Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Wayne’Swirled

Anticipation can be a tricky thing.  Sometimes that expectation can lead to disappointment.  Tons of kids have stories about less than stellar Xmas the result of not getting what they thought they were going to get. 

But the other side of the coin is anticipating the worst and being relieved when it doesn’t come to pass.  There have definitely been times I anticipated getting caught and was relieved when I wasn’t.  So, anticipation can go both ways. 

Which brings us to Ben & Jerry’s final SNL Batch; Wayne’Swirled

In honor of Saturday Night Live’s 40^th anniversary, Ben & Jerry’s whipped up some flavors inspired by SNL sketches that were exclusive to Scoop Shops.  The first three were released last year. 

Wayne’Swirled sounds like a pretty compelling flavor.  It’s composed of two different types of ice creams (dark caramel & vanilla) and has fudge and caramel swirls.  Just think to yourself; when was the last time you had dark caramel ice cream? 

And truth be told, Wayne’Swirled is a good flavor.  The flavors really compliment each other nicely.  There is a richness of flavor in the dark caramel ice cream that works really well when meshed with the vanilla ice cream.  And you really can taste the difference between the dark caramel ice cream and the caramel swirls.  That nuance is impressive and something I’d never really considered before. 

The caramel and fudge swirls provide a nice mix of textures and most importantly, the fudge isn’t overdone.  There’s enough fudge to be present, without it being overpowering.  Everything works well together and as a whole the ice cream isn’t too sweet. 

That said, while Waynes’Swirled is a solid flavor, it’s kind of boring.  When you consider that a) it’s the final flavor celebrating SNL and b) it’s a Scoop Shop exclusive, you kind of expect it to have bells and or whistles.  There’s not even anything crunchy in it. 

At the end of the day, Wayne’Swirled is like a Volvo; it’s dependable and well put together, but there’s noting flashy about it.  I can’t honestly say that it’s worth going out of your way to hit up a Scoop Shop to try, much less playing Scoop Shop prices for a pint.