Whenever I’ve had the opportunity to try flavors from Graeter’s, it’s usually been because they’ve been generous enough to send samples. Their French pot process ice cream isn’t readily available in my area, but I recently ran across an offering I hadn’t had the chance to scoop yet sitting in a supermarket nearby by house (and on sale to boot). I was able to try Graeter’s mint flavored ice cream when I was given a pint of their Mint Cookies and Cream back in March, which had easily achieved an A once I ran into the big chunks of Oreo cookies involved. This more traditional Mint Chocolate Chip option pairs this same base with their most popular mix-in. Graeter’s sums things up by saying, “Mint and Chocolate, a marriage of flavors made in heaven. Triple Distilled Peppermint Oil and our signature chips come together in this famously popular classic.”
With the lid lifted off of this 300-calorie per serving, super-premium creation, the first layer looks similar to many other options from Graeter’s and loaded with those signature chocolate chips. As usual with a pint of Grater’s ice cream, thaw time is mandatory. Otherwise, you’re going to end up with a bent spoon. After letting this sit out for about five minutes, I tried my best to secure some of the mint base without any of the chocolate distractions. This one had the same high butterfat feel of their others and tasted exactly as you’d expect. They’ve taken their standard, sweet ice cream mix and included a modest amount of peppermint oil to produce a mint ice cream that is mild for the most part, but incorporates just enough of that familiar cooling sensation from the menthol to let you know what you’re dealing with; just as I had remembered. Once again, Graeter’s has opted for simplicity over complexity.
Instead of infusing their French pot ice cream with any artificial green food coloring, they allow the color to remain off-white; only revealing its true identity when tasted or smelled. If I’ve learned anything about Graeter’s, it’s that each pint is different when it comes to the size of their chocolate chips. By random selection, I wasn’t blessed with anything worthy of our Monstrous Mix-ins thread over on the ICI Forums (which I highly suggest checking out), but that doesn’t change the fact that the chocolate chips from Graeter’s are rich, soft and remain the best I’ve ever had in ice cream. While this simple selection can’t quite compete with some of their other flavors, or even when paired with big flaky chunks of real Oreo cookies, if you’re a fan of mint, this is worth trying out.
Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: B
