Upon opening the lid, I was immediately disappointed at the look of the virtually bare ice cream surface and what looked like a slightly freezer burned rim. I was afraid this pint was going to be a disappointment of peanut butter flavored ice cream with sparse flakes of cookies and peanut butter. I was very very wrong: I was about to embark on one of the most dense mix-in and swirl experiences possible.
Upon first bite, the sweet, creamy base immediately induced a sudden obsession with the pint. There was no turning back: my senses immediately reported that this was unquestionably a "Hyperpalatable Food" and perfects the sweet-fat-salt desire we all possess. This entire pint was going to be gone in 30 minutes. This first (and virtually last) base-only bite presented a creamy foundation, with strong inclusions of peanut butter. This base is far creamier than Blue Bunny's "Peanut Butter Panic" and is about equal in terms of peanut notes, but is far more peanut-rich than Graeter's "Buckeye Blitz". Unfortunately for Peanut Butter absolutists, it was not as peanut butter-rich as Ben and Jerry's "Peanut Butter Cup" or "What a Cluster...", but was probably was just as creamy...not exactly ideal for the Peanut Butter lover in me, but it wasn't before long that the base became virtually irrelevant.
I'll be frank: the amount of peanut butter and cookies in this pint was atrociously high, such that I had to put in considerable wrist and arm effort to eat this thawing pint. My little disposable spoon had to constantly tactically navigate around parts of peanut butter mounds, crack through cookies, and slice semi-frozen peanut butter globs. It was almost impossible to take a bite without mix-ins, even with my mini-spoon from a fun-size Ben and Jerry's Pint. This is probably the best problem anyone has ever had, ever.
As for the quality and taste of the swirl and mix-ins: the peanut butter is peanut butter, and the cookies are below-average Oreo replicas. I don't need to really add anything to further describe the peanut butter other than to reiterate that this stuff was all over the place, which is only a good thing if you are a living, breathing human being without a peanut allergy. No other peanut butter ice cream that I've eaten has come close to having this much peanut butter: Ben and Jerry's "Chubby Hubby" and Blue Bunny's "Peanut Butter Panic" probably both have half as much swirl as this Hagen Dazs. As for the "Oreos", well, they tasted fantastic, and I actually found a couple half-sized to quarter sized cookies with cream filling (a shocker and absolute mouth melter), but I could tell that they probably wouldn't be something I would enjoy as a dessert alone; I'm too picky in that I simply love the traditional Oreo branded cookies. Even still, the cookies were integral to the pint and I absolutely enjoyed them alongside peanut butter and base.
Tying everything together, the combination of the dense peanut butter swirls, and cookies that literally litter the pint basically nullifies the base. The base certainly contributed a constant peanut butter-cream taste to each bite, but the actual peanut butter was far richer and so widespread that it completely controlled my palate with each bite. In essence, the base barely mattered and probably could have been vanilla with similar results.
All in all this pint was incredible, and absolutely must be tried by anyone that enjoys peanut butter desserts or wants to enjoy a great ice cream.
Where Winston Found It: Target
Winston's Grade: A
