.. and Cotton Candy makes #112

A pint of cotton candy here, which I got at Walmart this past Friday. What's really funny about this is that it was my 3rd trip to Walmart in the past week.. JUST TO GET THIS PINT. I don't think I've been to Walmart 3 times in 2013 before this. Shows you what a B&J will do for ya. Actually, this flavor was NOT in the usual Ben and Jerry's location, but rather on the side of the aisle and not the heavily-trafficked one, so the chances were that I wouldn't see it. Good for me that I was looking for other stuff and literally found this by accident.

In review (thus far)

So the 2013 flavors have been:
(Traditional channels) - Chocolate Peppermint Crunch, Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz, Pina Colada, Liz Lemon Yogurt, Honey Caramel Yogurt and Passionfruit Yogurt.
7-11 exclusive: Nutty Caramel Swirl
Walmart exclusive: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Walgreens exclusive: Truffle Trifecta

Upcoming seem to be Candy Bar Pie, which I've tried at a scoop shop and Scottish Blondie, which looks to be some version of Butterscotch.

This has been a GREAT year. Nutty Caramel Swirl is GREAT, Chocolate Peppermint Crunch and CCBB are really good - Truffle Trifecta is really good and the yogurts are unexpectedly good.

Well done, Vermonters.

Like Supporting Ireland and England

One of the things about the various B&J flavors that confuses me is the number of various box-store 'exclusive' flavors that exist.
There are exclusive flavors with 7-11, Walgreens, Target and Walmart. Having deals with both Target and Walmart is really capturing all points along the curve, Walmart being the hated thing of some Americans and Target fitting into a nice 'hipster' mindset. Interestingly, the best flavors (IMHO) are the Walmart ones - they seem to be very creatively thought out. What confuses me about all of these is the very little marketing that either B&J or the stores themselves do around these.. you'd think they would try to tell that customers (or potential ones).. hey, we have an exclusive flavor of the darling dessert-creator of many Americans.. come in and try it! Nope, nada, nothing.

My .02

Today, I was sent via the B&J spelunker site, an email asking me to rate some potential flavors and names. I love feeling like I'm contributing to the B&J universe in some small way.

One of the flavors was a raspberry-chocolate thing. Another one had peanut butter in its core surrounded by chocolate and the other was a caramel core with blondie and brownie pieces.

A few yrs ago, I received something similar and liked a Hot Chocolate-themed flavor. I think I recommended a flavor called Jimmy's Buffet, which would be a Key Lime Pie kind of flavor, the pun being Jimmy's association with Key West.

How did I miss that?

So, I went downstairs tonight to count how many flavors I've tried (I know, that's a number I should know like my SSN or Kiss Army membership number). I figured it was mid-90s and that this year's stock of new flavors would put me over 100
GASP! I'm at 99! Holy Cannoli was flavor #99 and my next one - (the unopened pint of Strawberry Shortcake Frozen Yogurt in the freezer) will be flavor #100.
How should I celebrate this? PR agency? Tweet? Alert Interpol? Wow.. this silly journey that started in April of 2002 and became a quest for 100 flavors will be ending within the week

2012 in Review So, this year, Ben and Jerry's released the following (new) flavors - the 4 Greek Yogurt flavors, re-releasing Chocolate Therapy, Chocolate Nougat Crunch, and renaming Bonnaroo buzz to Coffee and releasing Cannoli in October. After I try Cannoli, that will bring my total to 95. Will Ben and Jerry's release 5 flavors in 2013? I still have 2 unopened pints of Cannoli in the freezer and I am still to try 2 of the yogurt flavors. What gives? I think the combination of my wife's pregnancy, the baby, and dealing with 2 kids now (more overall sweets) has shaken things 180 degrees. I really need to try all of the 2012 flavors before the 2013 flavors arrive.

Holding Pattern

So, the big announcement from Vermont this year was the addition of the Greek Yogurt flavors. When I saw them for the first time, I bought them all and for a time, I had 7 pints in my freezer - the 4 Greeks, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake and Banana Cream Pie. Since then, my wife finished off the wonderful Banana flavor and I've dipped a little bit into the Punkin. Why I haven't as much as opened the Greek flavors, I don't know. My wife's pregnancy has seen her trying a variety of Graeater's chocolate chip flavors - regular, chocolate, strawberry, mocha and mint. Still to come are coconut and raspberry. The Cincy people are def trying to make their name in the choc-chip world.

90 and counting

So, when I finish the following flavors - Chocolate Nougat Crunch, Banana Cream Pie and the 4 Greek FroYo flavors, that will bring the total to 94, so I guess I'll have to wait until next year to hit 100.
Of course, if Target comes out with their usual 2 summer altruism flavors and there are some more exclusives at Walmart and the like, it could be sooner.

OPa!

As reported in other sources, Ben and Jerry's Frozen Greek Yogurt is here.
The four flavors here are strawberry shortcake, blueberry graham, peanut butter/banana and raspberry fudge. Interesting look and I'm not sure what I feel about B&J jumping on the Greek thing - more tart, more creamy.

Hidden Gems

So, after work last night, I went to a Walmart Supercenter near where I take the train. I've never been there, and to be honest, the only times I visit the big W is to check on B&J exclusive flavors. This visit didn't disappoint. Behold Banana Cream Pie as well as some leftover pints of Pumpkin Cheesecake which quickly found their way into my waiting arms.

And more!

It has come to my attention that the additional flavors this year will be Banana Cream Pie and B&J's version of Greek Frozen Yogurt - thicker and with fruit in it.

February Springs Eternal

So, this is the time of year that I tend to go to Giant grocery stores that I don't really need to, just in case they are stocking the new flavors of the year and while returning from a visit to Home Depot with my daughter, we dropped into their Stevenson Road location, when what did we see - the second of the 2012 flavors - Chocolate Nougat Crunch - I always feel like Charlie Bucket when he finds the golden ticket when I find a new flavor; so much fun and surprise and my eyes literally open wider for a few seconds. Review coming shortly. As you can see from the pic, Sari was excited to taste it as well.

Glad I searched!

Very Tricky, Vermont Boys...

Somehow during the summer months, B&J released a Walmart-only flavor called Blueberry Cheesecake. Since I never go to WM, how would I know? Fortunately, some other B&J snobs (now linked to your right) did know about the flavor and posted about it. And also fortunate is that the second Walmart location I visited yday had it in stock, so I got a pint (2 actually). No review yet, but coming. Again, shouldn't they let their biggest fans (spelunkers) know about this. I tell ya..

A flavor by any other name...

So, one of the more interesting 2011 flavors was Clusterfluff.. basically, softish chunks of peanut butter in a somewhat creamy ice cream.

During the summer, this flavor was renamed as What a Cluster, assumedly to appease those people who thought Clusterfluff was too dangerous a name.

Starting off in 2012...

So, while at the grocery store yday (the very up-to-date with flavors Shoppers Food Warehouse), what did I spot but ANOTHER limited batch flavor - Rocky Road-ish. Is the name supposed to denote that the flavor is LIKE Rocky Road, but not exactly, thus the ish? Is there another pun I'm not getting? Hmm...

It also follows an interesting trend of limited batch flavors, along with the underwhelming Schweddy Balls, the scrumptuous Snickerdoodle Cookie and the now you see it now you don't Di's Candy Drawer (amongst others).

Is this just a random flavor, or a sign that the 2012 flavors might be late or early? Wish I knew...

Big Red Circles

So over the last 2 yrs, Target has joined the ranks of B&J flavors, not that anyone would know this. Each spring, they slip out a few new pints with an eye towards altruism - I think a certain % of the profits are donated (score). This is a little confusing - is Target promising Unilever better positioning or market share? Perhaps. B&J never really promote these flavors; perhaps Target does it for them.

Blue Ribbon Year

I don't know how many other people around the country obsess over B&J flavors like I do, but I'm sure there are a number of us/them.

Still, I am one of them and that entitles me, I believe, to be able to make certain statements - one of which is that 2011 is a banner year for flavors.

2009 was so-so; 2010 was quite good and I really believe that 2011 might top them all - Red Velvet Cake, Bonnaroo Buzz, Clusterfluff, Late Night Snack, Fair Goodness Cake, Voluntiramisu, Peanut Butter World and Schweddy Balls. That's like the 1927 Yankees of ice cream offerings.

My Personal Moby

Sorry, bad pun there. So, I think/assume/believe that the ice cream hunts/searches for 2011 are officially over with the purchase of Schweddy Balls, the flavor honoring the SNL sketch with Alec Baldwin. I've never seen the sketch, but I assume it's funny enough to be repeated again and again.

Not sure when I'll try it - most likely next week. Funny how I let some of the new pints often sit around, as if I'm purposely aging them.

No Schwed

I've been looking to track down a pint of Schweddy Balls, the Alec Baldwin/SNL inspired flavor which is basically vanilla with chocolate-covered pretzel balls.
Again, this is a tough one to find, but I'm sure I'll track it down eventually.

Of course, I'm writing this before a day-long Yom Kippur fast, but it's obvious food is on the mind. Still, this is the latest in the year that I've been searching for a certain pint, which I think is cool. I might have a 2 or 3 month layoff between searching for the 2012 flavors.

At one of their scoop shops, I also saw B&J trotting out Pumpkin Pie and I ADORE their pie-related flavors.

Fair Goodness Cake

Very tricky, B&J. Trying to slip another flavor in before the summer is over. In June, I first heard of a flavor called "Fair Goodness Cake" via the Internet, which is basically German Chocolate Cake in an ice-cream format. So, I spent time every visit to the grocery store, looking in the frozen food aisle to find it. Finally, a few weeks ago, I did. And, I bought 2. Since it's a limited edition flavor, should I like it, I wanted to have one on reserve. Sadly, when my in-laws watched my daughter during our vacation, they ate it, but at least I had the first pint. This is a great, great flavor. Maybe the chocolate is a little rich, but the idea is very well realized. Not sure how I feel about the name, but it was a great summer find.