After taking a break from all Ben & Jerry’s flavors that weren’t limited edition, exclusive or new, I’ve decided to go ahead and finish out my reviews of all their available flavors. With only a couple more to go, it’s getting harder and harder to find the few that I’m missing. I recently ran across one that I hadn’t had the chance to scoop before: New York Super Fudge Chunk. This combination of chocolate ice cream with white and dark fudge chunks, pecans, walnuts & fudge-covered almonds was created as a way to attract customers as Ben & Jerry’s busted into the New York Market. The flavor profile on their website adds, “we also figured we could make an even more unforgettable impression on New Yorkers if we added more chunks than any other flavor we'd made. We figured if the flavor tasted incredible, it would always be unforgettable. It did, and it is.” Sometimes Ben & Jerry’s tends to go overboard with their nuts and fudge chunk mix-ins, neither of which I’m particularly fond of, so we’ll see how this effective this arrangement is.
Removing the lid to this 300-calorie per serving ice cream reveals a densely packed first layer of chocolate ice cream with a few mix-ins poking through the top. Although I can’t say it’s my favorite, I’ve become accustomed to the rich chocolate used in many of the flavors from Ben & Jerry’s. This heavy, slow-melting ice cream isn’t very complicated, and although it won’t be able to wow anyone, still serves as a suitable base for most flavors. The real focus of New York Super Fudge Chunk comes directly from the name. My spoon can’t move very far in any direction without hitting one of the multiple mix-ins piled inside this pint. As I’ve said in previous posts, Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chunks are most effective when they’re allowed to fully melt down from the warmth of your mouth rather than just chomping down on the frozen blocks of fudge.
Both types of fudge add a rich, full-bodied flavor to compliment the chocolate ice cream despite having different tastes individually. As usual though, the rock-hard texture leaves something to be desired. Ben & Jerry’s rounds out New York Super Fudge Chunk by adding a trio of nut mix-ins; one of which is coated in chocolate. The uncoated pieces of pecans and walnuts add a traditional sundae feel, while the fudge-covered almonds builds upon the tastes already established by both the chocolate and nuts. Unfortunately, this combination of flavors can’t do New York justice. The city that never sleeps deserves better.
Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: C
