As I ventured two bites into this pint, the extremely caramel-rich base and knee-weakening caramel truffles immediately shocked my senses. The base and truffle marriage registered a similar caramel richness that Talenti delivered; the initial flavors and textures seemed identical to those of Talenti, and resulted in a similar dopamine coma. For one, the truffle taste and quality seemed absolutely identical: high quality milk chocolate encasing a smooth, rich caramel filling. Further sensory inspection, though, revealed a significant difference: 2nd streets’ base creaminess unquestionably exceeded Talenti’s. The increased creaminess (and fat content: 17g vs. 11g) definitely worked quite well and definitely proved, much to my surprise, superior to Talenti’s base. Could this be, has someone possibly out crafted Talenti?
Definitely. As I continued to explore into the depths of the pint, the caramel ribbon revealed itself. Upon first taste of this ribbon alongside base and truffles, the proverbial nail forced itself 3” deep into the Caramel Coffin. Incredible. Haagen Dazs’ gave me a taste of the potential of a caramel ribbon in Salted Caramel Truffle, but with a less desirable base. In this pint, though, the base and truffle combination already proved superior to all. Without a caramel swirl, 2nd Street would unquestionably be the best flavor. With the caramel swirl, an already perfect combination is enhanced with a premium quality, thick caramel ribbon that is just shy of the quality of the ribbon in Haagen Dazs’ Pralines and Cream. The result is a rockstar ice cream.
Believe it or not, but a third of the way in and this pint wasn’t finished setting a high caramel criterion. As I ventured deeper into the pint, a pattern presented itself: a bite with one truffle, a bite with 3 truffles, a bite with 2 truffles. 2nd street absolutely littered their Caramel truffles all over the place. I estimate the pint contained around 30 truffles, roughly double the amount contained within the competition’s pints. With Haagen Dazs and Talenti, you’ll find yourself hunting for truffles in the pint. With 2nd street, you’ll find yourself hunting for truffles in your spoonful, as they are in virtually every single bite. This, my fellow ice cream enthusiasts, unquestionably declares (beyond all of its other strengths) that this pint is a champion dessert compared to all other Ice Cream flavors and classes. Talenti and Haagen Dazs should take notes from this up-and-coming Ice Creamery.
Where Winston Found It: Super Wal-Mart
Winston's Grade: A
