My exploration through the flavors of Front Porch has been a roller coaster ride thus far. I took a small hiatus from the pints that take their inspiration from the Southern lifestyle, but after becoming a peppermint convert when it comes to ice cream, I had to try their Dandy Peppermint Candy. In the past I've tended to avoid peppermint ice cream like the plague, but with the holidays fast approaching and having tried mint flavors from Blue Bell and Edy's, I'm excited to explore this combination of peppermint ice cream with crushed mints.
Using the mentality above, Front Porch approaches their version by taking a bright white base, a shade I haven't encountered yet, and adding crushed green and red striped candies. Removing the top reveals a lightly-colored layer that doesn't effectively hide the colorful candy below. With only 170 calories, this is right in line with the other, non-chocolate mint offerings I've had recently. As my spoon hits the aromatic ice cream, the fluffy yet substantial consistency is reassuring.
My first sample of the base is sweeter than I had anticipated, only allowing subtle hints of the mint to shine through. The typical cooling attribute of peppermint ice cream is kept to a minimum, but that was a positive for my particular palate. The subtleness of the herb allows you to appreciate the deliciousness of mint fused together with sugar and cream. After only my first bite, the crushed candies began showing up on my spoon. I was surprised to find, as I lifted my bite from the pint, that there was a liquid-like swirl surrounding the pieces of peppermint.
Aside from the obvious addition in texture and taste from the actual smashed candy, the gooey swirl left behind enhances this mix-in immensely. The possibly unintentional peppermint swirl is much more effective than just the mint chunks themselves. The unique crunch of the striped peppermint is much better than that found in previous flavors due to the fact that these are just small enough to avoid the painful mistake of chomping down on an overly large piece that isn't quite ready to be chewed. The thick, sweet swirl left behind finishes off this well-constructed creation.
I'm a believer in aesthetics in ice cream to a degree. When a flavor looks delicious, more than likely it will be. The colors left behind by these bleeding pieces of peppermint create a festive looking selection that should certainly be marketed as a holiday-inspired offering, especially seeing as how Dandy Peppermint Candy will be my new go-to pint when I'm craving peppermint.
Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: C