Kotas Reviews Mayfield Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

Ah, the holidays have passed, our gift collections have swollen, and it's time to try some new (or not so new) things before the New Year is upon us. Christmas may be over, but there's still a plethora of holiday themed things to sink our teeth into, so let's look at today's subject: Peppermint Stick Ice Cream!

Skiing. Nothing more than...skiing.

Mayfield tends to put out simple ice creams that are a flavor done very well, or complicated jumbles that throw everything but the kitchen sink in and yet still somehow stay coherent in flavor. Today's subject tries to be both of these things together, just in time for the season. I rather like the packaging, though it departs from the traditional Mayfield yellow, because how often are you going to see an image of a cow skiing with peppermint candy canes? Not very often in my experience. Let's rip the top off and see what we can see.

The phrase you are looking for is "underwhelming".

Okay, so it isn't very exciting to look at. Just white ice cream with flecks of green and red peppermint candy in it. It's somewhat festive, but I was hoping for a bolder statement. Still, something visually pedestrian can conceal a powerhouse of flavor. Unfortunately for this ice cream, that is not the case. When I have had peppermint ice cream in the past, it tends to be a pink ice cream with a very strong peppermint flavor. Sometimes that flavor would be too strong, but here? There isn't much flavor AT ALL outside of the peppermint candy bits. This might be okay if the candy was fairly evenly distributed, but it is not. The chunks tend to be pretty large and while the color of them is common, the actual bits themselves are pretty clustered together, with a whole lot of nothing in between. That ice cream is best described as sweet, cold, and flavorless. It's not even "vanilla with a hint of peppermint", it's just "nothing with the occasional peppermint bit". The candy bits aren't even very good candy bits, as a final insult.

On the FACE Rating System, this ice cream gets 2 frownys. I expect a lot from a Mayfield ice cream, and usually even flavors I don't like are at least well crafted. This? This is a lazy seasonal effort that attempts to be "different" from the normal peppermint ice cream, and falls completely flat. If you simply MUST have Mayfield peppermint ice cream, I guess you only have this as a choice, but for everyone else, avoid.

Kotas Reviews Mayfield Eggnog

It'd Day 3 of Eggnog Week, and what better way to get over Hump Day than to drink some actual eggnog! I know it isn't as wacky as some of the things I've consumed in the past, but hey, it is Eggnog Week. That and I love eggnog. Let's break it down!

In convenient half serving size bottles. Everyone knows the serving size for eggnog is the "carton" or half gallon.

Ain't she a beaut? Today's eggnog comes from the fine folks at Mayfield Dairy. Many of my audience consider this to be the quintessential eggnog, but frankly I grew up on Purity eggnog so it remains to be seen. I do think this packaging is spectacularly festive though. Of course, how does it look in the glass?

EXTREEEEEEME CLOSEUP!

It smells exactly like artificial eggnog should, vaguely nutmeggy with that unique noggishness teasing the palate. It has the customary flecks of brown to indicate that yes Virginia, there is nutmeg in here. The taste? Well kiss my grits this stuff is amazing. If you like artificial eggnog, this may be the eggnog to get. Creamy, rich, but not too thick, it goes down easy and leaves a lovely noggish aftertaste. It is hard to describe the mysterious flavor I call "Nog", actually, unless you've had artificial eggnog before. I can't get enough of the stuff, but some people find it is not their cup of tea. 

Of course, there was one other test. How does it go with booze? Well, I had some rum just lying around and I mixed in some...you know, for Science or whatever. Well, alcohol does a couple of things: first it thins out the mixture so it becomes less viscous. Second, it can (depending on the amount) mute the nog flavor by quite a bit. This does not diminish the drink however, merely changes the focal point from the nog to the booze. Adding less booze might help with that, but that would mean adding less booze!

On the FACE Rating System, this gets 3 smiley faces. This may be the one Nog of which all other Nogs are but shadows, and it's not bad with booze either. Whether your an addict looking to satisfy a nog craving, or a nog newbie taking their first steps into a broader, more fattening world, this is the nog for you!

Kotas Reviews Mayfield Eggnog Flavored Custard Ice Cream

Welcome to Day Two of Eggnog Week! Today we will be looking at a product from one of my local dairies: Mayfield. Mayfield Dairy is a Tennessee institution, and is definitely one of the premier regional purveyors of cow secretions in the Southeast. Since 1910 they've been foisting their delicious treats upon us, and in the dessert area they have a huge variety of ice cream flavors and novelties. Today's subject is one of their holiday offerings. Let's take a gander at Mayfield Eggnog Flavored Custard.

Custard? I thought it was ice cream? Is it both? WHAT BLACK SORCERY IS THIS?

So, I wondered why the packaging said "custard" on it, but also "ice cream". Turns out, there is probably a reason for it. You see, frozen custard, by law, must contain a bit under 2% egg yolk solids, while ice cream has no such requirement. I'm going to guess that this should probably be "eggnog custard flavored ice cream", rather than the mess on the label, but whatever. The carton looks pretty festive, what with the reindeer dressed in a holiday button up shirt, and the lights and all. Seriously though, how does he button it with those hooves? In fact, how the heck does he hold the cup of eggnog? You know, it's just ice cream, I should stop worrying about these things. It IS a limited edition, after all, and the nightmare world of reindeer with magical "able to hold things" hooves will only haunt me briefly. Yes, yes...only briefly. Anyway, how does it look in the bowl?

That is most definitely a bowl of ice cream.

Looks pretty good to me! No real surprises, though it lacks the small flecks of brown that most store-bought eggnog has. The faint odor is pure artificial eggnog, and that is promising. The flavor is smooth and creamy eggnog, very similar to the eggnog milkshake from yesterday, but richer somehow. Less distinct nutmeg overtones, but they are there, and that special element I can only call "nog" is present in abundance. Mayfield makes darn good ice cream and this is no exception. 

On the FACE Rating System, this gets 2 smiley faces. Definitely a holiday treat for us nog lovers, and I think it would pair well with chocolate syrup. Still, if you are not a fan of eggnog, this will not convert you, and may in fact repulse you. If you are looking for more nutmeg flavor, this will not satisfy, but you could probably sprinkle on some for the extra kick.