Ice cream review: Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch

Ice cream review by John

Score: 4 out of 5 scoops

Company: Ben & Jerry's

This latest flavor from Ben & Jerry's starts with a base of chocolate ice cream, then mixes in a fudge and peppermint ribbon, and into the concoction adds plenty of little crunchy balls of minty chocolate cookie.

I almost gave this one a Score of 3.5 out of 5 scoops, but then I realized this ice cream is better than that even though it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Don't get me wrong, this is a quality ice cream, it's just I felt the chocolate was too strong.

How can chocolate be too strong? Sounds crazy, right. Well, in this instance, there are two factors in my opinion: 1.) though the label says the ice cream involved here is chocolate, it seemed a little darker and richer to me than Ben & Jerry's usual chocolate base ice cream, and 2.) this isn't supposed to be only a chocolate ice cream, but also a peppermint one, and my taste buds told me the chocolate was too strong to allow much of the peppermint flavor to get through.

That doesn't mean none of the peppermint flavor comes through, because it does, and I'll freely admit that those who like their minty flavorings in lighter doses will likely be thrilled with this ice cream. But for those of us who like our minty flavorings to have a big kick, this ice cream left a little to be desired.

Let me reiterate: This is not a bad ice cream, not by any means. Chocolate fans should unite in their love for Ben & Jerry's latest. Just don't expect it to be overly strong in the peppermint department.

I mentioned the chocolate ice cream seeming stronger than usual, and that was a draw for me. The fudge and peppermint ribbon added a nice little twist, and some zing, to this flavor. And I truly loved the little minty chocolate cookie balls because not only did they come in abundance, but they kept their solid crunch factor, which is not something I can always say when cookies are added to ice cream (though Ben & Jerry's seems to have this trick down quite well in all their flavors).

So, if you're a chocolate lover and want to try something new, give this ice cream a try. If you're a peppermint fan, you'll still likely enjoy this treat. For those who are simply Ben & Jerry's lovers, you've got one more great flavor to add to your list.