With the summer heat in full swing, Ben & Jerry's has decided to release their Key Lime Pie flavor as a limited batch for the next few months. A few of my fellow ice cream enthusiasts had tipped me off that this pie was making a comeback a few weeks before Ben & Jerry's had even released any information on the subject. After many failed attempts at tracking down this South Florida treat, I was finally about to procure a pint at my local Publix Supermarket. Key Lime Pie based ice creams seem to continuously come up short, so I was hoping Vermont's Finest could do better than the competition.
Described as a lime ice cream with a tangy lime twist, fluffy meringue swirl and pie crust pieces, I'm delighted to see that they've included actual pieces of pie crust in this one. All the other components will be attending their coming out party to my palate. I hadn't heard much feedback as far as other reviews were concerned, but after this dreamy description I'm ready to dig right in. After removing the top to this limited batch, the first layer of this 270 calories per serving, super-premium ice cream seems pretty pedestrian. As I pulled my spoon across the top layer, I can't seem to find nearly as much going on beneath the surface as I had initially expected, but hopefully the taste can make up for the lack of looks.
Following my first few bites, I've determined why Ben & Jerry's is usually able to pull off these fruit-based flavors better than the competition. They tend to teeter towards a sweet vanilla taste rather than the fruit itself. They allow hints of the true fruit flavor to come through without attacking you with too much, which works especially well with Key Lime, where tartness can be a problem. While true Key Lime lovers may object, I would choose this version of lime ice cream over many of those from other manufacturers. Considering this lacked most of the much-loved tartness of the lime, Ben & Jerry's administers an interesting approach of incorporating some twang in their ice cream. They've thrown in these little stripes of tangy lime twist. They come into play every fourth bite or so and add some serious zest to the equation.
I enjoyed this much more than those who actually try to include the zip of the Key Lime throughout the whole ice cream. The meringue swirl is also a nice supplement. It retains an authentic, light and fluffy feel and invites some sugar inside any bite in which it's involved. Noticeably sweeter than the rest of the ice cream, even when you can't see the meringue inside a bite, you certainly pick up the taste. As much as I enjoyed the swirl of sweetened egg-whites, they can't overpower the pieces of pie crust. These are included in large amounts and even though they're flaky and soft, they're able to be extracted in one big piece.
While it may sound like I loved this newest addition to the Ben & Jerry's lineup, it just wasn't as wonderful as I had hoped. With that said, I've come to the determination that Key Lime Pie is one of those flavor profiles that is best served in it's traditional form. Because of the bountiful amount of mix-ins, my mouth was never bored, but it can't overcome the fact that this is one of those desserts that has trouble being successful when transformed into an ice cream. There's something about tangy fruits that imposes a ceiling. They'll never be as comforting as their chocolate, vanilla and peanut butter brethren. I can't imagine a Key Lime flavor being much better than this and it still wasn't enough to avoid an average rating.
Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: C
