FoMu Premium Alternative Ice Cream

I'll admit it, it's inevitable that it gets harder and harder for me to get excited about just any old ice cream, but when someone knows what I'm like and still takes the risk of me trying a product that by all accounts I shouldn't like, well, that gets the old reviewing juices flowing.

I saw FoMu at Wholes Foods at $6 a pint and I just couldn't bring myself to spend that on a coconut ice cream, even if it is local and high end.... who knew that a few months later FoMu would contact me and offer to send me samples. We talked about my history and they did their best to pick four pints that had the best chance of winning me over.

Mint Chocolate Chip first, because I cant stop thinking about it. I crack the lid and am hit with the wonderful smell of a peppermint stick. Hehehe, their chocolate chips look like mini tollhouse morsels. Ok, still stoked, I take a scoop.... I said I take a scoop... ok, hold on, my impatient self needs to take this one out of the deep freezer and let it temper a bit.

Ok, trying again. Well, I don't taste coconut. Yeah, I totally don't know what to make of this, but I don't hate it, so that's a big step. It's mint on the front end, but there's something on the back end that I can't quite put me finger on. I will say this, there sure are a lot of chocolate chips!! Hehehehe. Having a little trouble going around them actually.

Ok, in retrospect, maybe this wasn't the best flavor to start with, but that said, I'm totally finishing this pint (in due time, not implying I could finish this or any pint in one sitting). I'm intrigued, I am very intrigued.

Ok, Chocolate Pudding next cause.... well, cause it's called "Chocolate Pudding". Who's going to argue with that? The good news is that I made it past the first bite, woohoo! There's no denying the coconut flavor here, but it's playing second fiddle to the chocolate flavor. If anything, this reminds me of the flavor of Talenti's German Chocolate Cake. I think I need to throw some caramel on this one next time. On Second Scoop: I had another small sample and I need to reiterate that the coconut is not the dominate flavor here. I let it melt a bit and the dry cocoa flavor definitely comes out more. I can see people digging this flavor, though I think I liked it more when I poured some caramel on it (I couldn't resist).

Oh man, I just left the Sea Salt Caramel out for like.... 20+ minutes, WHOOPS!! The edges are pretty much super cold liquid, and the core has become soft like... well, kind of like ice cream hehehehe. So, the very first word that pops in to my mind when I scooped this? WEIRD. Sorry, it is.... but stick with me. It is a weird like no other weird that has come before it... it's a fascinating weird. I don't think robust is the right word, but there is a zing to it that is fascinating to me. I could totally down half a pint of this in it's softened state. The coconut is there, but the way it has blended with the caramel flavor is... precise. Yeah, there is salt component to it, and there is that coconut to it, but those are like the sides of this peak of flavor. I don't even know how to describe it better. It's not burnt or butter either, it just is. I bet this makes for a mean treat in a sugar cone down at their scoop shop. I apologize for not being able to describe it better, I'll try harder on the second scoop.

The last flavor up is Cherry Amaretto and yes, it does have almond extract in it. I cracked the container open and am delighted by the smell of Cherry Coke (something close enough to it anyway). Now, I am about to say one of the strangest things I've ever said about an ice cream. Ready? Ok, here goes: This one takes like a firecracker. I'm not saying it tastes like explosive powder, but with every single bite, I'm transported back to my youth where you would open up a giant box of firecrackers and go "can we light this one next? PLEASE?!". I know, I'm weird, but the way the cherry, the almond, and the coconut come together is too much for my feeble tastebuds to comprehend... so I think firecracker. I'm not saying it in a mean way, it's just how I feel right now.

Ok, let's wrap this up. I would like to thank FoMu for taking a chance on me and sending these four flavors over. It was a huge gamble but they were right, I'm impressed. Coconut is not my thing but I am impressed by the wide ranging variety before me. I definitely need to stop in to their scoop shop sometime because I bet this product is even more impressive fresh from the shop. Good luck to these folks on their journey, hopefully they'll check in again in the spring and we can show you some more of their stuff. If you would like to try it and you're not in the area, check out their online store.