When I received the cooler full of ice cream from Graeter's a few weeks back, it was hard to see past their limited edition Pumpkin. After polishing off that pint, I discovered that pumpkin hadn't been their only seasonal selection. They had also rolled out, almost under the radar, their limited edition Cinnamon as well. Specially importing Saigon cinnamon, Graeter's once again combines high-quality ingredients with their top-notch production process.
The cinnamon sticks on the front foreshadow the familiar scent to come. I hadn't expected much from this offering, but after popping off the top I could see potential. Smells of cinnamon sugar alleviate some of the fears I had of this coming off as the Big Red of ice cream. Graeter's Cinnamon tips the scales at 290 calories per serving, which ranks among the middle as far as these high butterfat bases are concerned. The denseness battles against my spoon, but I finally gather a nice scoop to sample.
This was my first experience with an all-out cinnamon base, but after tasting Graeter's version, the bar has been set high. Incorporating slightly more cinnamon than I had been expecting, they allow the high quality spice to be in the spotlight. The bold flavor rapidly approaches going overboard, but stops just short to produce one of the best blends of cinnamon sugar you're going to find. Without the mammoth chocolate chips to impede my path, I was able to fully concentrate on the incredible base.
The consistency was just as impressive as the flavors inside. The lack of air included in their ice cream allows the ability for it to slowly melt on your tongue, allowing all the flavors to fully penetrate your taste buds. This would be the perfect accompaniment to every dessert on the table this Thanksgiving. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a few pints of this being passed around.
Where I Found It: Graeter's Online Store
Grade: B
