Retiring Ben & Jerry's Creme Brulee Ice Cream

[By Nick, pint from 2007-2012] Want to know what sucks? When you write a review and forget all about it until you find out that the flavor you reviewed is being discontinued. That’s exactly what happened to my review of Ben & Jerry’s Crème Brûlée. I just ended up getting lost in the abyss that I call my backlog. So instead of just deleting the review, I decided I’ll post it anyway. There’s still a possibility you can find this flavor before it heads to the flavor graveyard. Let’s see if my original review makes you want to seek this one out while you can.

Trying to find a flavor of Ben & Jerry’s that Dubba hasn’t reviewed is like playing an amplified real life version of “Where’s Waldo?” Once I think I've found an interesting flavor it turns out he has already reviewed it. After enough frustration, I finally made a list of flavors he has yet to review (which isn’t very long) and set out to find Waldo…I mean the ice cream. Finally I was able to stumble across a pint of Crème Brûlée hidden among the usual suspects and decided to give it a shot.

Ben & Jerry's Creme Brulee Ice Cream

sweet custard ice cream with a caramelized sugar swirl

I’ve never actually had the classic dessert before so I don’t have any expectations for this one. The idea of a sweet custard ice cream is pretty awesome though and the caramelized sugar swirl doesn’t hurt things either. Also what better way to try something new than in ice cream form?

Removing the lid, it’s pretty anticlimactic. You’re greeted with an off white base which is to be expected of custard. You also have some bits of the swirl peeking out. I don’t know why but I expected there to be a layer of caramel on top but as you can see I was clearly wrong.

The sweet custard base is just liked it’s named, very sweet but interesting nonetheless. I have had custard before and it really is a good approximation of that flavor albeit a bit sweeter than I’m use too. Surprisingly despite its sweetness, I would like to see B&J’s incorporate it into some of their other flavors. Another thing that took me by surprise was that the ice cream seemed creamier than usual. I’m not sure if this was on purpose but it did help give me a feeling like I was eating actual custard in creaminess.

If I thought the base was sweet, the caramelized sugar swirl comes close to amplifying things up to a tooth aching status. You’re able to detect some notes of caramel flavor but the thing I liked most about the swirl was that it adds a unique texture to the pint. It breaks easily on your spoon but has a crisp crunch when you bite into it. I found myself letting it dissolve slowly on my tongue. Despite adding a good amount more sweetness, I find myself wanting more of it. There just doesn’t seem to be enough though I guess the traditional dessert only has it as a topping so it might be the right amount for authenticity. If there’s one thing I’m missing with this is something to counteract the sweet flavor. I feel myself reaching for some pretzels to help balance things out. If B&J’s was to reuse the sweet custard base, I’d love for them to add a salted caramel swirl and some dark chocolate covered pretzels. That’s a flavor I could definitely get behind.

As is though, this is easily a flavor that you can eat less than a full serving and still be satisfied with it. If you were to eat more, you’re either going to be going into a sugar coma soon or scheduling a trip to your dentist.

Verdict?  Very, very sweet but good in small doses
Buy Again?  Possibly