After my distaste for Starbucks signature Java Chip Frappuccino, it took a limited edition pint to persuade me to sample another selection. I've always considered Ben & Jerry's Mud Pie as an underrated flavor and Starbucks has seemingly ripped off the idea, using their gourmet coffee ice cream instead of the standard Ben & Jerry's base. The purple, limited edition label describes their version, Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, as swirled coffee and chocolate ice creams with chocolate cookie pieces.
Even in my disappointing experience with their Java Chip Frappucinno, I still enjoyed their coffee base, which allows the unmistakeable taste of gourmet coffee beans to come through. Using a surprisingly accurate image, the first layer looks nearly identical to the picture printed on the lid. Much like Mud Pie, Mocha Chip Crumble Frappuccino has a marbled design, with splotches of chocolate cookies in between. Containing 230 calories per serving, this premium ice cream was plenty dense as I plunged my spoon into the first layer.
Grabbing a bit of the marbled combination of chocolate and coffee ice creams first, I'm surprised at how well the dueling bases work together. The somewhat-simple dark chocolate base comes together with the taste of gourmet coffee to create a complex flavor much better than just their standard coffee ice cream. Even though it's swirled with a strong chocolate, the highlight is still the floral bitterness of the high quality coffee beans. Because of the high calorie count, the ice cream remains dense and melts slowly in my mouth, allowing the complimenting flavors to completely commingle.
If the double bases inside this pint hadn't won me over, the super-soft pieces of chocolate cookie sealed the deal. These tidbits of flaky, moist cookie were a major upgrade from the slivers of fudge in Java Chip Frappuccino. Acting as Oreo impersonators, these chunks make their way into nearly every bite and break apart so easily they resemble some of the cookie swirls I've seen from other manufacturers. This limited edition offering was able to lockdown a much higher ranking than it's fudge chip infused counterpart.
Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: B
