the records shows I came pretty close considering what was available to me (and what I'm actually willing to consume). We're going to end with Edy's of all things which seems a little funny because a few of you pointed out that I tend to be hard on Edy's. I can see why you might think that, but keep in mind that I consider all of the good products they put out over the last twenty years and then compare it to what they deliver today.

Edy's Slow Churned Vermont Maple Syrup Ice Cream

vanilla light ice cream with 100% Vermont maple syrup and maple toffee pieces

Yuengling's Cherry Vanilla Chunk Ice Cream

[New for 2016] Time for the third of four new 2016 flavors from Yuenglings Ice Cream. Cinnamon Churro wasn't my style, Cookies & Cream was pleasant enough, and I still haven't seen the new Butter Pecan flavor. That just leaves...

Yuengling's Cherry Vanilla Chunk Ice Cream

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream with Cherry Chunks and Large Dark Chocolate Chips

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Have a great Christmas everyone. I'll see you on Tuesday for another review.

 

Blue Bunny Peppermint Party Ice Cream

[New for late 2016] While at Walmart, I found the latest two Blue Bunny flavors. Our container of Cocoa Bunny is just about empty so now it's time to dig in to...

Blue Bunny Peppermint Party Ice Cream

peppermint ice cream, fudge swirls and
peppermint filled red and green bunnies
(I love how much fun they had with this packaging)

Blue Bunny Cocoa Bunny Ice Cream

[New for late 2016] It's a Christmas miracle, my Walmart finally got in the new Blue Bunny flavors! I've been searching high and low for this flavor and peppermint party which will get reviewed in the next few days. Cherrific Cheesecake has also returned >> Ha, it just dawned on me that one says "limited edition", one says "seasonal", and one says "holiday edition".

Blue Bunny Cocoa Bunny Ice Cream

Chocolate ice cream with marshmallow flavored swirls
and chocolate flavored marshmallow filled bunnies

New Snacks and the Nosh Show Episode 95

Hello Nosh Show listeners! Time for our final show of 2016. I know that sounds sad but Episode 95 has lots of ice cream in it so that's a good thing right?

Discussion Time: Is mainstream ice cream dead?

Maybe a better question is, do you still feel the same way about Breyers, Edys, Friendlys, Turkey Hill, Perrys, Blue Bunny and all the rest? I've been struggling to find a good way to ask this question as the year comes to a close. I just can't help but feel that those of us who search the freezer aisle for a good mainstream ice cream are running out of options.

I don't always want something super dense and calorie filled like B&J and H-D, nor do I want to settle for something cheap and unrewarding like a store brand. I don't want to spend ten to twenty dollars on a pint of ice cream that I have to have shipped to me no matter how amazing it might be. I just want to walk down the aisle and pick something that fits my mood at that exact moment. It shouldn't be that hard to find a mainstream cookie dough with enough flavor and dough bits. It shouldn't be that hard to find a cookies & cream flavor that isn't gummy or weak. Why can't I find a strong fruit flavor with real bits that doesn't blow up my food budget or leave an artificial taste?

Yes, I'm being bitter and cranky but I worry about what the future holds. I've said it several times now that Turkey Hill all natural ice cream is my only real refuge in the mainstream space. Even the regular Turkey Hill flavors just aren't as good as they use to be, but they haven't fallen nearly as far as say Friendlys or Breyers. (just to clarify, Turkey Hill's regular line up is my current go to mainstream brand that I bring home for family consumption, I only buy the other brands if the TH selection is too limited).

I guess I just don't understand why we're losing the war here. There are so many options in the freezer aisle yet I struggle to bring home regular flavors to my family. This just seems so wrong. Has cost cutting killed mainstream ice cream? Is it possible to still deliver a good product at the price consumers expect? To be clear, I'm not saying you can't like these products. Instead, I'm just asking you if the changes we have been seeing bother you as much as it bothers me. I know, I'm probably overthinking this and hopefully this doesn't come off like a jerk post. I'm just worried about the industry. If I started an ice cream company, I'd want to serve the regular family that buys regular ice cream. The fancy stuff is fun, but why can't that big carton of mainstream frozen stuff bring the same amount of joy as it did when I was a kid?

Please let me know what you think. Have a good weekend everyone.

Mr. Green Tea Ginger Ice Cream

As I (sadly?) pace back and forth down the freezer aisle trying to discover something that catches my interest, I realize that I have been playing it safe recently. While this blog has always been about encouraging you to try new things, I couldn't help but find myself reaching for the safest of the Mr. Green Tea flavors... Madagascar bourbon vanilla ice cream which apparently isn't even on their website. The MGT site does list chai latte, ginger, black sesame, green tea, red bean and fortune cookie. I really wanted fortune cookie but it was the only flavor Stop & Shop (Giant) didn't have.

Mr. Green Tea Ginger Ice Cream

ginger ice cream bursting with candied ginger

DQ Strawberry Funnel Cake A La Mode

[New for Summer 2016] Over the summer, DQ used up the last of it's apple tarts and began serving up something a bit more fun sounding. Having had my fair share of funnel cakes as a kid, I assumed this would at least be decent. I even get my choice of toppings: hot fudge, caramel, or...

DQ Strawberry Funnel Cake A La Mode

funnel cake topped with powdered sugar and drizzled with a topping of your choice

Turkey Hill Vanilla Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream

Ok, today's review is definitely not new, it's just one of those flavors you may not recognize at first glance... mainly because it used to be known as BLITZburg Crunch which debuted in 2010 and was decked out with the Pittsburg Steelers logo. That's not all, (Phillies) Graham Slam, (Pinstripe) Brownie Blast, (Eagles) Touchdown Sundae have also lost their sports team brandings. Oh, if you had a thing for Bronx Bombers Sundae, that flavor appears to be gone completely. History lesson aside, let's dig in since these flavors tended to only be regional in the past.

Turkey Hill Vanilla Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream

vanilla ice cream with chocolate crunchies & chocolate cookie swirl

Wegmans Shortbread Cookie Ice Cream

I don't remember if I saw this one last year or not, but I worked out my shopping so that I could bring some frozen stuff home from Wegmans and I couldn't resist the urge to make this one of my choices. I'm a sucker for a flavor that has "cookie" in the name so let's test....

Wegmans Shortbread Cookie Ice Cream

vanilla flavored ice cream with cookie pieces & festive sprinkles

Double Chocolate M&M's and the Nosh Show Episode 93

Hello Nosh Show Listeners! Episode 93 is ready for listening. There's not a ton of product followup as we enter the holiday season, but I do have a few things to cover here. Oh, my Nosh (and Not) of the week is the two Kemps froyos I posted this week (#1 and #2). I think those of you who love salty caramel flavors should enjoy one of them at least.

Kemp's Raspberry Cheesecake Yo2 Frozen Yogurt

[Debuted 2016, switched to paper pints late 2018] So the other day I posted my first run in with the new Yo2 (Yo²) lineup from Kemps. After my first scooping of that flavor, I had the kind of mixed feelings that can really only be settled by trying the same product but in a different flavor.

Kemp's Raspberry Cheesecake Yo2 Frozen Yogurt

Cheesecake frozen yogurt with graham crunch and raspberry swirl

Blue Bunny S'more Please Ice Cream

[By Nick, New for Summer 2016] Oh Blue Bunny, I haven't been able to sing praise of your most recent packaging redesign. Clear containers have been relegated to the pint world for far too long. I've been waiting for a brand like yours to finally jump on the bandwagon. I mean just look at this packaging. It's easily an eye catcher when you're in the sea of the ice cream isle. It's so clean and ahhh, I love it. Yes, I'm a marketing geek but you have to admit this was a smart move by Blue Bunny. Oh wait, you're here to read about the actual ice cream, aren't you? Fine, you win.

Blue Bunny S'more Please Ice Cream

Graham Flavored Ice Cream, Chocolate Flavored Chunks,

Marshmallow Swirl and a Graham Cracker Swirl