I’ve never really thought about it until recently, but does coffee ice cream have caffeine? Well, it does, according to the internet and my bloodstream, which is circulating caffeine throughout my body as I type this at around midnight after eating a few scoops of Tillamook’s latest flavor — Espresso Chip.
I could use some Melatonin Mint Ice Cream, Tillamook.
The limited edition flavor combines rich espresso ice cream with crunchy, chocolatey espresso bits. I don’t recall ever having had a bad Tillamook ice cream flavor; I’ve only had great flavors and those that were good, but could’ve been better. And I feel this is another good flavor that could’ve been a little better, or perhaps I should say a little bitter.
Almost every coffee-flavored ice cream I’ve tasted had a strong and sweet taste that could give you coffee breath. However, the base in this Espresso Chip tasted a bit mild compared to the others. The coffee is present, and it’s very similar to those other ice creams. However, using the word “espresso,” I was expecting it to be a bit more potent and possibly more bitter than a standard coffee-flavored ice cream.
But it wasn’t just the ice cream base that was milder than expected; the same can be said about the espresso bits. I’ve crunched on many chocolate-covered espresso beans in my caffeinated lifetime, and I know they tend to bring it when it comes to coffee’s flavor and bitterness. However, while I had hoped the ones in the ice cream would compensate for the mild base, they ended up being almost as mild. I thought they did kick up the bitterness a minuscule bit, but maybe that’s just my taste buds forcing me to believe they were, but actually weren’t.
If one or the other were stronger, I could forgive this ice cream a little bit. But because both are almost equally mild, it’s disappointing. It’s a limited edition flavor, so it’ll eventually disappear from shelves. But if it returns, I hope it gets reformulated with a stronger ice cream base or stronger espresso bits or both.
Now that I’ve gotten all my complaining out of the way, I’ll still finish this container in a timely manner. It’s good. It hits the coffee flavor, it apparently gives me caffeine, and the espresso bits add a crunchy texture to the party. However, I wish the party were louder.
Purchased Price: $9.49*
Size: 1.5 qt tub
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup – 92 g) 220 calories, 12 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 23 grams of sugar (including 18 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.
*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.
I wonder if pouring a shot of espresso over this to make it like affogato would help with the mildness. Maybe I just miss Haagen Dasz’s limited edition vanilla bean espresso from 2012 that was affogato inspired…
I remember when I gave a shet about this brand. It was before I moved to waynesville and discovered blue bell. Memories.
Growing up in the near vicinity of Tillamook, I’ve become more and more disappointed in the brand in general, but with their ice cream specifically.
They’ve eased up on the mix-ins, and I swear it’s “fluffier” than it used to be.
It’s depressing.