Best Ice Cream of 2016

I love the beginning of a new year because it means that it's time to look back at all of our posts from the previous year and pick our favorite ice creams.  While looking through old posts I inevitably stumble on one or two AMAZING flavors that I had completely forgotten!

To choose the award categories, I look through my old posts and say, "Ooooh, that ice cream/sorbet/gelato was great, I should give it the 'Best ______ of the year' award!"  Then I make sure I didn't forget a super obvious award like 'Best ice cream of the year." The whole process is SUPER OFFICIAL.

On to the awards!

Best 'Away' Scoop Shop (best scoop shop not located in St. Louis, Iowa City, or Minneapolis)
Madeline: Rockwell Ice Cream Co, Provo, UT

Rockwell's signature Honey Comb

I spent 3 weeks in the Park City, UT area this summer and an amazing ice cream scene was the last thing I was expecting to find.  I wanted to include at least one Utah ice cream on this year's best-of list, and Rockwell Ice Cream Co. in Provo, UT was an obvious choice.  I really loved their flavor line-up and particularly their slightly tweaked classic ice cream flavors such as rocky road with almond brittle and salted caramel with caramel cookies.  In addition to their core menu, they have really interesting and delicious daily flavors that still appeal to a large audience (Muddy Buddy, for example).

Lizzy: Picco, Boston, MA (Links here and here!)

Picco's Raspberry and Coconut Chip!

Picco, in Boston, MA, is not at all your traditional ice cream shop. It is first and foremost a fancy pizza joint that also serves delicious homemade ice cream. They don't have a ton of flavors, but the ones they offer are superb; some of the strongest, most vivid ice creams I've ever tasted. They used real mint leaves in their mint chip, served decadent sesame, rich cardamom, bitter dark chocolate, and their chip flavors were filled with delicious, flakey dark chocolate chips. Definitely worth forking over the money for the sampler platter, which gets you three flavors, next time you're in the bean!

Honorable mention: Ted and Wally's in Omaha, NE. Ted and Wally's might have nabbed first place here if I'd tried as many flavors from them as I did from Picco.

Best 'Home' Scoop Shop (best scoop shop located in St. Louis, Iowa City, or Minneapolis)
Madeline: Milkjam Creamery, Minneapolis, MN

Halle Berry and Cereal Killers

Milkjam Creamery opened this January filling the open über-hipster ice cream niche.  All of their flavors are incredibly inventive, but if you are an ice cream traditionalist don't shy away from this amazing shop - just read the flavor descriptions carefully and you'll find something to pique your interest! My personal favorite is Cereal Killer - orange coriander milk with candied Fruity Pebbles.  It shouldn't taste exactly like cereal milk, but it does! SORCERY!

Lizzy: Heyn's, Iowa City, IA

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookie on top and Monster Mash on bottom!

Heyn's is really the only ice cream shop in Iowa City that does homemade hard serve ice cream. However, it does such a good job, you're not missing out having only one scoop shop. This shop is very laid back, homey, and traditional! They do awesome flavors with tons of chunks and swirls. They have well executed seasonal flavors. They're really into pralines, and so am I. Some of my favorite flavors from this shop are Kara's Creation, which features pralines, Oreos, and caramel, and Monster mash, which features cookie dough, peanut butter, and M&M's.


Best Scoop Shop Flavor
Madeline: Izzy's Fig Tart

Izzy's has a special place in my heart.  It's just such a perfect ice cream shop. *sigh* I've never had a fig ice cream before, and of course Izzy's absolutely nailed it.  Imagine lightly spiced fig ice cream with buttery graham pieces.  Fig Tart is an absolute MUST TRY if you see it at Izzy's.

Lizzy: Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough from Salt & Straw.

I visited LA this summer and got to finally try Salt & Straw. I paid $11 for a sampler platter, aka four flavors, because I am a champion. My favorite of the bunch was this one. It was so amazing I almost cried. I love cookie dough and I love malt and I love salt and I love them all together. There is no better combo than salted cookie dough and chocolate malt swirls. I'm still devastated that you can't buy this flavor on the website!

Honorable mention: Sourdough with Chocolate and Strawberries, also from Salt & Straw!

Best New-for-2016 Line:
Madeline: Haagen-Dazs Destination Series

I had a hard time deciding whether or not to include the Destination Series because it had some duds (I'm looking at you Brownies a la Mode!) but the good flavors, particularly Toasted Sesame Brittle and Mayan Chocolate, were so good that I wanted to give it some recognition.

Lizzy: I'm going with a cheaper brand for this one, but I really appreciate what Blue Bunny has done with their update!

Here's a shot of the flavor Bunny Tracks!

They are filling a corner of the market that really needed filling, cheaper ice cream that still gives crazy, chunky, fun flavors! While not all of their flavors are perfect, their 2016 revamp was very well done!

Honorable mention is HyVee's Till The Cows Come Home, filling a similar niche as Blue Bunny and also very delicious!

Best Non-Dairy Brand
Madeline: New Barn AlmondCreme

Sunflower Butter AlmondCreme

I discovered New Barn AlmondCreme almond milk ice cream this year.  Not every flavor in their lineup is perfect, but the brand has the potential to become one of the best non-dairy ice creams out there.  To see some evidence, look no further than their Sunflower Butter ice cream.

Lizzy: I'm going with a best non-dairy flavor here, not a brand, because this one flavor was so good, it deserves extra attention. Sometimes you know you have an end-of-the-year winner right when you eat it, which I did with Ginger Cookie Caramel from Luna & Larry's.

I've never seen this flavor out in Iowa, but I nabbed it while doing fieldwork in California this summer. The ginger cookies were the best in any ice cream, dairy or not. (Madeline's note: You think those are the best ginger cookies, but you haven't tried the ginger cookies from Rubicon Bakery in that New Barn uses.)

Best Sorbet
Madeline: Sonny's Ginger Root Sorbet

This was a year for sorbets! Sonny's Ginger Root Sorbet is just the first of several that made this post. I can't describe how perfect this sorbet is.  Not too icy and not too creamy.  Not too spicy and not too mild. Pure, unadulterated ginger.

Lizzy: I did not eat enough sorbet this year to designate a winner. New Year's resolution for 2017!

Best Treat
Madeline: JonnyPops

JonnyPops are a new-ish popsicle brand started in Minnesota! The bars are super creamy but the other flavors (for example coffee, berry, or banana) are strong enough that the dense texture and creamy flavor aren't overwhelming.  While I wouldn't consider the flavors 'weird,' I don't think there is anything similar to JonnyPops on the market right now.

Lizzy: New Orleans Ice Cream Company Po' Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Sometimes you just want something simple. These treats, with tasty vanilla or cream cheese ice cream in between rich and chewy chocolate cookies and coated with chocolate, weren't anything crazy, but they were well executed. They were also HUGE and will definitely fill you up!

Best Fruit Flavor:
Madeline: Alphonso Mango Sorbetto

The mango.  Such a finicky fruit. Sublime when perfectly ripe, but too often under-ripe or over-sweet.  Talenti nails the texture and flavor of the ideal mango.

Lizzy: McConnell's Summer Fruit Cobbler

This flavor isn't quite as fruity as Madeline's pick, but it was divine. It looked gorgeous and tasted like fresh fruit! The pieces of cobbler finish off this great pint!

Best Nutty Flavor
Madeline: Jeni's Brown Butter Almond Brittle

I was in such a bad mood when I wrote this review! Luckily, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ice cream.  The sweet cream base was great, but the almond brittle mix-ins elevated this flavor to a 'best-of' level.

Lizzy: New Orleans Ice Cream Praline Crunch 

I reviewed this flavor before we implemented the cone rating system, but I might retroactively give it 4/4 cones! Back in March I described this flavor as a "fabulous sweet menagerie!" It tasted like pecans, maple syrup, brown sugar, and caramel all at once. The best part was the nutty sweetness of the pecans!

Best Chocolate Flavor
Madeline: A tie between Talenti Chocolate Sorbetto (left) and Sweet Science Dark Chocolate Sorbet (right)

It's the year of the sorbet! I NEVER thought I would give 'best chocolate flavor of the year' to a sorbet.  A SORBET! IT'S MADE OF WATER! Sweet Science Dark Chocolate Sorbet and Talenti Sorbetto came into my life this year and made me question my entire existence.  How could a chocolate sorbet be this good? Both had a rich chocolate taste and incredibly creamy texture.  I'm co-nominated these flavors because I liked the Sweet Science flavor a bit better than the Talenti flavor but liked the Talenti texture a bit better than the Sweet Science Texture.


Best Gelato
Lizzy: Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk by Gelato Fiasco

Look at that chocolate chunk!

This flavor knocked my socks off. It received the rare rating of 4/4 cones. With huge, dark and creamy chocolate chunks and the richest, nuttiest almond butter base you could imagine, this flavor deserves recognition! The almond butter taste was so intense it was almost overwhelming, but the chocolate and the taste of the cream poking through made it way too easy to eat a lot of this in one sitting.

Best 'Weird' Flavor
Madeline: Jeni's Goat Cheese with Red Cherries

I don't know what this says about my psychology, but I love trying weird ice cream flavors even if I'm pretty sure I won't like them.  I definitely wasn't sure about goat cheese ice cream, but I plonked down $10 for a pint of Jeni's Goat Cheese with Cherries anyway because the weirder the better in my little world.  This was definitely a savory ice cream, and the cherries could have been a touch sweeter, but goat cheese is so light and tangy that it wasn't overwhelming.

Lizzy: Ted & Wally's Inca Kola

Inca Kola is the yellow flavor on the bottom.

This flavor isn't necessarily the weirdest I've ever tried, but what's not to love about lemon, vanilla, and cream soda??

Best Brand:
Madeline: Sam's Choice. There are better brands out there, but I don't think you will find a brand as consistently good at such a low price (sorry for sounding like a Wal-Mart ad). They also do some pretty unique flavors like Butterscotch Salted Fudge in a world where there is definitely not enough butterscotch ice cream.

Lizzy: New Orleans Ice Cream Company

Because the folks over at NOLA Ice Cream Co. are actually the BEST, I was hooked up with every flavor in their line up in February of this year. They really do it all, fruity sophisticated flavors and fun chocolatey chunky flavors. Many of their flavors are inspired by New Orleans desserts and fruits grown in Louisiana. It is a well rounded brand with a New Orleans twist! Praline Crunch and Mardi Gras Pie were my favorites!

Best Ice Cream
Madeline: Cake My Day

Ben and Jerry's does this every year.  They come out with an amazing limited edition that becomes my everything for several months before Ben and Jerry's cruelly yanks it off the shelves.  Why Ben and Jerry's, why?!  Last year I mourned the death of Salted Caramel Brownie Ale until I discovered Cake My Day. The cake base! The buttercream! The raspberry swirl! Everything was perfection and now it's gone and I don't know what to do. Tragedy.

Lizzy: Also Cake My Day!!

This flavor did cake better than actual cake. And there's nothing else to say!

2016 was another great year for ice cream. The only thing better than eating all of this delicious ice cream, is getting to share our excitement about it with you, our Dearest Readers!!