READER REVIEW: Mo's Review of Gifford's Mt. Katahdin Crunch

Having been impressed with every other Gifford’s flavor I’d sampled thus far, I had pretty high expectations as I geared up to try Mt. Katahdin Crunch. The carton describes this flavor as toffee ice cream with “a landslide of chocolate coated English toffee rubble.” And since Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch happens to rank up there as one of my favorite ice cream flavors of all time, I was super stoked to try the Gifford’s version.

When I first peeled back the lid, I wasn’t hit with a lot visually. It looked like a basic vanilla ice cream with a few hints of toffee pieces hiding below. But once I started digging in, I found the toffee bar pieces to be tasty and rather abundant. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Gifford’s is anything but stingy when it comes to their mix-ins. And while the individual toffee pieces you’ll find in Mt. Katahdin Crunch are generally smaller than those found in Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch, they still do a fine job of amping up that toffee flavor.

Now let’s discuss the ice cream base itself. For a second, I thought I might actually have a bone to pick with Gifford’s because I was expecting the base to taste like toffee given the carton’s description. Maybe I’m off here, but to me, the base tastes more like vanilla—a really, really good vanilla complemented quite nicely by the presence of quality toffee. In other words, I can’t complain one bit about this ice cream. I’m only sorry I don’t have a spare quart on hand.

From a nutritional standpoint, this flavor offers oh so much awesomeness for a mere 160 calories and 8g of fat per serving. It’s a bargain compared to the Ben & Jerry’s version, which will set you back 280 calories and an almost-frightening 17g of fat per serving, half of which are of the saturated nature. Now don’t get me wrong: Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch is totally worth the blow. It’s more that I’m really impressed at the fact that Gifford’s has managed to pull off a truly comparable flavor profile that’ll only cause about half the damage of Ben & Jerry's.

All in all, Mt. Katahdin Crunch really gives you the total package: a rich, creamy base, generous mix-ins, and enough contrast to leave even the pickiest of palates nice and satisfied. And with that, I must now find a way to get my hands on some more.

Where Mo Found It: Delicious Orchards (Colts Neck, NJ)
Mo’s Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Mo's Review of Gifford's Maine Lobster Tracks

After having sampled the amazing Campfire S’mores presented by Gifford’s at the recent New Jersey Ice Cream Festival, I was eager to dig into the small supply of Gifford’s flavors I had stashed away in my freezer. From the moment I even heard the name, I was intrigued by Maine Lobster Tracks.

The packaging assures that this ice cream does not contain any actual lobster, but rather these little lobster-colored, caramel-filled chocolate cups. Now I’ll admit that at first, the red coloring was a bit of a turnoff. But I got over that very quickly.

This flavor sports a rich vanilla base that’s ramped up by the addition of not only the little lobster pieces, but also what the carton describes as an éclair crunch. The éclair crunch itself tastes like an awesome candy bar you’d want to nibble on slowly, just savoring every spectacular bite. If they sold the candy bar version as a standalone item, I’d buy it. And combined with the vanilla, it works absolute wonders, offering that perfect contrast to the smooth, perfectly churned base. And if there’s one thing I have to say about Gifford’s, it’s that they’re more than generous with their mix-ins. That éclair crunch is just all over the place, and in a very good way.

Now let’s talk about the lobster pieces. To me, they don’t actually taste like caramel-filled chocolate cups but rather white chocolate pieces. Actually, at one point I kind of thought they tasted like candy corn bits taken down a notch. Maybe it’s because they’re fairly small, but for me, the caramel isn’t really coming through. And you know what? That’s perfectly fine, because these crazy little lobster creations are just plain yummy. And because they’re so sweet, Gifford’s nailed it by keeping them small and using the vanilla base to offset that sugary influx. Plus, they add a bit of a chewy texture to the ice cream, which combined with the éclair crunch makes this flavor a winner.

And I have to say, I’m pretty impressed that Gifford’s managed to pull this baby off for only 190 calories per serving. Considering the richness of the vanilla and the abundance of mix-ins, I wouldn’t have been shocked had it topped the 200-mark. All in all, this is one of the most playful, unique flavors I’ve had all year, and if I’m fortunate enough to spot it again, I’ll definitely be picking up some more.

Where Mo Found It: Delicious Orchards (Colts Neck, NJ)
Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Mo’s Top Three From the 2013 New Jersey Ice Cream Festival

This past Saturday was the 11th Annual New Jersey State Ice Cream Festival. With over a dozen local vendors offering up samples of their latest concoctions at just a mere seven dollars for a tasting kit, I decided to brave the heat and head on down to Toms River.

By the time I got to the festival, the temperature gauge in my car said it was 99 degrees. Unfortunately, what this meant is that most of the ice cream I got to sample was either partially or totally melted by the time it traveled from the vendors’ coolers into my mouth. Yes, it was that kind of hot. But while I did, for the most part, have trouble judging the contestants’ offerings based on texture, the universally semi-melted nature of the ice cream allowed me to really focus on flavor alone.

Now I sampled over a dozen flavors at the festival, some more innovative and appealing than others. And based on what I ate, I’ve narrowed down my favorites into the following top three:

Nasto’s Cappuccino Crunch (Newark, NJ)

For me, coffee-based flavors are generally very hit or miss. I don’t like being smacked over the head with the taste of coffee, and in this case, I was pleasantly surprised. The coffee flavoring is there, but not so much so that it adds that degree of bitterness you’ll sometimes find in similar flavors. And the crunchy cookie mix-in adds a really nice contrast while enhancing the coffee base. (Grade: B)

2 Sisters Lemon Crème (Beachwood, NJ)

The photo alone doesn’t do this flavor justice, because not only is this one of the best ice creams I tasted that day, but it’s also one of the most refreshing flavors I’ve had all year. I don’t know how they did it, but of all the vendors, 2 Sisters managed to keep their ice cream the coldest, which meant I actually got to enjoy this flavor’s light, almost fluffy texture. And the lemon flavor was present in that perfect but not overwhelming way—so much so that I didn’t even miss the mix-ins I usually crave. In fact, sampling this ice cream was like eating an airy, satisfying slice of lemon meringue pie. (Grade: A)

Gifford’s Campfire S’mores (Skowhegan, Maine)

A lot of companies are attempting to recreate the iconic, classically delicious S’more in ice cream form these days, and unfortunately, many are striking out by adding elements that make their flavors far too sweet. Not Gifford’s. The marshmallow-graham base does a great job of capturing that wonderful S’mores flavor without being cloyingly sweet. And the chocolate crunch mix-in complements the base perfectly, adding just the right amount of contrast while really building up that S’mores flavor. If you’re a fan of S’mores, this one’s definitely a winner. (Grade: A)

Thanks for sharing Mo!

READER REVIEW: Mo's Review of Gifford's Toasted Coconut

When I spotted some offerings from Gifford's Ice Cream at a local gourmet market, I almost started jumping up and down right there in the frozen foods aisle. Gifford's is based out of Maine, and I think the last time I'd tasted it was when I was actually in Maine on vacation. And from what I remembered, this was the good stuff.

Being a fan of all things coconut-related, I decided to try their Toasted Coconut. This flavor is described on the carton as "rich coconut ice cream liberally blended with chocolate toasted coconut flakes," and having eaten my way through half the carton, I'm convinced that it's those very flakes that make this flavor a winner.

The flakes add a nice textural element that kick the relatively mild base up a notch. I find that a lot of coconut flavors out there are straight up base without the mix-ins (think Talenti Caribbean Coconut, for example), so the chocolate flakes are a really welcome addition here. And the folks over at Gifford's weren't kidding when they said "liberally blended." You can see what you're getting into from the moment you crack open the carton. In other words, forget about having to go on a small scavenger hunt just to find the mix-ins. These babies are all over the place.

Now I have to say, for a coconut ice cream, this one doesn't really smack you with a strong coconut essence. And to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, it's always a good thing when an ice cream achieves a nice balance of flavor. On the other hand, I kind of expected the coconut itself to pack just a bit more of a punch. It's tasty, and it's there, but I think I'm missing the "toasted" element in particular. The coconut flakes taste more like chocolate chip pieces to me (though they definitely have the softer, chewier texture of coconut), and the base itself has more of a subtle coconut taste. Still, I definitely enjoyed this flavor on a whole, and at 140 calories per half-cup serving, you get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of both creaminess and contrast. All in all, this one's a winner for coconut lovers and fair weather coconut fans alike.

Where Mo Found It: Delicious Orchards (Colts Neck, NJ)
Mo's Grade: B