Did someone say Spooningfest in SOMA?

Last Saturday afternoon, Loblolly Creamery hosted a spooning session at The Green Corner Store for patrons looking to sample some of its latest creations.

Armed with enhanced knowledge gained from a short hiatus to attend Ice Cream U, members of Little Rock’s artisan ice cream makers were looking to woo locals (and get feedback) with these new flavors : Better Than Ever Milk Chocolate, New & Improved Buttermilk, Banofee, Cherry & Gin Sorbet, Black Sesame Coconut, and Frappe.

The event was casual but well organized—as attendees came through the door they were allowed to grab a plastic spoon, “Spooning Form,” and small sample cups of the various flavors. The Loblolly crew feverishly doled out scoops to keep pace with the steady flow of tasters.

It was all a thing of beauty.

According to the “Spooning Form,” there is a proper way to taste ice cream. This includes: letting it sit for 5-10 minutes, doing a visual inspection, scraping a small amount of the ice cream and letting it hit your tongue first upon consumption, getting a “Mouth Feel,” bringing in the aroma, and finally…swallowing.

Did you get all that?

Yeah, I did none of it. When I see ice cream, everything other than shoveling it as fast as I can into my mouth absolutely escapes me.

In my opinion, two flavors, the Black Sesame Coconut and the Frappe, really stood out. I especially enjoyed the texture and flavor of the Frappe, an ice cream inundated with pulverized specs of coffee beans. I thought the Cherry & Gin Sorbet was fun and creative–bursting with cherry flavor and a subtle hint of gin, but unfortunately, was a little too icy.

I should also note that if you’re especially fond of buttermilk, you’ll love Loblolly’s New & Improved Buttermilk. It didn’t exactly fall under my taste preference (due to the tartness), but that’s not to say it wasn’t well-executed. It was…just like the entire event!