by Molly Farrar and Emma Sánchez
On a crisp fall Saturday, Oct. 16 to be specific, Molly and Emma ventured to the Coolidge Corner J.P. Licks — that was blasting One Direction — to try their new ice cream flavors released on Sept. 20 creatively called “Midnight Munchies” and “Strawberry Lime Red Bull Sorbet.” Here’s how they tasted:
Strawberry Lime Red Bull Sorbet: a strawberry sorbet made with Red Bull and lime juice.
Molly’s thoughts: I avoid Red Bull. If I need some caffeine, I will be at Dunkin’ (oat milk latte, iced). This sorbet was deliciously sweet and tangy, but without a hint of Red Bull. “But maybe that’s the point,” I said to Emma. Is this vegan, gluten-free sorbet supposed to give you a kick of caffeine without the taste of the sugary energy drink? Either way, the pureed strawberries give the sorbet a more solid texture than an Italian ice-style sorbet, and the lime lifted the sweetness with a little kick. 8/10
Emma’s thoughts: This one surprised me. While I’ve never tried Red Bull before, I really only tasted the strawberry and the lime. The hint of lime was a nice touch, as it added a tanginess to the strawberry flavor that reminded me of those strawberry popsicles you would get with school lunch or a strawberry daiquiri. I didn’t really see it as a fall flavor because of the seasonal fruits. While the real strawberry chunks made the sorbet seem more natural, the Red Bull made it really sweet, and it was almost like eating candy. I’m not quite sure where the Red Bull went, because I was not bouncing off the walls after eating this. 8.5/10
Midnight Munchies: peanut butter ice cream topped with Kit Kats, chocolate-covered pretzels, potato chips and ranch powder.
Molly’s thoughts: Full disclosure, I do not like ranch, and I do not like peanut butter. However, as a journalist, I must remain impartial. I was truly looking forward to J.P. Lick’s self-proclaimed munchie food. I gave it a tentative sniff — ranch! I smelled the ranch before the peanut butter or anything else that was supposed to be in the flavor. Maybe this is personal, but I don’t think a lot of people would like to be slapped in the nose with ranch before digging into their ice cream. I gave it a fair shot. I did not like it. It was a peanut butter ice cream with barely any bits and pieces in it. The laundry list of toppings made me think it was going to be chunky and busy. The reality was every once in a while I got something stuck in my teeth. 2/10
Emma’s thoughts: Woah. This one was the iffy flavor. Because of the peanut butter base of the ice cream and a lack of large chunks, all I could taste was the peanut butter. So for peanut lovers out there, this might be a surprising hit. However, the chunks were unidentifiable and the ranch was too much of a risk. In my opinion, that risk didn’t pay off, but taking it out would have made for an otherwise bearable ice cream if there was more balance in flavor. The ice cream base was a bit chalky, and not something I would order again. 3/10
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