Kris surprised my by bringing in another flavor of Dove ice cream. This time, we were tasting Dove "Unconditional Chocolate" (doesn't everybody wish they could get some unconditional chocolate every once in a while?) and, once again, she said she picked up the pint at a 7-Eleven store. I don't understand how Dove can sell such a delicious line of ice creams only at convenience stores. Don't they know that people who shop at the grocery store want good ice cream, too?
I definitely like the look of the Dove pint ice creams. Dove "Unconditional Chocolate" ice cream was no exception. Everywhere you look on the container, you'll see some version of chocolate. Whether it's the chocolate swirl background, the chocolate ice cream picture, the word "Dove" looking like it's written in chocolate syrup, or elsewhere, there's no mistaking that chocolate lies underneath the lid. I was ready to dig in!
Kris opened the lid and peeled the seal off the top. Just like with the previous Dove ice cream we tasted, Dove "Unconditional Chocolate" ice cream had a chocolate ganache layer on top. And, again just like before, the chocolate ganache layer had the Dove logo embossed in it. I said it before and I'll say it again that this is a very nice touch. This puts the "super" in Super Premium ice cream. The only downside to the chocolate ganache layer is that it prevents Dove from filling the ice cream all the way to the top. You lose a good 1/8-inch or so of ice cream because of how they have to package it. A minor issue, and really the ONLY issue with this ice cream, but you still want ice cream full to the top; at least I do.
As a chocolate lover, I have a pretty distinct idea about what chocolate I like and what I don't. Dove "Unconditional Chocolate" ice cream is a chocolate I like. A lot! This ice cream is super chocolaty. First, there's the chocolate ganache layer on top. Under that is chocolate ice cream and within that are pieces of chocolate. When Dove says there are "chocolate chunks" in this ice cream, they're not kidding. It's as if they broke off a bunch of pieces of extra chocolate ganache inside the ice cream. This makes the chocolate inside the ice cream mix well with the chocolate ganache above the ice cream and all of it mixes together to form a chocoholic's dream!
Within Dove's "Unconditional Chocolate" ice cream, the size of the chocolate chunks varied from fairly small to fairly large. There were no pieces that were abnormally large, but there were a ton of chunks inside. With every bite, you're sure to get at least one chunk of chocolate and more than likely two. At one point I wondered if there were maybe too many chunks of chocolate in the ice cream, but I quickly shut myself up with that crazy idea by taking another bite. This ice cream is super rich and super smooooooooth; both very much like a Dovebar.
Overall, this is truly an extraordinary ice cream and, quite possibly, the very definition of extraordinary ice cream. However, this ice cream should come with a warning label: "Warning: this ice cream is so good, you'll eat a single serving (or two) before you realize it." I only say that because it's what I did.
Oh, and I can't forget the sugar high! Of course, what do you expect after eating chocolate ice cream with chocolate ganache and chocolate chunks?
- Fred