Recently while browsing the ice cream assortment at my local grocery store, I stopped to inspect the selection of Kroger’s Private Selection Ice Cream. Although the pint flavors offered are typically limited, one caught my eye that intrigued me: Chai Tea With Chocolate Ginger Cookies. This could have potential. My hopes were that the spiced chai tea ice cream blended with a creamy caramel ribbon and miniature ginger cookies marbled with chocolate would excite my taste buds in ways Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns or Oatmeal Cookie Chunk consistently do.
So I decided to pick it up and give it a try (at $1.79 a pint what did I really have to lose?) and headed home to try out this unique flavor. Having been disappointed with other Private Selection offerings in the past, I really wasn’t sure how this ice cream would pan out. At first glimpse, the less than ultra-premium (200 cal, 10g Fat/Serving) ice cream had quickly begun to melt. The smell of ginger instantly filled my nostrils and I began to scrap the surface to see what lied beneath.
I was a little shocked to see such a dense caramel swirl hiding inside this pint. However, the caramel lacked the flavor punch needed to accelerate this flavor to the heights of other brands. The amount of ginger cookie pieces was slightly below average and the cookies were very soft. Personally I am a huge fan of texture and the cookie pieces could have added much more “chew” to this pint if they were crunchier. The flavor of the cookies pared well with the chai tea base which really just tasted like ginger. The base was really disappointing. Yes it was creamy, but it just didn’t hold up to other brands of similar quality (Edy’s, Blue Bell, Turkey Hill, etc.). I think if chocolate chunks were included it would greatly enhance the quality of this ice cream. Maybe I would have enjoyed this “Seasonal Offering” more in a different season, but overall it was unique and different. If you find yourself in an experimental mood and a strong ginger flavor excites you, give this a go. If not, pass by and indulge in something different.
Where Colby Found It: Kroger
Colby's Grade: C
