After stumbling upon Peanut Butter Brittle and discovering how heavenly High Road ice cream could be with mix-ins involved, I jumped at the opportunity to review this Private Reserve pint of Strawberry Shortbread. I've yet to find a really well-executed version of anything involving strawberries, but I have high hopes considering High Road is at the helm.
The description above makes this strawberry-based flavor actually sounds alluring. Blue Bunny's Strawberries are Forever Shortcake and Blue Bell's Summer Strawberry Pie had both fallen well below this blog's standards, but after reading words like macerate, slow reduction and jammy syrup I think High Road may have this figured out. Pulling off the lid allows the slightly-sweet smell of strawberries and cream to escape. At first glance this looks like your standard vanilla, but the remnants of strawberry seeds in the base give away it's true identity. Scooping out my first bite, I'm immediately impressed with the quality and taste of this super-sweet strawberry ice cream.
Although not disclosed in the description, I assume High Road has mixed their macerated strawberry reduction with their incredible sweet cream mix to produce the ice cream packed in this pint, much like they did in Peanut Butter Brittle. The majority of the strawberry slivers were the ideal size. These barely-there bits of berry were few and far between, and because of their small stature, lacked the ice-cube consistency of larger pieces found in other flavors. Complex enough to keep me interested, the combination of ice cream and bits of strawberry have created a capable base to show off this shortbread.
The first few fragments I scooped out secured this flavor's fate. This is exactly how a high-grade strawberry shortbread ice cream should taste. These chunks of cookie cover all the textural aspects this ice cream had previously been missing. Adding a slight grit, as well as an initial crunch, these pieces of shortbread break down into chewy morsels that add some serious sweetness. Just when I thought I had reached the peak of this pint, I unearthed this mammoth of a mix-in.
Nearly spanning across the diameter of the container, this colossal chunk was almost too big to fit in one bite. Unhinging my jaw, this singular bite of shortbread, dripping in sweet, slightly-fruity ice cream ended up being one of the the best strawberry experiences I've ever had.
Where I Found It: Whole Foods Market
Grade: B
