We Tasted (and Graded) Every Halo Top Flavor Available

By Ana Calderone

When it comes to the light ice cream, not every pint is created equal.

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Peaches & Cream

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: B Tasting Notes: Hello, summer in a pint. This fruity flavor is refreshing but definitely on the sweeter side. Our tasters were immediately reminded of the gummy peach rings you get at the candy store.  Want to taste it yourself? Stop by the Supermoon Bakehouse in N.Y.C. from May 31 to June 2 for Halo Top's summer pop up. They'll be passing out free tastes of their soft serve in flavors like Peaches and Cream, Peanut Butter Cup and Vanilla Bean for the first 150 guests.  Buy it! icecreamsource.com
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Candy Bar

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: A Tasting Notes: This pint really delivers on its name—it actually tastes like you're taking a bite out of a chocolate bar. The only qualm that came up with our testers was over whether it reminded us more of a Milky Way or Snickers.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com

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Cookie Dough

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: B+ Tasting Notes: Some tasters debated whether it was too sweet but the addition of what tastes like real cookie dough chunks (and a decent amount of them at that!) brought up the grade on this flavor significantly. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com
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Chocolate

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: C+ Tasting Notes: We were hopeful Halo Top could nail such a basic flavor, but when it came down to it, it's just not as good as the regular stuff. The taste is slightly bitter, like a "bad dark chocolate," one tester noted.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Vanilla Bean

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: A Tasting Notes: While we weren't thrilled with the plain chocolate, Halo Top redeemed itself with another classic flavor. It's icier than regular ice cream, but with no aftertaste and visible little specks of vanilla bean, we were thrilled with this pint of frozen goodness.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Birthday Cake

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: A- Tasting Notes: Naturally, you have to like birthday cake to appreciate this one, but if you do it's going to be your new favorite pint. One taster liked the creamy texture so much they went so far as to say that if you were doing a blind taste test, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and the full-fat stuff. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com
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Chocolate Covered Banana

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: C- Tasting Notes: Halo Top gets points for creativity here but the Laffy Taffy-like flavor was too artificial for our taste buds. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com

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Mint Chip

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: B+ Tasting Notes: Mint lovers were excited to dip their spoons into this pint, and it did not disappoint. It's not overpowering with mint flavor, though some tasters noticed a slight aftertaste. With a few more chocolate chips inside we would have awarded it an A. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Peanut Butter Cup

Halo Top Creamery
Grade: A Tasting Notes: The swirls of real peanut butter and creamy texture (one taster noted it was the most like real ice cream of all the pints) had everyone going back for seconds. It's one of the flavors with a higher calorie count, but it's worth the splurge. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com
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Cookies & Cream

Grade: B+ Tasting Notes: The texture is delightfully fluffy, but the lack of chunky cookies made us question the name. Calling it a black and white milkshake would be more appropriate. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Sea Salt Caramel

Grade: B- Tasting Notes: The overwhelming taste of butterscotch candies turned some tasters off immediately—but if sweet and salty is what you're after, then you've found your match. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Mochi Green Tea

Grade: D Tasting Notes: If you've ever wanted to know what it would taste like to eat a spa or a handful of incense, dig right in. Otherwise, keep moving down the aisle. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com
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Oatmeal Cookie

Grade: B Tasting Notes: The ambiguous taste reminded us of everything but the freshly baked treats your grandma used to make. One taster thought it rang so much like maple syrup that they declared, "It's like it's tapped straight from a tree." Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Strawberry

Grade: A Tasting Notes: We couldn't rave about this one enough. It's creamy, not chalky, and the flavor is not overly fruity. It even had one strawberry hater converted.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Chocolate Mocha Chip

Grade: C Tasting Notes: This one is less ice cream and more coffee Italian ice. The chalky taste had us all reaching for a glass of water after one lick.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com
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Red Velvet

Grade: C Tasting Notes: Even the color on this pint was offputting for some. The artificial sweetner is especially potent here, reminding us of what a Little Debbie dessert would taste like if you made it a "diet-friendly." Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Pistachio

Grade: B+ Tasting Notes: Don't expect a strong pistachio flavor, it's more mild than the regular stuff, but it still satisfied a serious pistachio lover. The taste is refreshing with a salty finish.   Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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S'mores

Grade: A Tasting Notes: We couldn't taste a trace of marshmallow—it's more like a vanilla ice cream—but tasters were still smitten with this campfire favorite. The graham cracker crumbs are a nice added crunch.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com
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Cinnamon Roll

Grade: D Tasting Notes: One spoonful is just about all our testers could handle of this ultra sweet flavor. It reminded us of Christmas time and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal—but not in a good way. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com

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Black Cherry

Grade: B- Tasting Notes: While our testers didn't think they'd pick this one up on the regular, we found the taste and texture to be surprisingly refreshing, like a fruity sorbet. It'd be perfect on a hot summer day.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Pancakes & Waffles

Grade: D Tasting Notes: Some foods are just not meant to be ice cream flavors. This overly sweet pint tasted like it was filled with an entire container of Log Cabin maple syrup—with no room for the pancake or waffle taste to shine through. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com
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Lemon Cake

Grade: B+ Tasting Notes: We went in with our spoons expecting a lemon sorbet taste, but were pleasantly surprised by how wrong we were. It's not as tart, but rather creamy and sweet, like a slice of lemon cake was blended right in. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com

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Rainbow Swirl

Grade: C Tasting Notes: The fake fruity flavors are very similar to those in rainbow sherbet. While the sugary taste wasn't for us, it's good for a pretty Instagram photo if nothing else.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com

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Chocolate Almond Crunch

Grade: C Tasting Notes: Despite such a simple concept, our testers thought this was the oddest flavor we tried. It tastes more like sweet cough syrup than chocolate, and the only almond flavor we noticed was because of the tiny pieces of nuts scattered inside.  Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! amazon.com
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Caramel Macchiato

Grade: B+ Tasting Notes: Starbucks lovers, this is for you! It truly tastes like a caramel macchiato, and without being too sweet. The subtle coffee finish also makes this one a winner. Want to taste it yourself? Buy it! icecreamsource.com
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