The Ben & Jerry's Topic

[tryska]

what the heck flavor was "Festivus"??

oh and as for my favorites - i'm not a big chocolate ice cream fan anymore. i used to like ny fudge chunk, chunkey monkey and phish food, but i like mint cookie and karamel sutra now.

i wish i had gotten to taste the malted milk ball flavor.

Edited September 30, 2003 by tryska (log)

[Stone]

Dreyers Dreamery makes a very good malt ice cream.

[Basilgirl]

Just tried the Coffee Heath Bar Crunch on Saturday. Oh. My. God.

[jschyun]

Chocolate Chocolate Cookie is very chocolately. Love it

My all time favorite is that limited edition Oatmeal cookie with chocolate chunks. I don't even like oatmeal.

We get Whoopie Pie here in Southern California, as an FYI

All time other fave is Mint Chocolate cookie. I might have already mentioned it's minty goodness, but it bears repeating in my one track mind.

[BoboBrazil]

I didn't like that oatmeal kind mostly because of the cinnamon ice cream. If it would have been vanilla ice cream I probably would have liked it. Cinnamon ice cream=barf.

[tryska]

ah..i just found otu what festivus is....It's brown sugar flavored ice cream with gingerbread pieces and a caramel-ginger swirl.

yum.

i think.

[hjshorter]

Chocolate Chocolate Cookie is very chocolately. Love it

I got some last night and found it way too sweet for my tastes.

My grocery store still has Coffee Heath Bar Crunch! Hooray!

[marezion]

ah..i just found otu what festivus is....It's brown sugar flavored ice cream with gingerbread pieces and a caramel-ginger swirl.

yum.

i think.

Oh God. Festivus was so good. SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOD. I don't know why I decided to buy it, but I gained about six or seven pounds that winter.

[tryska]

have they retired it forever? or do they just bring it out for the holidays?

[misstenacity]

BUMPing this thread for a little diversionary rant. Before that begins, let me state that I will always have a soft spot for Chunky Monkey in my heart.... but in general, I'm nearing the end of my patience for B & J.

Ben & Jerry's came out with a competitor to Haagen Dazs' Light varieties, and they called it Body and Soul. It advertises 25% less fat and sugar than regular B&J flavors (HD advertises 50% less fat, for the record). Here are my impressions of the B&J invention:

"Body and Soul" is (mostly) a sham. Just tried the Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor and while eating it was thinking to myself, "hmmm, this seems.... fluffy."

Usually I eat Haagen Dazs, so I just chalked it up to B&J being not quite as high quality.

Until I visited the store to check out other flavors...

On the label (but not on the website), each serving amount is suffixed by the weight in grams. Here's the dirty little secret of how it was so easy to reduce the numbers:

Cherry Garcia (102g) vs Cherry Garcia Body & Soul (86g)

Fudge Brownie (103g) vs Fudge Brownie B & S (87g)

and on, and on...

The ingredients are also modified slightly, giving Skim Milk the #1 position instead of Cream. That would account for the "rest" of the 25% of calories/fat/sugar that Ben & Jerry's has eliminated with the Body & Soul line. But it only accounts for a a third at best of that change.

Mostly its just cold air.

Note that the weights for Haagen Dazs vs Haagen Dazs Light are IDENTICAL (usually 102g per 1/2 cup). In order to cut the fat and keep the weight and flavor, unfortunately the sugar counts on the Haagen Dazs Light flavors has gone up, usually by 25% or more. That's the only disappointment in an otherwise high quality light ice cream.

Bleah.

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[munchymom]

The Ben & Jerry's product I miss most is the Brownie Bar - it was sort of like an ice cream sandwich, except that instead of cardboard cookies, you got...brownies. Real, chewy, nut-filled brownies that went perfectly with a center of good old B & J Vanilla. I got addicted to them in the mid-80's, then went to the Midwest for college at a time when nobody out there had even heard of Ben & Jerry's, then came back to New Hampshire and they were gone. I guess maybe they weren't profitable enough without my mass consumption to support them.

[Toliver]

I guess maybe they weren't profitable enough without my mass consumption to support them.

←

You are correct. Brownie Bars can be found in the "Flavor Graveyard" on the Ben & Jerry web site:

"Flavor Graveyard" (scroll down to the 2nd non-interactive list to find Brownie Bar) The floating eye balls are a bit of a distraction.

edited to add: clicking on the different headstones in the "Flavor graveyard" makes different things happen which is why I got floating eyeballs following my cursor. Clicking on the horned-beast headstone put the eyes back and they stopped following my cursor.

Who knew?

Edited November 3, 2005 by Toliver (log)

[munchymom]

Oh no! Looking at this page I see that Cinnamon and Fresh Georgia Peach are gone. I'm crushed! Crushed, I say! (There is nothing better than a scoop of cinnamon ice cream on top of a warm brownie. And the peach was awesome all by itself.)

[lia]

Cherry Garcia (102g) vs Cherry Garcia Body & Soul (86g)

Fudge Brownie (103g) vs Fudge Brownie B & S (87g)

I hear you....but I'd rather eat air and skim milk than some nasty fake sugar and fake fat.

[Bubbalicious]

I bought a couple of tubs at 7-11 one night after work.

Chunky Monkey and Toffee Crunch.

Two pints for eight bucks. Yum.

I know that there aren't any 7-11's in Montreal, SteveW,

but maybe you could find the Toffee Crunch at Couche-Tard?

Or Provigo?

I think that the multinational that bought B&J's might produce

different flavours for different markets. One of our regular clients

at the restaurant where I work works for the company that owns B&J.

Don't know the name of it and I only know that he works for B&J's

'cause when he brings in clients that he wants to impress he has us

print special dessert menus with B&J's ice creams on them.

Then we get to finish off the ice creams that weren't ordered.

Those are good nights. I will ask him all about this the next time

that I see him. He's a great guy. He also brings in Breyer's

ice creams once in a while. Pretty sure they make both.

It's a little sad really. Another fierce little independent consumed

by a larger multinational.

As a Small City prairie-boy I first encountered B&J's when I moved

to Montreal. My first apartment was right downtown on Stanley Street

near Ste Catherine and we would often walk the six blocks on hot and sticky

evenings to the downtown B&J's. It felt so urban and cool and fun.

One magic memorable moment occured one evening just after I had paid

for my cone and was taking my first lick. My first celebrity sighting ever.

Anthony Robbins, the giant-of-a-man inspirational guru was striding down

de Maissoneuve with his entourage.

That is when I felt like I had moved to a Big City.

[Shelley G.]

What about Cool Brittania? All those strawberries and little chocolate-covered shortbreads - did Tony Blair pilfer that name for his campaign slogan in the U.K.?

And Phish Phood... And Wavy Gravy. Yum.

[foodie52]

When they sold the company, they sold out.

Period.

[Chris Amirault]

Care to say more, foodie52? What exactly gets under your skin post-sell-out?

[I_call_the_duck]

What about Cool Brittania? 

And Phish Phood...  And Wavy Gravy.  Yum.

←

Yum. Anyone remember Peanuts Popcorn? Rainforest Crunch? Apple Pie? Holy Cannoli? All these fun flavors relegated to the Graveyard.

They made a Sweet Potato Pie that was only in select stores. Never saw it prepackaged.

[JohnL]

BUMPing this thread for a little diversionary rant.  Before that begins, let me state that I will always have a soft spot for Chunky Monkey in my heart.... but in general, I'm nearing the end of my patience for B & J.

Ben & Jerry's came out with a competitor to Haagen Dazs' Light varieties, and they called it Body and Soul.  It advertises 25% less fat and sugar than regular B&J flavors (HD advertises 50% less fat, for the record).  Here are my impressions of the B&J invention:

"Body and Soul" is (mostly) a sham. Just tried the Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor and while eating it was thinking to myself, "hmmm, this seems.... fluffy."

Usually I eat Haagen Dazs, so I just chalked it up to B&J being not quite as high quality.

Until I visited the store to check out other flavors...

On the label (but not on the website), each serving amount is suffixed by the weight in grams. Here's the dirty little secret of how it was so easy to reduce the numbers:

Cherry Garcia (102g) vs Cherry Garcia Body & Soul (86g)

Fudge Brownie (103g) vs Fudge Brownie B & S (87g)

and on, and on...

The ingredients are also modified slightly, giving Skim Milk the #1 position instead of Cream. That would account for the "rest" of the 25% of calories/fat/sugar that Ben & Jerry's has eliminated with the Body & Soul line. But it only accounts for a a third at best of that change.

Mostly its just cold air.

Note that the weights for Haagen Dazs vs Haagen Dazs Light are IDENTICAL (usually 102g per 1/2 cup). In order to cut the fat and keep the weight and flavor, unfortunately the sugar counts on the Haagen Dazs Light flavors has gone up, usually by 25% or more. That's the only disappointment in an otherwise high quality light ice cream.

Bleah. 

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

←

I have to admit--I have never liked B and J's much.

Cute flavors--with cute names.

Cute marketing--the whole counter culture philosophy.

Cute owners--those lovable counter culture guys.

Yeah sure!

Very Savvy marketing by two smart capitalists!

I applaud them.

But their ice cream?

well I am a purist here if I want a candy bar I eat a candy bar if I want ice cream (boy do I want ice cream --far too often) I like ice cream--chocolate chips is about as far as I will go.

I guess I am just a Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla guy (ok Mint Choc chip, coffee, and butter pecan are pretty good)

but has anyone looked at an ingerdients label on a B& J's pint? (any flavor)

compare their label to that on a pint of Haagen Dasz.

The biggest difference for me is the consistancy--B and J's is "gummy" (guar gum? caraganeen?)

the same stuff that screws up most other brands IMOP.

I admit I am probably in the minority here (maybe my loss) but is there anyone else out here who agrees?

[misstenacity]

I have to admit--I have never liked B and J's much.

Cute flavors--with cute names.

Cute marketing--the whole counter culture philosophy.

Cute owners--those lovable counter culture guys.

Yeah sure!

Very Savvy marketing by two smart capitalists!

I applaud them.

But their ice cream?

well I am a purist here if I want a candy bar I eat a candy bar if I want ice cream (boy do I want ice cream --far too often) I like ice cream--chocolate chips is about as far as I will go.

I guess I am just a Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla guy (ok Mint Choc chip, coffee, and butter pecan are pretty good)

but has anyone looked at an ingerdients label on a B& J's pint? (any flavor)

compare their label to that on a pint of Haagen Dasz.

The biggest difference for me is the consistancy--B and J's is "gummy" (guar gum? caraganeen?)

the same stuff that screws up most other brands IMOP.

I admit I am probably in the minority here (maybe my loss) but is there anyone else out here who agrees?

←

I definitely agree. Used to love Cherry Garcia in college, but since discovered the HD version "cherry vanilla" which is fabulous even without the chocolate. Hell, if I just want chocolate overload, I'll eat some of my own sorbet instead, or go right for the Godiva stuff. Hehe.

Chunky Monkey does still have a special place in my heart, since no one has really even tried to imitate it (there is a close flavor offered by Boulder - Banana Almond - that is quite good). And another college fave was the lowfat frozen yogurt flavor "blueberry cheesecake" (since relegated to the flavor graveyard). That shit gave me a sugar rush that was pure heaven.

But HD rules the day now for the "pure" ice cream experience. If I want gobs of crap mixed in I'd just as soon buy Blue Bunny or Dreyer's over Ben & Jerry's.

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Pontormo]

I am bumping this thread up since the deadline for the Do Us a Flavor contest is July 31, next Monday.

You've got the weekend.

[Toliver]

Reviving this ancient discussion to post something new coming:

 

"Cookie Dough Lovers: Ben & Jerry’s Three New Flavors Have Massive Cookie Dough Cores"

Quote

Fun fact: Ben and Jerry's are the originators of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. In the late 1980's, the ice cream company followed a fan's suggestion to add raw cookie dough to their ice cream, and in 1991, the flavor hit store shelves nationwide. The flavor is one of their fan favorites, and now, Ben & Jerry's is releasing three new flavors featuring cookie dough cores.

The new flavors are Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Core, Sweet Like Sugar Cookie Dough Core, Wake & “No Bake” Cookie Dough Core, and they all sound delicious.

The article has descriptions of the new ice cream flavors with a cut-away photo of each flavor.

I'm in! 

[Tri2Cook]

2 hours ago, Toliver said:

The article has descriptions of the new ice cream flavors with a cut-away photo of each flavor.

I'm in!

I like Ben & Jerry's but I'd have to be out on those even if they made it to where I live, which they won't. We can get like 3 or 4 flavors here on a good day. None of them are recent and they never change. The one with almond ice cream and shortbread cookies on one side and cherry ice cream on the other would be appealing to me if it weren't for the cookie dough core. I don't hate cookie dough but that huge core looks like a bit much.

[Chimayo Joe]

Not a fan of cookie dough ice cream. I haven't had Ben & Jerry's in many years, but I'd probably buy some Rainforest Crunch if they brought that back.