The flavor is described as "vanilla ice cream swirled with bourbon pecan pie." It’s a relatively simple concept that I’ve seen executed fairly well by local artisan creameries in the past, so I had pretty high hopes that my almost $7 investment would yield some pretty tasty results.
When I first peeled back the lid, I was a little underwhelmed by the lack of pecan pie pieces. I’m a big fan of mix-ins, and even though I’m used to digging my way toward the good stuff, I usually like to see a little hint of what’s to come peeking out on top. Fortunately, as I dug deeper, I discovered that Steve’s is fairly generous when it comes to the pecan pie bits.
I then decided to specifically take a pecan pie-free bite of ice cream to get a sense of how the base would fare on its own. I have to admit that the initial dose of bourbon threw me for a loop. The bourbon flavor was really strong—almost too strong for me at first. But the more I tasted this ice cream, the more I enjoyed and appreciated how the bourbon flavor seemed to be totally infused into the base.
Now let’s talk about the pecan pie pieces. These were just awesome. I don’t know where they came from (a local Brooklyn bakery perhaps), but they were just amazing—chewy, flavorful, and full of texture. All in all, you get a pretty decent pie-to-ice cream base ratio in this pint, which renders this vanilla-based flavor far from boring.
Having said that, I was a little taken aback when I realized just how calorie-laden and fattening this stuff is. Now I’m not one to count calories when it comes to ice cream. I mean, the stuff’s not exactly being marketed as health food, right? But at the same time, when a 1/2-cup serving comes in at the 300-calorie mark, I tend to expect absolute and utter greatness. For 300 calories and 21 grams of fat per serving, this flavor does do a good job of packing a lot of creaminess into each bite. At the same time, it’s so smooth that you could easily scarf down half a pint without even realizing how much you’ve put into your stomach. I can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing.
If you’re a fan of pecan pie and don’t mind bourbon-flavored ice cream where you can actually taste the bourbon, this one is definitely for you. But if the idea of potentially getting buzzed while eating dessert is enough to scare you off, save your money for a different Steve’s flavor. Supposedly they’re all pretty fantastic, and I can’t wait to sample some more.
Where Mo Found It: Whole Foods
Mo's Grade: A
