Halo Top girl is here to bring you best news of the century (and, no, unfortunately, I didn't eat ice cream for five days again). What I did do was try out the 10 new Halo Top flavors hitting stores on October 10, 2016. Get ready, because these fresh pints are unbelievable.
A dozen members of Spoon University Duke and I got together to put our taste buds to the test. Participants were asked to score each flavor on a scale of 1 to 5 in four different categories:
1. Taste: Is the flavor everything you've dreamed, and more? Would you eat a whole pint of this on your own?
2. Texture: What do you think of the consistency? Would you know that it's healthy ice cream if I hadn't told you?
3. Appearance: As surface level as it sounds, you eat with your eyes. How appealing is the ice cream at first glance?
4. Memorability: Will you lie awake at night thinking about this ice cream? Are you likely to buy it in store?
Each pint received an average score (out of 5) in the four categories. Total scores (out of 20) were then averaged for each flavor to determine overall ranking. Check out how the flavors stacked up.
10. Pistachio
Total Score: 9/20
Taste: 1.8/5, Texture: 3.4/5, Appearance: 2.2/5, Memorability: 1.6/5
Quotes: "Why is this bright green?" "It shouldn't be this green; it isn't matcha." "Was there a taste?" "It looks radioactive."
9. Black Cherry
Total Score: 12.4/20
Taste: 2.3/5, Texture: 3.8/5, Appearance: 4/5, Memorability: 2.3/5
Quotes: "If you like cherry, you'll definitely like this." "Too sweet; tastes artificial." "Tastes like medicine, honestly."
8. Red Velvet
Total Score: 12.5/20
Taste: 2.6/5, Texture: 3.7/5, Appearance: 3.6/5, Memorability: 2.6/5
Quotes: "You have to get a bite with the brownies to get the full experience." "Not a lot of flavor; doesn't taste like red velvet." "There could be more brownie dough."
7. Cookies & Cream
Total Score: 13/20
Taste: 3.2/5, Texture: 3.8/5, Appearance: 3.6/5, Memorability: 2.4/5
Quotes: "Wish it had chunks of cookie in it." "Didn't taste like normal Cookies & Cream, but it's still good." "Why are the cookies brown?"
6. Chocolate Almond Crunch
Total Score: 13.3/20
Taste: 2.4/5, Texture: 3.8/5, Appearance: 4.3/5, Memorability: 2.8/5
Quotes: "Love the chunks of almond; gives a good crunch." "Surprisingly good, in a weird way." "Tastes like marzipan; the almond is overpowering."
5. Cookie Dough
Total Score: 13.5/20
Taste: 3/5, Texture: 3.9/5, Appearance: 3.8/5, Memorability: 2.8/5
Quotes: "Delicious, but not especially different from other brands of cookie dough ice cream." "Are there actually any chocolate chips in this? I don't see them."
4. Oatmeal Cookie
Total Score: 15.5/20
Taste: 4.3/5, Texture: 3.4/5, Appearance: 4/5, Memorability: 3.8/5
Quotes: "Actually tastes like an oatmeal cookie!" "The raw oats in there? I didn't like them." "Very cinnamon-y; I actually liked the chewy oats."
3. S'mores
Total Score: 16.2/20
Taste: 4/5, Texture: 4.1/5, Appearance: 4.1/5, Memorability: 4/5
Quotes: "Great texture with the chocolate and graham crackers." "Pretty appearance, but could've had a stronger flavor." "Loved the chocolate chips."
2. Sea Salt Caramel
Total Score: 16.8/20
Taste: 4.2/5, Texture: 4/5, Appearance: 4.4/5, Memorability: 4.2/5
Quotes: "Swirls of caramel are the best part." "Tastes like the caramel topping you put on ice cream." "You would've tricked me into thinking this was regular ice cream."1. Peanut Butter Cup
Total Score: 18.3/20
Taste: 4.8/5, Texture: 4.6/5, Appearance: 4.3/5, Memorability: 4.6/5Quotes: "Took my favorite candy and made it a deliciously healthy ice cream." "I'm biased because I love anything peanut butter." "Dope." "Will happily eat this all day, every day."
There you have it, folks. Peanut Butter Cup Halo Top wins in a landslide. Special thanks to Halo Top for sending the new pints our way to try.