Ben & Jerry's Texas Churned Tour Van
The Ben & Jerry's Texas Churned Tour made one final stop in Houston: my house. I cannot express how exciting it was.
This morning at approximately 10:12am the van pulled up in front of my apartment complex and I was able to try a scoop of Bar-B-Que Peach and a scoop of Bourbon Pecan Pie.
This van was seriously tricked out, with intense paint detailing, an interior kitchen/scoop shop, and an external monitor that allowed people to vote on the spot for their favorite flavor.
Friendly brand ambassador Janna and her partner scooped out two samples and didn't blink when I took more than my fair share of coupons and promotional stickers.
Admittedly, I was 90% certain before the taste-test that I would prefer the Bourbon Pecan Pie because, well, booze + pie + nuts = what can go wrong? Also, I'm generally not a huge fan of fruit ice creams with the exception of strawberry. However, the flavor gurus at Ben & Jerry's have outdone themselves with Bar-B-Que Peach, which in my mind, is the clear winner for its complex layering of flavor and spice. Notes of sweet cream and stone fruit are the first to hit your tongue, followed by a familiar smoky-sweet heat from the barbecue caramel sauce. If this flavor triumphs, I cannot wait to pair it with some ribs and coleslaw.
My vote goes for the Bar-B-Que Peach.
The Bourbon Pecan Pie, it should be noted, is still to be admired. There are very large chunks of Scottish shortbread that pleasantly sponge up the liquid dairy as it melts and although technically all the alcohol has burned off in the cooking process, the caramel swirl is still redolent of whiskey and the base ice cream tastes sufficiently like bourbon as to leave some question in the mind as to whether eating an entire pint would get you just a wee bit tipsy.