2nd Street Creamery Tons of Brownies Ice Cream

[New for 2012, 2nd St has closed up shop before the 2015 ice cream season] So in Friday's post about our family trip to the White Mountains, I mentioned that way way way up on top of Mount Washington, they had ice cream in their freezer. Some of you recognized it, but I didn't want to delve into it too much until I was ready --- ok, now might be a good time to apologize for not covering 2nd St sooner. I had every intention to, I really did, it just became this cyclical mess of finishing my vacation post vs doing this post, and vice versa (I know, I know, I'm over complicating things, let's proceed).

Tada! This is "Tons of Brownies", one of ten flavors from 2nd Street Creamery, new found purveyors of super premium ice cream... Well, maybe I shouldn't say "new purveyors". You see, I believe 2nd St is the secret super premium weapon of the fine folks of Wells Enterprises, better known to most of us as Blue Bunny. It makes perfect sense really. Despite making their main stream ice cream in pint sizes, they don't have any super premium products BUT then on the flip side, most companies don't mix main stream and super premium branding. So, here we are, Wells is ready to dish up the high octane stuff.

Just wanted to take a quick peak at my little yoda-lookin' friend here. He's definitely one of the odder (or should I say udder?) characters out there. He's a little freaky... ok, he's a lot freaky. I get where they are trying to go, but when is a half man / half animal creature ever good? Oh sure, when the man half is on top, things might be okay, but when the animal half is on top, bad things always happen.

The back of the pint is definitely (less freaky) and more inspiring than the front. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the overall coloring and printing, it's definitely classic, but that doesn't mean I have to love all of it, nor does it mean the ice cream will taste any different. I just like to reflect now and then.

Well four months of waiting is over.
I peel back the lid and we get...

Hmmmm, ummmm, well, I don't know how I feel about that actually.
Let's dig further down and see what happens...

As exciting as trying a new flavor is, trying a new brand is even better. Ok, stay focused, don't get too excited... should I aim for the swirl or the base... I pick swirl! DOH! It's too solid and I only got a tiny bite, let's try that again...

That's one very dense ice cream. It looks like 2nd St is trying to be in Haagen-Dazs territory with this one. My word this swirl is solid, I can't get into it. Oooooo I'm so hungry and I can't scoop it. I don't want baby bites!

Scoop Scoop Scoop Scoop Scoop Scoop Scoop Grrrrr Scoop Scoop Scoop Scoop Why is it so solid? All I'm getting are pea sized bites and brownie crumbs. Talk about a live blogging fail....

Wait! We've got progress! Boy there are a lot of brownies in here! --- maybe I should say there are a "ton of brownies" and for the first time ever, I don't think "ton" is a fair name. "Wall to Wall Brownies" may have been an even better name. This is more like an ice cream filled brownie then brownie filled ice cream.

Down sides? Besides the strange super frozen aspect of the center of the pint (the edges melted eventually). Well, I'm not sure I love the fudge swirl. I wish maybe it was a little sweeter and a little less potent, but we'll chalk that up to personal preference. It's not terrible, but I think it could be better.

Other thoughts? The brownies are very very solid. I know ice cream is suppose to be good for about a year in a deep freezer, but they are solid and dry. Not that dry is a bad thing necessarily, I actually love dry brownie edges, so I won't fault them for that. They could have easily gone too gooey or too chewy.

So, how do I feel? Silly for not letting this puppy melt and silly for waiting so long to eat it. I'm going to make sure this ice cream is ready before digging in for my second scoop.

On Second Scoop: Ok, I was trying desperately not to be too hard on this ice cream yesterday but this one is just weird. I let this sit out for 10-15 (maybe even 20) minutes (uncovered) and the center is still rock hard. How does that even happen? The fudge swirl is literally a quarter inch thick in spots, and much of it is staying solid. On occasion it melts, but most of it is solid, much like the very hard and dry brownies. Did all the moisture get sucked out of this pint? I just cant get into it. I can't even tell you how the base tastes because all I taste is unamusing fudge swirl. Here's hoping I just got a bum pint.

Update: This must have been a bum pint, or damaged from the long wait in the deep freezer. We just tried some of the cherry flavor and it's got a much more normal texture (and no weird solid center)

Verdict?  weird... so weird
Buy this brand again?  I'm willing to give them a second chance


Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (101g) Servings Per Container    4
Amount Per Serving
Calories  270	from Fat 120
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat   13g	20%
- Sat Fat   8g	40%
- Trans Fat   0g
Cholesterol   60mg	20%
Sodium  85mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate  38g	11%
- Dietary Fiber  1g	5%
- Sugars  30g
Protein   4g
Vitamin A  10%	Vitamin C  0%
Calcium  10%	Iron  35%