REVIEW: Quest Hero Bars (all three flavors)

May 31, 2017May 30, 2017 / seansskillet / 1 Comment

Quest Hero bars are the protein bar giant’s macro friendly take on a candy bar, and as a person who’s actual knight in shining armor during the course of a bad day has been a real deal bar of chocolate, I can get behind this. The bars once again utilize the new and confusing artificial sweetener allulose, which is one of the cleanest tasting sweeteners out there, but not without some downsides. The jury is still out on exactly what kind of impact this ingredient has on the body, and as of now still has to be counted as sugar on the nutritional label, giving these Quest bars a significantly less macro-friendly look than their older tried and true siblings. Still significantly “less bad” than an actual candy bar, the Hero bars take the grainy “cereal” base from the Beyond Cereal bars, add an additional layer of gooey texture, and dip them into a creamy coating. The initial launch comes with three flavors – Blueberry Cobbler, Chocolate Caramel Pecan, and Vanilla Caramel.

Blueberry Cobbler:

Off the jump the texture on this bar is phenomenal – super soft and chewy with multiple layers and a lovely creamy coating. The dominant flavor is a very sweet and real tasting blueberry with a hint of acidity and no lingering artificial sugar taste. The second big flavor that creeps into the equation is graham cracker, and reminds of the Quest cereal waffle bar without the prominent syrup flavor and just a hint of cinnamon spice, which is no surprise since these bars use that same chewy granola-esque base.

One of my biggest gripes with Quest is the aggressive use of sucralose, and much like with the Beyond Cereal bars, the swap for allulose has really alleviated that problem almost entirely. The sugar flavor is very clean and true and has a more natural berry flavor than any bar I can recall having. This is my favorite blueberry bar that I’ve had and a very strong addition to the Quest catalog.

Rating: 8.5/10

Chocolate Caramel Pecan:

Slightly bitter cocoa-forward chocolate base with a decently thick layer of caramel on top. The flavor reminds me of a cheap brownie, not too strong of a nutty element but tastes almost nothing like what you would expect from a whey-dominant, “low sugar” protein bar, although the general profile is pretty predictable for a protein product. The caramel has a good chew, tastes decently authentic and has a slight saltiness that keeps the bar from being too sweet.

While this one is fine, it does have a slight artificial aftertaste, and with the worst macros of the three – highest calories and fat with the least amount of protein, I don’t think I would buy this one again.

Rating: 6.5/10

Vanilla Caramel:

This one again reminds me of the waffle cereal bar without the maple and instead a strong golden graham cracker sheen. It is very sweet with a nice smooth vanilla flavor and surprising salty pop on the finish. The salt cuts through in a way that gives a bit more of a salted caramel presence, which is nice considering the overall sweetness of the bar. There’s a little bit of a fake sugar sucarlose aftertaste on this one, not as strong as the chocolate but a bit more present than the Blueberry Cobbler, but still much less than your typical Quest bar.

Although there are almonds on the package and in the ingredients, I don’t get much almond flavor and there are just a couple random pieces in the top layer and a nuttiness is not prominent in the actual texture. This is one of the best tasting vanilla bars I have had and another one I would definitely buy again and could legitimately take the place of a white chocolate-y or caramel craving when watching calories.

Rating: 8/10

Overall this is a pretty impressive launch from Quest, and while the macros aren’t as good as the standard Quest bar the flavor is significantly better and will be pretty enjoyable for a lot of people, even those who don’t usually get down with protein bars.

REVIEW: Salt & Straw’s Pirates of the Chocolaty Caribbean

May 22, 2017October 25, 2020 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

As a somewhat low key Disney fanboy and not so low key Salt & Straw fanboy I was completely puffed with joy when I read that the two would be collaborating for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Very rarely does a smaller craft brand like S&S get the chance to work with one of the entertainment industry’s titans and I was genuinely excited not only for this release, but for what the relationship could mean in the future. I was so excited that I read the press release at least five times, and in fact, I think it’s so well written that I’m going to stop my intro here and just post the official description from a couple weeks ago:

“Pirates of the Chocolaty Caribbean captures the sweetness and spice of rum and toasted sugar flavor of the island spirit by infusing a caramel ice cream with cinnamon, allspice, orange peel, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and star anise. The real magic of this caramel spiced rum ice cream is the one-of-a-kind chocolate inside—single-origin chocolate from Trinidad, sourced locally from Bar Au Chocolat, studded with pop rocks that go off like pirate cannons between your teeth. Dig into the true flavor of the Caribbean in every scoop!”

Of course, this was a super limited time offering, only available at ONE shop in Los Angeles, but somehow, through the goodwill and kindness of Kim and Tyler at Salt & Straw, I was able to acquire a pint and give it a taste for the skillet.

By Salt & Straw standards this base is incredibly subdued, and for my personal tastes, a bit too mellow. When I read the description of all the spices going into the ice cream my heart lit up, but they’re much harder to detect than I had anticipated. Usually with S&S when they say something is in the flavor it is IN it and always executed with intense finesse but here I had to really search for any prominent spicy notes.

The ice cream is incredibly smooth and rich with a soft caramel essence that isn’t too sweet and finishes with a lovely buttery flavor that accentuates the high quality dairy like a well balanced sweet cream. There is the slightest touch of cinnamon and nutmeg at the end but even that is very subtle, with no star anise, cloves or cardamon to be found. There also isn’t any boozy rum flavor going on, which given the description of “caramel spiced rum ice cream” would have been really nice to taste; although I get the feeling the spices were supposed to emulate rum rather than alcohol being a prominent flavor.

What works wonderfully in this flavor is the pop rock studded dark chocolate, which delivers on everything it promised to be. It’s incredibly dark and bitter with tons of small pop rocks that immediately start sizzling the second I chomp into them; and it really does feel like cannons going off in my mouth. The chocolate is integrated in broken thin sheets and dispersed throughout the pint with perfection – some small shards of chocolate and some big chunks that keep each bite slightly different in bitterness and crunch. It’s a funny juxtaposition to put such a novelty candy into high quality single origin chocolate but it works beautifully, adding excitement to every bite.

While I wish this ice cream had a true spiced rum base to compliment the very well executed chocolate, I can’t deny that it is still an incredibly well made and delicious product. All of the more interesting ingredients fall to the background and simply temper the sweetness of the caramel for a more grown-up spin on flavors that are very familiar to ice cream aficionados. In all honesty this is just a very high quality and slightly elevated chocolate chip ice cream, and a damn good one at that.

Rating: 7.5/10
Found at: Salt & Straw Los Angeles

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Oat of this Swirled

April 14, 2017April 13, 2017 / seansskillet / 2 Comments

Bring on the fudge flakes. Five flavors, five flakey endeavors, welcome to the modern era of Ben & Jerry’s. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever orders ingredients for B&J accidentally ordered 1,000 pounds of the flakey chocolate instead of 100, these flakes in this flavor actually have a purpose, in the form of an homage. In 2012 Ben & Jerry’s sent Oatmeal Cookie Chunk to the flavor graveyard, and although I never had it, I’ve heard of its greatness referenced more times than I can count. Oat of This Swirled is the company’s response to the fans’ dairy-soaked tears, which combines buttery brown sugar ice cream with fudge flakes and oatmeal cinnamon cookie swirls.

The brown sugar ice cream is more effective here than in Blondie Ambition, where the toffee flakes muddy some of the texture and take away from the subtle golden brown sugar notes. It’s not a mind blowing base by any means but it’s clearly not vanilla and has a richness to it that is very enjoyable and compliments the profile of oatmeal cookies well. Speaking of cookies, the swirl here is very tasty, with a slight grittiness and buttery cinnamon flavor that is straight oatmeal cookie without the chew. Some of the cinnamon flavor seeps into the base and the two work together to translate the creamy slightly spicy feeling of fresh baked cookies. I do wish there were some chunks to go along with the swirl though, to give some bigger bursts of the baked goods, because as it stands you’ve gotta dig deep and hope to find a decent strand of the ribbon (which is great when you do).

The fudge flakes, as good of quality as they are and as much as I begrudge their overuse in these new flavors, actually do work here. Their sweet yet dark chocolate notes serve as a good gap between the cinnamon and brown sugar, and even though they’re strong tasting they don’t overpower the other two elements. There’s still a few too many of them in relation to the amount of swirl, but they aren’t making me angry at all.

The more that I eat the more I realize this ice cream tastes almost identical to eating an original IT-S-IT, the Bay Area born oatmeal ice cream cookie sandwich dipped in chocolate. The flavors in this pint mimic that experience almost perfectly, even hitting the right balance of spices and sweetness to the degree that multiple times I walked away from the freezer thinking I had just finished eating a sando and not playing shovel with my spoon. This is both a blessing and a curse because A. IT’S-IT’s are freakin awesome I love them and B. They were invented in 1928 and I’ve had that experience at my disposal my entire life, so there’s nothing new or unique being brought to the table, even though it’s delicious.

Through and through this pint comes off as a touch lazy and lacking some pizazz but I actually really enjoy a lot of what’s inside. If Ben and Jerry’s wanted to make a simple switch that could take this to another level, cut the fudge flakes by 30% and add in some cookie chunks to compliment the swirl – boom – magic would be made.

Rating: 8/10
Found at: Safeway

RANKING: ONE Brand Protein Bars

April 12, 2017February 4, 2018 / seansskillet / 4 Comments

ONE Brand bars might just be the most consistently delicious and nutritionally sound protein bars out there. There are brands with more flavors (Quest), and some that achieve a bolder taste (Fit Crunch), but through and through these bars deliver great taste with only one gram of sugar and a solid dose of protein and fiber. With many options to choose from I’ve compiled my all inclusive list of ONE bar flavors including their newest – Red Velvet and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake.

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1. Cinnamon Bun – I love cinnamon, and this bar not only delivers a cool blast of spice but the buttery nuances of yeasty rolls. It’s delicious, just sweet enough, and proves why Oh Yeah! have completely dominated low sugar flavor emulation.

2. Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake – chocolate and peanut butter is one of the greatest combinations known to man, and this bar pays homage to that glorious marriage wonderfully. It’s more peanut butter than it is chocolate, and surprisingly less sweet than a lot of the other ONE bars, which really works for this profile. It has two layers, the top of which is smooth and creamy like peanut butter, and finished with a mellow cocoa note that I really really dig.

3. Maple Glazed Doughnut – they completely nailed this flavor. Full of maple and raised donut yeasty-ness, it even finishes with that signature sharp sweet donut glaze taste. It’s incredible what they achieved in the maple domain, which is a flavor that doesn’t get enough love. Usually when you see maple it’s paired with pancakes or waffles, which is great, but this is a touch more unique and executed flawlessly.

4. Birthday Cake – the first bar I remember having actually covered in sprinkles and achieving the birthday cake flavor instead of some weird lemony taste. It’s sweet and vanilla-forward like a classic store bought white cake with a little bit of eggy-ness to give it that bday bounce.

5. Almond Bliss – a super unique and well executed flavor that doesn’t get enough love. This bar is basically an Almond Joy, and it nails the chocolate coconut almond balance beautifully. It’s creamy and nutty and just sweet enough, with some whole almonds that add good crunch. No other company has tried this flavor and I can’t imagine it being done much better with this kind of macros.

6. Peanut Butter Pie – peanut butter flavored protein supplements are hard to nail but this one does a pretty convincing job of capturing the nutty nuances of the heralded buttery treat. The use of peanut flour, peanut butter, AND peanuts in the ingredients provides a deep roasted flavor complimented by just the right amount of sweetness. I haven’t had many slices of peanut butter pie but this is certainly my favorite peanut butter bar.

7. Lemon Cake – really solid zesty lemon flavor with a little bit of white cake bounce. There’s that extra essence that pushes it beyond straight lemon, but the lemon is full, bright, and dominant. If you want a lemon protein bar, this is the ‘one’.

8. Cookies and Creme – as big of a fan of Oreo’s as I am I’m not huge on C&C bars but this one is quite good. This is a very creme-heavy bar as far as the flavor goes, with the outer white coating and protein base inside both reminding me of the Oreo filling. The inside is speckled with chocolate cookie pieces for a bit of cocoa but it overall eats like a rich creamy creme bar. Yum.

9. Pumpkin Pie – this seasonal take on the autumn classic remains the best version of the pie I’ve had in bar form. The texture reminds me of pumpkin filling, and the Oh Yeah! flavor wizards were at it again nailing the flakey notes of pie crust in addition to the spices you would expect.

10. Salted Caramel – it’s exactly what the name implies. Salty, buttery, and sweet. Not too sweet in a headache-enducing way, which can sometimes be an issue with caramel, but just sweet enough to let the salt have a backdrop to flourish on. No nuts or chocolate or other bells and whistles, just straight caramel and one of the best caramel bar I’ve had. The surprise factor here is the supreme creaminess that is butter-smooth silky, but all the flavor is in the coating with the protein base falling a little flat (sometimes I suck the coating off, I’m weird, I know).

11. Blueberry Cobbler – not as sweet as you might expect, it’s got a good blueberry flavor that isn’t very artificial and pretty enjoyable to eat. Not as cobbler-y as I would like with no notable cinnamon or nutmeg to really be found. I know Oh Yeah! can do crusty bready flavors well and this one doesn’t quite nail it.

12. Red Velvet Cake – the bar has a legitimate cheesy tang on the outer coating but ultimately suffers from just not being sweet enough to deliver the right frosting kick. The inside doesn’t taste bad but it also doesn’t have any of the cocoa nuances I want from RV cake. The texture is still solid but there are 10 other ONE bars more worth your time and money.

13. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – there’s a touch of brown sugar flavor that reminds me of dough in the protein base, which is studded with chocolate chips and dipped in a chocolate coating. Vanilla and caramel come along for the journey in a bar that is good but not the best CCCD out here (Combat Crunch and Quest both have great versions).

14. Key Lime Pie – I’m a big fan of lime, and anything with graham crackers in it for that matter, and while both of those flavors are represented in this bar it suffers from being not nearly sweet enough. While Oh Yeah! usually delivers heartily on great sugary profiles with only one gram of sugar, this bar overall falls flat with very little pop, despite its creamy whipped topping-esque coating. Even though the lime is pretty authentic, its tartness isn’t enough to save it from being a flavor I don’t really want to toss into my regular rotation.

15. Chocolate Brownie – light milk chocolate flavor that reminds me a lot more of Hershey’s Kisses than a brownie with occasional crunchy chocolate chips. Not an awful bar but not my favorite chocolate bar by a long shot.

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White Chocolate Raspberry – very sweet, almost moist with a floral and tart raspberry finish. Surprisingly doesn’t taste artificial at all, which is a big problem with berry flavored bars. Ties with the Quest version for best take on the flavor, although the only texture is little crisps and no white chocolate chunks.

Chocolate Birthday Cake – another bar bursting with sprinkles, this one has that soft cocoa flavor like a cake you would buy from Safeway. It’s a unique flavor, since most companies go for chocolate brownie, and is pretty well executed, although I have had some that had a strange sour aftertaste.

Mint Chocolate Chip – the first ice cream themed protein bar I’ve had and I’m a fan. The mint is present but much more mellow than a super intense Peppermint extract would provide, and instead, bringing the smooth creaminess you would find in a scoop of mint chip. It’s not my favorite mint bar but it’s a good one, although it has a kind of odd lingering aftertaste that feels a little soapy, probably trying to emulate the cold creaminess.

REVIEW: Salt & Straw Roasted Strawberry Tres Leches (San Francisco Exclusive)

April 10, 2017April 9, 2017 / seansskillet / 2 Comments

The time has finally come and on this Friday, April 14, the bay area will get its first Salt & Straw scoop shop. The stellar Portland-based ice cream company will be taking a similar approach to their stores in Los Angeles and will offer some SF scoop shop only flavors that you have to be present for to actually experience and taste that will be unique not only in their exclusivity but in their profile to represent the bay area. I was fortunate enough to get to try a couple of these flavors before they hit the public, and like everything S&S does, they are impressively great. Salt and Straw’s San Francisco exclusive flavor Roasted Strawberry Tres Leches combines a roasted strawberry ice cream with chunks of tres leches cake and a vanilla strawberry jam swirl.

The strawberry ice cream is perfect. Bursting with authentic slightly tart strawberry flavor there’s a touch of saltiness to the base that is simply delectable and tempers the aggressive sweetness of the jam to create a full bodied multi-layered berry flavor. The roasted element of the strawberries gives a true-to-taste fruit experience that shares absolutely nothing in common with lower quality, artificial tasting “strawberry” ice creams. I’m not as well versed on berry bases as I am with sweet cream, caramel, or chocolate, but this is without a doubt my favorite strawberry I have ever had.

The tres leches cake is dense and chewy in a way that resembles cake batter with a beautiful cinnamon flavor that melds harmoniously with the two fruity components. There’s a touch of golden sheen to the cake that reminds me of graham crackers in the best way – channeling honey and spice and childhood nostalgia. A little bit of the cinnamon seeps into the strawberry, so even when you get a bite without cake there’s an added touch of spicy depth that elevates the ice cream beyond your basic berry and into something transcendent.

What makes Salt and Straw so incredible is their precise attention to detail, and everything about that precision is represented in this pint. From the use of vanilla strawberry jam instead of just strawberry, which adds a round fullness to the flavor, to the subtle use of salt to balance everything out, Salt & Straw truly craft the scoops of ice cream lovers’ dreams.

Rating: 10/10

REVIEW: Baskin Robbins Caramel Macchiato

April 7, 2017June 6, 2018 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

Sometime in the early 2000’s Starbucks invented the Caramel Macchiato, confusing coffee consumers and soiling the term macchiato forever. A word that was once associated with a small espresso drink dotted by freshly steamed foam was transformed into a big cup full of milk caramel, vanilla, and less than 10% actual coffee. This turn of events in coffee culture made caffeine aficionados angry and baristas of all levels perplexed on what the hell people were trying to order, and as such, everything has been ruined forever. Arriving approximately 15-20 years late to the trendy party, Baskin Robbins are putting their own spin on the teeny-boppers gateway drug with their flavor of the month for April 2017. Caramel Macchiato combines coffee ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and real espresso flakes for a flavor that will hopefully leave me sugar AND caffeine high.

The coffee base is exactly what I look for in this kind of ice cream – smooth and sweet with vanilla undertones and a present but not too intensely bitter coffee flavor. The taste is very similar to a heavily milked and sugared cup of coffee, which should come as no surprise considering the ingredients used to make ice cream. It’s mellow enough that it doesn’t smack you in the face but big enough that the flavor doesn’t fade after repeated bites into creamy obscurity.

The salted caramel swirl seems much less salted than would be ideal, but its signature sweetness stands out against the coffee backdrop and adds some silky texture that is enjoyable and true to the caramel macchiato beverage. While I do think Baskin Robbins makes a good caramel, especially evident in flavors like Gold Medal Ribbon, I have yet to have a good salted caramel from BR and this scoop isn’t changing that perception. I also wish there was more of the caramel, because without it in the bites the flavor is much more latte than it is “macchiato”.

As for the third component of this flavor, the “real espresso flakes” are actually coffee studded chocolate flakes, and don’t lean too heavily on coffee or chocolate flavor with just a touch of bitter cocoa that elevates the espresso vibes without pushing it over the edge. I was excited when the description said “espresso flakes”, and while these chocolate chips are fine, they don’t really fit the flavor profile, and may have been better replaced by caramel covered espresso beans or something more inventive to capture the caramel macchiato essence more effectively, since this isn’t a mocha flavor. Despite the unnecessary presence of chocolate this is a pretty tasty cup, and one I might even re-scoop if I find myself near a Baskin later this month.

Rating: 7.5/10
Found at: Baskin Robbins

REVIEW: Trader Joe’s Mocha Joe Joe’s

April 6, 2017April 9, 2017 / seansskillet / 5 Comments

The world has never seen a coffee Oreo…until later this year. That’s right, in 2017, thanks to a collaboration with Dunkin Donuts, Nabisco will finally release a coffee flavored Oreo. Bad news for them, Trader Joe’s has beaten them to the punch via the release of the brand new for this year Mocha Joe Joe’s. With two chocolate wafer cookies sandwiching a vanilla creme studded with ground coffee, Oreo has some heavy competition on their hands.

Coffee is one of my most cherished and nostalgic smells, and busting into these Joe Joe’s is like unearthing a fresh bag of whole bean espresso. There’s a full, dark, dominant coffee aroma that will be no stranger to anyone who grinds coffee beans at home, and is a surprising coming so intensely from a $3 box of cookies. The creme filling is smooth, soft, and almost runny with a much softer texture than its Oreo idol. The creme is studded with coffee bean bits that add a little extra crunch but primarily bring a bold coffee flavor that is sharp, bitter, and genuine. The taste is very similar to that of chocolate covered espresso beans and that’s a huge boost over a lot of coffee flavored products I’ve had before.

As powerful as the coffee flavor is, the cookies do still overall register sweet, with the wafer cookie being a little less dark and bitter than the standard Oreo. There’s enough sugary sweetness in the melty creme and wafer to balance the coffee intensity and I think this cookie will be loved not only by caffeine junkies, but those who appreciate the other element of a mocha – good chocolate. The finish is sweet and smooth enough to accompany a good cup of coffee, tea, or espresso, but dynamic enough that it isn’t just another average tasting Oreo copy cat.

This is the most excited I’ve been by a cookie so far this year, and it caught me by total surprise. I love drinking coffee daily but am not as hyped on coffee flavored treats, and these cookies may have converted me. I’ve always thought Joe Joe’s were of high quality but with this Mocha flavor Trader Joe’s have taken them to another level, achieving the perfect snack-able balance of coffee, chocolate, and delicious that has me excited for other new limited releases in the future.

Rating: 9/10
Found at: Trader Joe’s
Quick Nutrition: 2 cookies – 7g fat – 95mg sodium – 23g carbs – 14g sugar – 1g protein

HOSTESS ROUNDUP: Chocolate Cake Twinkies, White Fudge Ding Dongs, Peanut Butter Ho Ho’s

March 30, 2017March 29, 2017 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

Earlier this year Hostess released three new spins on some of their established cakes, which, unlike most new/limited flavor varieties were available in the gas-station-classic single serve size instead of a big ole box of 8 or 10. This got me excited, since I love trying new products but rarely need that many – it was a golden opportunity to taste without commitment. The hunt was real for these bad boys, as it took me nearly two months and three different locations to track them all down. Conveniently, all three of these cakes are being released in big box grocery format this week, so if any of these treats sound too tantalizing to deny, you can get em in a ten pack. Alright Hostess, let’s round em up!

Chocolate Cake Twinkies

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A very basic but surprisingly interesting and successful twist to the golden sponge cake classic. It’s less greasy than yellow Twinkies but more moist than a Suzy Q, which are notoriously dry with an odd stiffness. The cake itself has a moderate chocolate flavor that reminds me of Cocoa Puffs with a light sweet profile that steers clear of any bitterness.

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The cream filling is same as any hostess product, and works well in tandem with the chocolate sponge, which overall tempers the sweetness compared to a normal Twinkies. I enjoyed eating this a lot more than I anticipated and I would probably even buy them again!

Rating: 7.5/10

White Fudge Ding Dongs

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A fluffy, fairly one-noted sweet vanilla cake. Surprisingly less sweet than its closest competitor, Little Debbie’s Zebra Cakes, it has a noticeably rich almost buttery flavor to it. The white fudge coating is soft and does have a slightly smoother less waxy coating than your typical Hostess outer layer. It feels a bit thicker, which is maybe the desired effect of “fudge”.

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The cream filling pops a lot less than a regular Ding Dong because of the already vanilla-sweet cake and coating. It’s more moist than the original Dong with a greater/equal distribution of cream filling that leads to an overall creamy bite. It’s not bad but it isn’t really all that great either; and I’m generally a fan of white cake with white frosting.

Rating: 6/10

Peanut Butter Ho Hos

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I’ve never had a Hostess product with peanut butter in it and I am now a happy boy. The overall flavor is still very sweet with the dominant taste being the light chocolate of the Ho Ho cake and outer coating. It would be nice if there was a big authentic salty PB presence to offset the sweet, but it comes off more like a sweet peanut butter frosting than true butter (which isn’t much of a surprise).

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Still, it’s peanut butter and the nuttiness is a welcome addition to the Ho Ho’s inner swirl which makes the cake overall more dynamic and interesting. That being said, it doesn’t deliver the same PB satisfaction as a Reese’s or Little Debbie’s PB creme pie so I’m not sure this would be my go to in the future if I was having a cake-y peanut butter craving.

Rating: 7/10

REVIEW: Salt & Straw’s Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake

March 27, 2017March 19, 2018 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

According to a 2015 survey by Yahoo!, America’s favorite dessert is ice cream, and with good reason. The combination of sugar and fat with melty texture and an endless array of combinations creates the ultimate eating experience that cannot be replaced or replicated in any way. As good as store bought brands and chains like Baskin Robbins can be, there are smaller craft companies that are churning out ice cream that takes the art to a whole new level. At the top of the small scale ice cream game is Portland’s Salt & Straw, and for March they brought back a handful of fan favorites from years past for a repeat performance. Among these flavors is Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake, which combines a malted salted chocolate ice cream with cupcake pieces frosted with chocolate ganache, chocolate coated potato chips, and a ribbon of housemade caramel.

The textures and flavors in this pint are nothing short of a masterpiece. The malted chocolate base is rich and sweet with a salty undertone that cuts through and reminds me a lot of Salt & Straw’s Woodblock Chocolate without the flakes. It has a lighter milk chocolate flavor accented by the malt that serves as a perfect backdrop to the layers of decadence that unfold as I eat in absolute glee. The chocolate covered chips are big crunchy boulders with an intense super dark bittersweet chocolate coating that tastes like the blackened midnight sky before exploding with a salty potato finish. These aren’t just the best chips I’ve ever had in an ice cream but some of the best chocolate covered chips I’ve ever had anywhere, with a flawless, deep, cocoa sweet salty finesse that is divine.

The chocolate cupcake pieces have been soaked in coffee syrup which gives them a rich, almost booze-y flavor that differentiates them from the extreme bitter darkness of the potato chips. Some of the pieces are soft and gooey like tres leches cake and others have firmed up and have a denser texture like chewy brownies. The cake pieces are accompanied by a chocolate ganache, which again, is intensely dark and bittersweet in the best way. Some of the ganache has broken away from the cake and become soft chewy chocolate fudge chunks of black magic voodoo.

What really brings this flavor together and makes the whole thing sing is the generous swirl of thick rich caramel that sticks to my spoon and makes my tongue do cartwheels for more. It’s sweet and dense and tastes exactly the way a caramel should, like the sugar cooked down for hours before finally seizing up to become the smooth brown butterfly it always knew it could. The swirling puddles of caramel were evident from the first scoop and weaved in and out of the entire pint, running down the side of the carton and bringing bliss to the three distinct, expertly executed layers of chocolate.

When you see so many different components crammed into one flavor it’s easy to write it off as a gimmick, but with Salt & Straw it’s as far from a gimmick as you can possibly get. All the pieces perfectly compliment each other to create an exciting, addictive, and perfect ice cream experience that needs to be tasted to be believed.

Rating: 10/10
Found at: http://www.saltandstraw.com

REVIEW: Haagen-Dazs Bourbon Praline Pecan

March 24, 2017March 23, 2017 / seansskillet / 4 Comments

Have you ever been unsure whether you wanted to cap your night off with a shot of whiskey or a scoop of ice cream? Is your inner bad boy torn between melty sweet spoonfuls of creaminess or the tummy-warming tingle of bourbon? Look no further – Haagen-Dasz has made your solution. Their new for 2017 flavor, Bourbon Praline Pecan, combines bourbon ice cream with nutty praline pecans and pools of brown sugar bourbon, to create “indulgence with a kick”.

As I begin to scoop into the container the strong aroma of bourbon wafts into my nostrils almost as convincingly as if I had just popped a fresh bottle of the hard stuff. The smell is incredibly powerful and very authentic – it doesn’t come across artificially created or in-genuine at all.

Going in for a taste this is without a doubt the booziest ice cream I have ever had, and I had to check the carton to see what the proof was and why they didn’t ask for my ID at Safeway (there is no proof, so no ID required). What’s incredibly impressive here is the booze on booze action between the bourbon base and brown sugar bourbon swirl, as it creates an inescapable flavor that teeters on the edge of too much alcohol. The brown sugar bourbon swirl is less sweet than your typical caramel but has a runny stickiness to it that reminds me of maple syrup. Although it has a boozy component to it, it’s noticeably less strong than in the ice cream itself and they work together in great harmony.

The lone crunchy mix in, the praline pecans, pop with a sweet fattyness that works really well with the other two elements, and they stand out more than when in the usual butter pecan or caramel ice cream you would find this type of candied nut in. Sometimes less standard bases, like ones made of bourbon, can lose their unique flair after a couple of bites, but the pecans help keep that profile in check, and after their big sweet release the predominant components of the pint go right back to tasting like they were poured from an oak barrel. Although the praline pieces aren’t terribly big there’s a lot of them so the sweetness and crunch come in and out of bites frequently.

This is a great ice cream. Although it walks on the edge of being too strong, I’ve gotta give HD props for making a flavor that really lives up to its name and smacked me in the mouth with midnight regret. I don’t know that this would be my go-to when choosing a flavor to enjoy at the store, but it’s a definite must try for anyone who is a fan of bourbon or alcohol-tinged sweets.