Graeter’s Review No. 13: I do think swine will truly be taking wing if there comes a day I don’t want tiny peanut butter cups in ice cream. These little sweet, salty gems are big flavor weapons, whether paired with a classic peanut butter base or teamed up with vanilla ice cream and fudge. This winning trifecta is showcased in Moose Tracks ice cream, a flavor licensed by Denali Inc. in one of the more bizarre phenomena of the ice cream industry. But plenty of brands let their own wild sides show with some unauthorized animal tracks. Think Blue Bunny’s Bunny Tracks, Hudsonville’s Deer Tracks, or maybe my own Oregon's Umpqua paying tribute to college critters with both Duck and Beaver Tracks. Now in spring, in a tradition I hope continues for many years to come, Graeter's Flying Pig Tracks arrives as a seasonal special in a pint featuring a whimsical porcine aerialist above a city skyline. What’s inside is decidedly more traditional, and comforting.

The backstory: So what's the deal with Moose Tracks? I was clueless myself seeing this name at the grocery store, usually on store brands in Safeway and Kroger. A quick history gleaned online: This concept was created in 1988 by Wally and June Blume in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and named for a mini golf course down the street from the first dairy to carry the flavor. What’s crazy is that something apparently started as a way to give the little guys an innovative combo to compete with Haagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's is now largely overtaken by corporate brands to jazz up their often soulless store-brand tubs. Instead of selling their own ice cream, the Blumes cashed in by creating Denali, which collects royalties and sells the key ingredient: the “Famous Moose Tracks Fudge.” Yet, some brands rebel and offer their own twist with a chosen animal. And the concept itself has widened beyond just vanilla base, that particular chocolate (a thick, proprietary fudge that doesn’t freeze solid) and the baby peanut butter cups. So, according to Google at least, “Tracks” has evolved into an industry shorthand for a specific textural experience: the contrast of a smooth base (and it doesn’t have to be vanilla), a hard candy (like a mini cup or nut) and a thick, rippled swirl. I haven’t tasted many of these tracks creations, but I have seen some interesting ones in my research. They seem to be a favorite of regional brands in particular, sometimes nodding to local wildlife or sporting team mascots. So let me know in the comments if you have a favorite Tracks flavor in your area. But back to Graeter’s. When it came time to create this flavor — introduced in 2023 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Flying Pig Marathon in Graeter’s home base of Cincinnati and release each April afterward — they decided to keep it simple with a nod to the original.

What I liked: Everything is done in typical high-quality Graeter’s fashion. You get little patches of their basic but delicious French Pot vanilla. Instead of their trademark thick chocolate pools, they use a more traditional fudge sauce that weaves its way more easily into the ice cream. Alone this would be fine, if boring vanilla fudge combo. It’s the third wheel that rolls in and makes this trifecta soar. I don’t know why more brands don’t use these tiny peanut butter cups. They instantly add a little crunch and that sweet-salty factor — and they aren’t the delicious dental hazard of a Ben & Jerry’s cup.

What could be better: I have complained a few times that Graeter’s leans so much on that chocolate, as good as it is. In this case, I wouldn’t have minded if they kept it instead of the runnier fudge sauce. The couple of times I tried official Moose Tracks, that fudge reminded me more of the soft, chewy pools that Graeter’s usually favors. But the classic fudge has merits, too. Beyond that? Should Graeter’s have done something more fun inside to match that name and whimsical pint design? While I’m glad they didn’t throw in bacon — though I’d appreciate the malice — perhaps something pink? A swirl of strawberry mud for the porkers to root around in (and give us that PB&J energy)? A single winged white chocolate piggy hiding in this delicious sty? That could even be something only found in 1 in 10 pints, to play off the competition vibe of the marathon.

How it compares: Alas, my Moose Tracks experience has been relegated to the fluffy bases of Safeway’s Signature Select so far. Their pint line is now half Moose Track variations. In addition to the serviceable strawberry and mint varieties I tried, they had the original, a chocolate, a brownie and one labeled Extreme! Those proprietary fudge tracks carry this duo, though the mint is superior because it has little mint cups, while you get bad, icy fruit in the strawberry one. I need to give the Private Selection version a try. 

Possible pairing: This would be great, as I had them, paired with the other current Graeter’s seasonal flavor, Strawberry Chip. Look for a review of that one later in the week (spoiler alert: It’s even better!).

Final thought: Graeter’s sweet-and-salty springtime ode to their city’s beloved marathon is nearly a podium-worthy classic. While I think it works beautifully as is, it is perhaps missing the victory lap of a unique mix-in that would carry it past the traditional Moose Tracks trifecta. Even some crunchy sprinkles — like the ones featured in Birthday Bash, but here pink and strawberry — could mimic the confetti flourish of the finish line. I’m not saying consuming an entire pint of Graeter’s is quite the athletic endeavor that the marathon entails. But in an ice cream multiverse in which an innovative flavor concept like Moose Tracks, born in service of independent creameries, now does the creative bidding of middling store brands, the simple joy of an ice cream like Graeter’s — and a classic combo executed through its bedrock of ice cream craft — can feel like a small win. And pigs aren’t even flying.

Score: 9.3/10

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PINT SNAPSHOT: Graeter’s Flying Pig Tracks

The Look: Vanilla base muddied with plenty of chocolate tracks
The Facts: 425g | 18% Butterfat | 1260 Calories (420 per 2/3 cup)
The Feel: Dense French Pot vanilla, thin fudge swirls, crunchy mini PB cups
The Theme: A twist on traditional Moose Tracks, in honor of a beloved marathon
The Flavor: A winning combo of sweet-salty peanut butter, vanilla and chocolate
The Verdict: A classic premium shows how to elevate a store-brand staple
The Score: 9.3/10