Coffee talk: Lovers of latte and espresso ice creams, what are you favorites?

TL;DR: I’m starting a project to taste as many coffee ice creams as I can (including latte, espresso, tiramisu, etc.), so please help me out by sharing favorites in the comments, especially any under-the-radar picks.

About the project
I think most of us ice cream fanatics have a flavor we like to order when trying out a brand we found at the grocery store or a newly discovered scoop shop. For many, it’s chocolate or vanilla. For me it’s coffee. Of my top half-dozen flavors, it’s not as tricky to get right as cheesecake and easier to find than cherry (and I almost never see spumoni). I could go for caramel or peanut butter, too, but I think those are easy in comparison.

Coffee, on the other hand, offers just that extra little complexity and variance that lets the ice cream maker show off: Are they going for a light, milky latte, a deep, complex espresso or a middle-of-the-road, traditional coffee? There’s balance of flavor: How sweet or bitter will they lean? Choices can show personality or ingredient ethos: Does it feature beans from an artisan coffee shop (often in the brand’s hometown)?

While I love coffee-flavored sweets, I don’t care for basic coffee. Once in a while, I’ll get an espresso drink from a shop, but I can’t pretend to be knowledgeable about provenance of certain beans or any of that barista insight. But I do know (or at least enjoy) ice cream. If I’m ordering from a brand online, most will offer some sort of coffee flavor and I will inevitably include it.

Since I started sharing reviews here, I have wanted to do a coffee taste test. It’s just crazy how many are available — I don’t have the will or freezer space to do an expansive showdown in one, two or even three sittings. The only way to give it a proper consideration is to space it out. So I’m planning to post each week with reviews of at least a couple flavors. I have tasted many over the years, but there are still quite a few left to try. My plan is to taste everything anew if I can, whether it’s one I’ve had countless times (Häagen-Dazs) or just spotted (Ice Cream for Bear’s Bearista). Some brands have two or more variations (often one plain, one with a mix-in). I plan to group brands together once I can procure all variations. I’ll also include flavors that have a strong secondary coffee element, like Ben & Jerry’s tiramisu. I’ll include anything I can find locally (Portland, OR) or is feasible for me to get online. I don’t mind shipping, but can’t ship everything and those will have to be spaced out. Alas, there are some I can’t get either way. Maybe I can find some guest reviewers here to weigh in on those ones?

I admit in advance scores will tend to seem generous as I’m not often disappointed by coffee flavors, no matter the style or strength. My favorite is classic coffee with a medium flavor profile: I’m not sure anyone will be able to dethrone Häagen-Dazs, but we’ll see. I also love coffee shop variations — cafe au lait, latte, affogato — and mocha flavors. My least favorite: really strong espresso flavors, but even then I enjoy those once in a while. After I have hunted down everything I can, I will post a huge ranking. For anyone who’s interested in playing along as an excuse to enjoy some ice cream, I’ll include the next couple of weeks that I plan to do. Taste them if you can, and share your own reviews.

But right now I’m also curious to hear from my fellow coffee fans here, so please weigh in: What makes a good coffee ice cream? What is your favorite style? What are some of your go-to brands? Is there one you’ve always wanted to try?

WEEK 1: Graeter’s Mocha Chocolate Chip and Vienna Coffee (sometime next week)

WEEK 2: Jeni’s House Coffee and Cold Brew with Coconut Cream (Week of March 8)