CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
Murphy’s chocolate ice cream
€7.99 for 500ml, €15.98 per litre
We had high hopes for this artisan product from Dingle and maybe that was the biggest problem. With our expectations so high, this was always going to struggle to deliver. It is beautifully creamy – easily the creamiest of the lot – and has a pleasing freshness . But was it chocolately enough? Not really. The price was also on the high side although we do make some allowances because high quality, locally produced products are never going to be in a position to compete with the big boys on price.
VERDICT:Nice and creamy
Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food
€4.73 for 500ml, €9.46 per litre
Hmm, we were not so sure of the name and, after eating nearly half a tub of this incredibly sweet and incredibly heavy product, we were not so convinced by the ice-cream either. Marshmallows undoubtedly have their place – roasting over a bonfire, for instance – but ice cream is probably not the place. There is just far too much going on here and while we liked the dark chocolate fish and the actual ice cream, the caramel and the marshmallows were not particularly pleasant.
VERDICT:Too much
Green & Blacks
€4.32 for 500ml, €8.64 per litre
This organic ice cream is pretty wonderful and had all those involved in the tasting, and we did not struggle to find volunteers on this occasion, – where we they when we were tasting cheap ready meals? – raving about it. It is very rich and chocolaty and immensely satisfying. The dark chocolate lends it a slight bitterness and it is very creamy, so creamy in fact that some of the tasters had to have the spoons wrenched from their hands towards the end of the trial. It’s not particularly dear either.
VERDICT:Top notch
Stuff in a Tub
€6.83 for 500ml, €13.66 per litre
What’s this? An organic, dairy, cholesterol, refined sugar, soya and gluten free alternative to dairy ice-cream? Sounds vile, right? Well Hunky Punky Chocolate isn’t. It’s actually surprisingly pleasant. It’s made with water, “diabetic friendly agave”, cashews and cacao powder. It is obviously lacking creaminess but, with its mousse-like texture and lightness, it is perfectly nice. We thought the manufacturer’s claim to being a guiltless delight was just a little over the top.
VERDICT:Oddly pleasant
