Jeni’s

Origins Game Fair introduced me to Jeni’s Ice Creams in its original North Market location. In other words, bliss.

I love these “cow to cone” guys, but they’re local to Ohio, and while I do consider them reason enough to travel to Origins, it only happens once a year.  So we’ve taken to making the occasional delivery order — affordable within their closest delivery area, at least, as you can get 9 pints packed in dry ice shipped to you for all of a $10 charge, making each pint cost between $9 and $10. That might sound pricey, but Jeni’s quality is completely worth it.  That’s not to say that every flavor is an instant hit for me, but the quality and craftsmanship of each one is undeniable. This is the sort of ice-cream that I like to shallowly skim with a spoon, so I can put just the right amount on my tongue to melt before going to the next. Jeni’s flavors lends themselves to savoring.

Here’s a quick tour of the flavors I’ve tried from the two shipments we’ve had so far.  I’ll include their descriptions, then my comments.

The Seasonals

These are the seasonal flavors that Jeni’s was offering at the time of our second shipment.  They may or may not be currently available, but it’s usually well worth it to dip your toe into the seasonals for part of your order.

Saigon Cinnamon

“The rich flavor of cream mellows out the heat without interfering with the complex flavors of the cinnamon.”

This is a new one for us with our most recent shipment. It’s really nice if you’re a cinnamon fan (and I am), like a rich, creamy cinnamon-inflected horchata.  Recommended.

Heirloom Pumpkin 5-Spice

“A modern classic – rich pumpkin blends perfectly with exotic spices. A light finish with a pleasant tingle of 5-spice.”

Christie is much more of a pumpkin pie fan than I am.  I had a few spoonfuls; it definitely delivers on the complex spice flavor of a good pumpkin pie, though Christie notes that it’s so successful with this that you can only eat a little at a time.

Red Hot Apple Cider (Sorbet)

“An intriguing blend of aromas greets you – the red hot hits lightly at first and then the cider shows through. The finish is clean with just a tingle of cinnamon.”

This one definitely has the flavor of a milder version of “red hots” candies, backed up somewhat distantly for me by the apple cider taste.  It’s sort of like Apple Jacks cereal, with the cinnamon/heat dialed up a bit.  Not necessarily a repeater for me, but I’m still very happy to have had it.

The Signatures

The signature flavors are where it’s really at for me with Jeni’s.  We absolutely should have tried more of the seasonal ones, but when it came right down to it we had a number of must-haves from the signature flavor list and that left us with limited space for ‘em.  And with good reason.

Salty Caramel

“Initial notes of burnt sugar give way to mouth-watering saltiness. A perfect salty sweet balance.”

Really hits a good balance of salty/sweet.  The salty isn’t assertive — it’s mainly there as a taste-bud activator (after all, homemade hot chocolate recipes insist on a pinch of salt for the same reason), and activate it does. I love this one, but we didn’t repeat it on our second order in the interests of hitting our core favorites and making a little room for experimenting.

Gravel Road

“Savory and smoky hits of almonds first, rounded out with salty notes for a satisfying finish.”

Not a repeater for us, but if you like smoked almonds, definitely grab this one: it’s basically the Salty Caramel with smoked almonds mixed in.  One to try if you’re looking to really explore the idea of savory ice cream.

Queen City Cayenne

“Rich chocolate slowly reveals hints of spice. Finish is pleasantly tingly.”

I’m not so sure about “hints” of spice here.  The rich chocolate base supports a light touch of cinnamon and a less light hit of cayenne pepper.  We’re nuts for the whole spicy chocolate thing, so this one is on our definitely-always-repeat list.  Just don’t go in thinking you’ll get just the lightest of cayenne hits (though it is light enough that you still have room to enjoy the other components of the flavor).

Pistachio

“Pure and true pistachio flavor; very lightly sweetened for a savory finish.”

I have tried a lot of pistachio ice creams over the years.  Pistachio in all things is something of a signature flavor for me and my family.  We gift bags of pistachios during the holidays. Pistachio ice cream is nearly always the first flavor I’ll try at a new creamery.  So that’s my background here when I tell you this.

Jeni’s pistachio ice cream is the best I have ever tried, by several miles.  While they list this as pistachio on the website, the label on the pint reads “pistachio and honey”.  The honey flavor doesn’t really express itself identifiably, I think, but it gives the sweetness in this ice cream a richer, stranger complexity than the norm.  They don’t put whole pistachios in here (whole pistachios often go gummy in ice cream, honestly), instead grinding them up and blending them throughout the ice cream.  Really, this one leaves all the other flavors in the dust for us; our second order included two pints of this, and honestly we could have been happy making it all nine.  The thinnest spoon-slice off the top can sit on my tongue and give me an outright afterglow as it melts.

Crazy. Good.

Thai Chili

“Complex flavors of hot, salty, savory, and sweet melt to provide a satisfying treat. Spicy finish lingers.”

This was in our first order, and we didn’t repeat it, in part because it was almost too much flavor.  I’m also not a huge coconut fan, so the little shredded bits of it in the ice cream didn’t work for me.  But holy moley, what heat!  This is a super spicy one, a mix of coconut milk, peanuts, and thai chili peppers.  By “super spicy” I mean “leaves the heat of Queen City Cayenne in the dust”. If you like spicy thai curries, this is something to explore.

Black Coffee

“True strong coffee flavor with absolutely no bitterness; captures and translates the aroma of coffee perfectly.”

That description is incredibly, incredibly accurate.  This NOT your typical oversweet coffee ice cream. It tastes like coffee smells.  It’s not bitter, but the sweetness is a background element here.  This is a repeater for us, showing up on both orders.

Bourbon Buttered Pecan

“Subtle corn mash notes come first, followed by rich and savory pecans; a charming hit of Bourbon finishes.”

This is a really interesting one, a new venture for us, showing up on our second order.  I think their description fits, and while I’m not a bourbon guy, the bourbon aspect of it intrigues.  Don’t know if we’ll be repeating this one yet, but I’d recommend it to anyone intrigued by the description.

Dark Chocolate

“Mouth-filling, palate-gripping, intense chocolate flavor with a fudge-like texture. Pleasingly dry finish.”

An incredible dark chocolate ice cream.  Goes as dark as you can go without getting bitter; it’s chocolate as delivered by the “less sweet, more flavorful” Jeni’s agenda.  This is on our repeater list.

Riesling Poached Pear (Sorbet)

“A surprisingly rich sorbet; pure pear flavor with unique pear texture; sweet Riesling notes shine on the finish.”

This one we got on our first order largely for my wife.  She loved it, but we left it off the order this time in the interest of getting that second pint of pistachio.  The riesling flavor is present, but not assertive, and marries well with the pear.

Lemon Yogurt

“Pure tart lemon, true tangy yogurt, perfectly balanced and not too sweet. Jeni’s favorite!”

Man, if you love lemon desserts like I do, this one deserves a try.  It’s tart and expansive in the mouth, but finishes with a distinct and unmistakable yogurt tang.  When tart dessert is the zone you’re angling for, this one totally delivers.  One of our repeaters.