My day job often takes me on long road trips, but yesterday afternoon was the first time it had taken me near the Nashville, Tennessee area. While most people may associate Nashville with music, an ice cream connoisseur like myself instantly thinks of the three Jeni’s Splendid scoop shops spread out across the city. Equipped with a cooler and ice, I stopped in to pick up a few flavors I’d been dying to get my hands on. I’d put this particular pint in my online shopping cart a handful of times, but finally having Loveless Biscuits + Peach Jam in my possession was worth going twenty minutes out of the way to stop in at the 12 South location.
Jeni’s describes this 250 calorie per serving super premium ice cream as rich buttermilk ice cream, with crumbled from-scratch biscuits inspired by Nashville's Loveless Cafe, and swirls of sweet-tart jam made with in-season Georgia peaches, courtesy of the Peach Truck. The first layer looks luscious and shows off plenty of biscuit bits and brightly colored jam. The thick, high-butterfat base is one of the most unique (and best) I’ve ever tasted. The taste of buttermilk is immediately distinguishable, and even though it’s not as sweet as other ice creams, more than makes up for it with complex flavoring.
I’ve always enjoyed the taste and textural enhancements with cakes and cookies, but biscuits are brand new to me. While they may not be as sugary as classic mix-ins, the crumbled buttermilk biscuits pair perfectly with the ice cream that features the same flavoring. The swirls of Georgia peach jam balance out the buttermilk by adding both sweet and sour to the equation. When all the components are combined in one spoonful, the result is one of the best ice creams I’ve ever encountered. Pay the premium and pick a pint of this up before it’s all gone.
Where I Found It: Jeni's 12 South Scoop Shop (Nashville, TN)
Grade: A
