REVIEW: Three Twins Chocolate Orange Confetti

My third taste of the organic ice cream from Three Twins comes in the form of their Chocolate Orange Confetti. The unique combination of chocolate and orange is something typically reserved for gourmet chocolates, but this California based creamery brings the concept together in ice cream. According to their website, consumers can expect this chocolate ice cream with an orange flair and flecks of dark chocolate to be multifaceted, mighty and monumentally delicious. Three Twins has created this unorthodox offering by taking their standard chocolate ice cream and infusing it with orange oil in order to accomplish the taste they were striving for. With the top removed, the first layer looks luscious, with only shards of dark chocolate breaking up the dark-brown base.

Seeing as how Chocolate Orange Confetti contains 240 Calories per serving, this is slightly heavier than most of the other offerings from Three Twins, but still in line with most premium chocolate-based ice creams. After allowing this to thaw for a few minutes, I scoop out some of the thick, chocolate ice cream and have my first bite. Because of the high amount of dark chocolate flecks, it's nearly impossible to taste the base by itself, so I go for the full experience from the get-go. The slow-melting ice cream feels thicker than other offerings I've had from Three Twins, but the consistency wasn't nearly as impressive as the taste. Chocolate Orange Confetti leads with a burst of citrus on the front side of the flavor profile, which slowly incorporates a rich, complex chocolate taste throughout the finish. As each bite evolves inside your mouth, the battle for supremacy between the fruit and the cocoa ultimately ends in a draw.

In addition to the multiple personalities the base ice cream can take on, the flecks of dark chocolate enhance the entire flavor. Acting as the confetti from the title, these shards of fudge give the texture of the ice cream a slight crunch, much like Talenti does in their chocolate chip flavors. Because of the high-quality flakes involved, the end of each bite is finished with a floral, gourmet cocoa aftertaste. Unlike Talenti, Three Twins combine their chocolate chips with such a complex base that the combination of just flakes and a base ice cream fail to leave me bored after a few bites. Although chocolate and oranges are a rather unlikely combination, Three Twins has another hit with this one.

Where I Found It: Whole Foods Market
Grade: B

REVIEW: Blue Bell Orange Swirl

Sherbet is usually something I stay far away from. The fruity impersonation of ice cream only contains somewhere between 1% and 2% butterfat, so naturally it can’t compete with some of the super-premium ice creams I’ve had. Last month though, Blue Bell caught my attention by offering bigger servings of their Orange Swirl: vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet. Only available in pint-sized portions prior to June, they were now putting this mixture of ice cream and sherbet in their patented half-gallon pails. Considering the warmth of the summer months is among us, I’ve been slightly more accepting of refreshing, fruit-based flavors. My heat-inspired open mindedness, coupled with the fact that pints of Blue Bell are available for less than two dollars, led me to pick up a pint of Orange Swirl.

This combination of premium vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet only comes in at 120 calories, which is much lower than any of the other Blue Bell flavors I’ve tried. After removing the gold-rimmed lid, the first layer shows evenly distributed swirls of both bases flowing across the first layer. Despite the lower calorie count, the mixture still manages to retain the same fluffy consistency of all their other flavors. The vanilla is simple, sweet and fairly rich considering the lightness. Blue Bell has always been able to do great things with their vanilla ice cream and this is no exception.

The pale orange sherbet manages to avoid an icy texture because of the small amount of butterfat blended in, but still feels much different than the vanilla. The citric flavors from the oranges are bright and can be a bit overwhelming when tasted independently. The crowning achievement for this flavor are the bites including an equal dose of both bases. The vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet come together to create a spot-on impersonation of the famous Dreamsicle, one of my childhood favorites. The creaminess of the vanilla is able to calm down the boldness of the orange to create this well-balanced summer treat. I ended up enjoying this one much more than I had originally thought possible, but it still can’t compete with some of their more involved offerings.

Where I Found It: Super Walmart
Grade: C

REVIEW: New Orleans Ice Cream Co. Cherries Jubilee

Along my journey through the offerings of New Orleans Ice Cream Company, many of the flavors have featured alcohol in the description. Pints like Brandy Milk Punch and Bananas Foster were both taken from booze infused food and drink items found around the Crescent City. Another example, Cajun Rum & Raisin, was spiked with the local Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum. When they decided to create an ice cream based on Cherries Jubilee, they couldn’t resist throwing in a little New Orleans flair to this flavor as well. For their version, they’ve taken brandy soaked cherries in a creamy cherry ice cream and added in a dash of orange liqueur as lagniappe. The classic dish usually consists of flambéed cherries and liqueur poured over vanilla ice cream, so this is slightly different.

Cherries Jubilee happens to fall on the lower end of their calorie spectrum and only contains 170 calories per serving. These lower numbers result in a lighter, fluffier ice cream that melts quickly and can be scooped without much effort. Although this isn’t quite as heavy as many of their other offerings, the base still has enough density to showcase its unique flavoring. The mauve-colored ice cream starts with the slight sweetness of the cherries and finishes with hints of the aforementioned orange liqueur.

The last and final components of Cherries Jubilee are the big pieces of soaked cherries that were tossed in during the churning process. Even though these don’t come into play that often, when they do, the soft, chewy cherries absolutely burst with the taste of sweet brandy. With two types of alcohol inside this one, you may want to make another choice if that isn’t your thing in ice cream; but if you happen to be watching your waistline and still want to indulge in a boozy ice cream, this may be for you. Unfortunately, as far as flavors from New Orleans Ice Cream Co. is concerned, this lands low on the list.

Where I Found It: Ice Cream Source
Grade: D