College students, as most of us know, get bored very easily, probably because we have the attention spans of a goldfish. I need some spice in my life amid the endless weeks of problem sets, papers and midterms, and the monotonous rotating schedule of Dewick’s Sundae Sunday flavors just wasn’t doing it for me.
So, I did some digging for outrageous ice cream flavors that would appeal to my tired taste buds. JP Licks – convenient close, and credible, was the obvious option. However, I knew I would have to ditch my usual order of Brownie Batter and Strawberry (Brownie Batter, please forgive me, it was a one-time thing)
I decided to take the plunge and try the unique seasonal flavors they were offering for the month of October. Reading through the list of monthly flavors, however, I started to regret my quest. Noodle kugel? Isn’t that…a casserole? Cream stout? No thank you, I don’t want to taste beer on a Tuesday afternoon. And what in the world is Frobscottle?
JP Licks’ gimmick is that their flavors are all super distinctive and intense – they claim that if you close your eyes, you’ll always know what flavor you’re tasting, so I had to call their bluff and see if the Fresh Apple Cider Sorbet really did taste like a cup of fresh-pressed cider.
Vermont Maple Low Fat Yogurt
I decided to start simple, so I asked for a taste of the Vermont Maple Low Fat Yogurt. It was cloyingly sweet, even for me, but it tasted unmistakably like the fancy syrup my mom likes to buy from Trader Joe’s, so I was impressed. Starting off on a good note!
Cream Stout
Let it be noted that I cleansed my palate after each flavor with a sip of water, for the sake of objectivity. The texture of the flavor, which was made with real Sam Adam's Cream Stout, was exceptionally creamy, but that still didn’t make up for the distinct beer aftertaste that reminded me too much of a sip of Natty Light. Next!
Pumpkin Custard
The server was starting to get a little annoyed, so I acted indecisive and asked to sample the Pumpkin Custard flavor. How fall! How homey! It tasted exactly like a great pumpkin pie filling, and the cinnamon and nutmeg in the background were warm and spicy.
Fresh Apple Cider Sorbet
By this point, I was convinced that the JP Licks ice cream makers are magicians. The apple cider flavor was so potent and the sorbet was so smooth that I almost (almost!) asked for a large cup.
Noodle Kugel
Frobscottle
You may recall frobscottle, the green-colored fizzy drink from Roald Dahl’s “The BFG,” in which the bubbles go down instead of up, like a normal carbonated drink. In the book, it was said to taste like vanilla and cream, with a faint trace of raspberries. I had absolutely no idea what was in store for me. How would they make an ice cream fizzy? But yet again, I was amazed at the Pop Rocks that fizzed on my tongue with every bite. It was so whimsical, fruity, and exciting for my taste buds that I had to cave in and order a cup, to the relief of the server and the crowd of patrons waiting behind me. Even though I created a line out the door and angered a few employees with my indecisiveness, the experience was a great way to get out of my comfort zone and try some new, unconventional flavors. I highly recommend visiting JP Licks on a monthly basis to try all of their intense, wacky flavors! I can guarantee you, you'll never get bored.#SpoonTip: Check out other awesomely insta-worthy ice cream shops around Boston here.