Reader Request: Mallard Ice Cream
My friend Lucy, who is from the Seattle area requested that I review the Mallard Ice Cream Shop while I was visiting family in Bellingham. But this reader request started well before Lucy asked me to stop by. I have been hearing about this ice cream shop for a long, long time. I've been hearing about it from My Aunt Muriel (Ducky), my Uncle Kelly (Drake), and cousin Shea (Duckling? Though at 15 years old and 5 foot 11, he's not so ling-y any more). And, yes, the duck themed nicknames came way before their passion for this duck themed ice cream shop and the two are, in all seriousness, a lovely situation. But seeing as this is a blog mostly about ice cream, and only a little bit about my life (thought you probably hear about my life more than you would like), I won't have time for the explanation of the duck themed nicknames. And I have quite a lot of ice cream to write about in this post.
First a little about Mallard's. Located in Belligham, Washington, which by my observation may have the highest number of Teva sandals per capita, Mallard's was a hipster Mecca in a hipster Mecca. The flavors were listed with cool illustrations and there was a flavor I didn't have a chance to try called Notorious F.I.G. Grungy looking young adults that smelled like Washington's newest recreational activity sat on the comfy couches to eat ice cream next to middle aged outdoor enthusiasts who were probably wearing only clothing that was 2nd hand or recyclable or biodegradable or something. Oh Mallard's, Oh Bellingham.
We went to Mallard's 3 times during the one week I had visiting in Bellingham. And with Mallard's fabulous "indecision scoop" I tried 6 flavors. An indecision scoop is basically half a scoop (or in reality, slightly more than half a scoop) of one flavor and half a scoop of another. The price is between what getting one and two scoops would be. So it was the perfect thing for me, especially since Mallard's has tons of crazy and tasty flavors that change just about everyday. How do I know they change everyday? Because we just about went there everyday. Thus the number one lessoned I learned about Mallard's. Sample every flavor you are interested in, even if you know you won't buy it, because that could be your only chance to taste it. Who cares if you are that annoying customer, it could be a once in a life time opportunity to try sour cream and cookies!!! Can you tell I'm filled with regret?
H'okay. So. Ice cream. First trip we bough pints of Ghost Pepper Lime and Raspberry. Yes you read that correctly. Ghost Pepper Lime. But first let me talk about the raspberry. The raspberries used were local and amazing. There were no raspberry pieces, but the flavor was very strong despite that. It wasn't the tartest raspberry ice cream I have had, but it was pretty sweet, but pleasant, not over powering. The texture of Mallard's is pretty standard. Hard ice cream, but creamy and melty enough, with not a lot of air or pull/stretchyness. But I have to say when you are showcasing the actual flavor of the ice cream as much as Mallard's does, having an interesting texture would be a bit overwhelming. Now for the ghost pepper. I don't think I have had anything that uses ghost pepper before (yes I skipped out when a friend of mine made his own ghost pepper infused vodka), but I had heard they were hot! And this ice cream lived up to that expectation! The first flavor you got was a really bright lime flavor along with a cream flavor. Then the really clear tasting spiciness came through with a great kick at the end. Although, your eyes might be watering after eating a whole scoop of this stuff, it definitely wasn't unnecessarily spicy. Unlike a green or red chili spice, that might compete with the flavor of the lime, the subtle flavor, let the lime shine through, while still bringing the heat. The color of the ice cream also really matched this amazing flavor. Bright and light tasting, while still being very flavorful. Seriously this is one of the best flavors, if not THE best I have ever had. Wow. Also since the raspberry flavor was so sweet, and not as tart, these two flavors paired very well together.
Second trip, I got an indecision scoop of licorice and root beer. I'm a huge fan of both licorice and root beer, especially root beer floats. I was really hoping this root beer ice cream could capture the essence of a root beer float. I would say it almost did. Both the licorice and root beer flavors were really strong. I was hoping for a flavor more subtle with the root beer. Like maybe an undertone of vanilla to taste more like a root beer float. And with the strength of the licorice flavor, I would say to pass if you aren't a licorice lover or you favorite licorice is Twizzlers. Because these flavors were both so strong, they weren't the best pairing, but still great choices.
Lastly, I had an indecision scoop of Nuts 4 Chocolate and Olive Oil. The day I got this, they also have basil (which I sampled and was really good) and the Notorious F.I.G, I mentioned earlier. What a Mediterranean themed day! However, as I've mentioned in previous blog posts, I strongly believe if you can't do a decadent chocolate flavor well, you shouldn't be allowed to move on to crazy stuff, so I had to try something delicious and chocolatey. The Nuts 4 Chocolate was chocolate ice cream with peanuts, almonds, and walnuts. The chocolate ice cream was a little stronger and darker than standard, but not so overpowering. There were a lot of nuts, and even amounts of all of them, but not too many nuts that you couldn't taste the ice cream. I wouldn't say this is a stand-out flavor, but very good, and very solid. I would definitely get it again if it were ever offered! Now the olive oil was a bit of a gamble. A very intense olive oil flavored ice cream could be a bit too much for me to handle. However, this was a really great subtle olive oil flavor. You almost tasted cream more with an olive oil after taste. Because of that, I would get it alone, any stronger flavor could over power it. But all in all a stand out flavor and an amazing little ice cream shop!!
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First a little about Mallard's. Located in Belligham, Washington, which by my observation may have the highest number of Teva sandals per capita, Mallard's was a hipster Mecca in a hipster Mecca. The flavors were listed with cool illustrations and there was a flavor I didn't have a chance to try called Notorious F.I.G. Grungy looking young adults that smelled like Washington's newest recreational activity sat on the comfy couches to eat ice cream next to middle aged outdoor enthusiasts who were probably wearing only clothing that was 2nd hand or recyclable or biodegradable or something. Oh Mallard's, Oh Bellingham.
We went to Mallard's 3 times during the one week I had visiting in Bellingham. And with Mallard's fabulous "indecision scoop" I tried 6 flavors. An indecision scoop is basically half a scoop (or in reality, slightly more than half a scoop) of one flavor and half a scoop of another. The price is between what getting one and two scoops would be. So it was the perfect thing for me, especially since Mallard's has tons of crazy and tasty flavors that change just about everyday. How do I know they change everyday? Because we just about went there everyday. Thus the number one lessoned I learned about Mallard's. Sample every flavor you are interested in, even if you know you won't buy it, because that could be your only chance to taste it. Who cares if you are that annoying customer, it could be a once in a life time opportunity to try sour cream and cookies!!! Can you tell I'm filled with regret?
Photo credit to my Uncle Kelly. It's a bit blurry, but you can see the awesome art they use to display the flavors!
H'okay. So. Ice cream. First trip we bough pints of Ghost Pepper Lime and Raspberry. Yes you read that correctly. Ghost Pepper Lime. But first let me talk about the raspberry. The raspberries used were local and amazing. There were no raspberry pieces, but the flavor was very strong despite that. It wasn't the tartest raspberry ice cream I have had, but it was pretty sweet, but pleasant, not over powering. The texture of Mallard's is pretty standard. Hard ice cream, but creamy and melty enough, with not a lot of air or pull/stretchyness. But I have to say when you are showcasing the actual flavor of the ice cream as much as Mallard's does, having an interesting texture would be a bit overwhelming. Now for the ghost pepper. I don't think I have had anything that uses ghost pepper before (yes I skipped out when a friend of mine made his own ghost pepper infused vodka), but I had heard they were hot! And this ice cream lived up to that expectation! The first flavor you got was a really bright lime flavor along with a cream flavor. Then the really clear tasting spiciness came through with a great kick at the end. Although, your eyes might be watering after eating a whole scoop of this stuff, it definitely wasn't unnecessarily spicy. Unlike a green or red chili spice, that might compete with the flavor of the lime, the subtle flavor, let the lime shine through, while still bringing the heat. The color of the ice cream also really matched this amazing flavor. Bright and light tasting, while still being very flavorful. Seriously this is one of the best flavors, if not THE best I have ever had. Wow. Also since the raspberry flavor was so sweet, and not as tart, these two flavors paired very well together.
Ghost Pepper Lime on the left, raspberry on the right!
Second trip, I got an indecision scoop of licorice and root beer. I'm a huge fan of both licorice and root beer, especially root beer floats. I was really hoping this root beer ice cream could capture the essence of a root beer float. I would say it almost did. Both the licorice and root beer flavors were really strong. I was hoping for a flavor more subtle with the root beer. Like maybe an undertone of vanilla to taste more like a root beer float. And with the strength of the licorice flavor, I would say to pass if you aren't a licorice lover or you favorite licorice is Twizzlers. Because these flavors were both so strong, they weren't the best pairing, but still great choices.
Licorice on the left, and root beer on the right!
Lastly, I had an indecision scoop of Nuts 4 Chocolate and Olive Oil. The day I got this, they also have basil (which I sampled and was really good) and the Notorious F.I.G, I mentioned earlier. What a Mediterranean themed day! However, as I've mentioned in previous blog posts, I strongly believe if you can't do a decadent chocolate flavor well, you shouldn't be allowed to move on to crazy stuff, so I had to try something delicious and chocolatey. The Nuts 4 Chocolate was chocolate ice cream with peanuts, almonds, and walnuts. The chocolate ice cream was a little stronger and darker than standard, but not so overpowering. There were a lot of nuts, and even amounts of all of them, but not too many nuts that you couldn't taste the ice cream. I wouldn't say this is a stand-out flavor, but very good, and very solid. I would definitely get it again if it were ever offered! Now the olive oil was a bit of a gamble. A very intense olive oil flavored ice cream could be a bit too much for me to handle. However, this was a really great subtle olive oil flavor. You almost tasted cream more with an olive oil after taste. Because of that, I would get it alone, any stronger flavor could over power it. But all in all a stand out flavor and an amazing little ice cream shop!!
Nuts 4 Chocolate on the left, and Olive Oil on the right!
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