Graeter’s Bourbon Ball Ice Cream Review: So Good It Broke My Cover

Well, would you look at that, folks? It’s your exiled podcast co-host here, making a rare appearance before being whisked away to the secret holding location I’ve been at since March of 2024. I’m okay, but here’s some advice: folks in South Africa don’t have a sense of humor. Plus, they love ascots and craft whiskey. Put all that together and you won’t be surprised to learn that some folks wanted to talk to me.

So how did I make it to the surface to share words with you again, dear readers? After a year of searching and propelled by the news of a product that was ideally suited for me, Pops finally made contact earlier this month. The folks from Graeter’s ice cream had asked if we were interested in reviewing their new collaboration with New Riff Distilling. Having been the only Bourbon & Banter team member ever to review ice cream, he found me, and naturally, I was all for it.

Graeter’s Bourbon Ball French Pot Ice Cream is the brand’s first-ever alcohol-infused ice cream. Bourbon Ball Ice Cream combines Graeter’s signature French pot ice cream with the deep, rich notes of a specially selected New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon – and an irresistible crunch from whiskey-glazed pecans and dark chocolate chips.

First, what is French pot ice cream? According to Graeter’s, “Our traditional, and now unique, French Pot batch process is the only way to craft authentic ice cream.” Really? The ONLY way? When I was a kid on the back porch, I was hand-churning my father’s ice cream churn to help make his French vanilla ice cream, which was pretty authentic. Color me skeptical, Graeter’s.

The ice cream is made is 2½ gallon batches, which allows for a dense product with no added air. Small batch ice cream…great. Chocolate is then poured into the pot at the right moment so that it freezes into slabs, then is broken up by “ice cream artisans” to create the brand’s signature chocolate chips. F-A-N-C-Y!

When I was a kid on the back porch, I was hand-churning my father’s ice cream churn to help make his French vanilla ice cream, which was pretty authentic. Color me skeptical, Graeter’s.

Graeter’s is the same company that brought Skyline Chili ice cream to market. They’re based in Cincinnati, so the local tie-in is obvious, but the idea is one that has me running for the hills. Could someone who thought chili ice cream was a good idea actually be trusted? I didn’t taste the chili ice cream, but It’s like that Dijon mustard ice cream that’s out there somewhere, it just makes me say no.

So here we have perhaps the most judgmental team member of Bourbon & Banter, who has eaten more ice cream than most people alive and considers it one of his main food groups, knowing all this information before taking a bite. To say this ice cream had an uphill climb is an understatement.

Well, friends and neighbors, I must be honest, as I always am. This is perhaps the finest ice cream you will ever buy. I’m not exaggerating here, this stuff is phenomenal!

It all starts with a vanilla bean ice cream base with cinnamon and cloves that is exactly what Graeter’s says it is: dense, rich, and delicious. The small batch size that that is used to craft their product clearly makes the difference here. There are other “gourmet” ice creams that are very good, but nothing like this. Their batch size is the smallest in the market, and for once, I’d say the term “small batch” carries some meaning here.

This is perhaps the finest ice cream you will ever buy. I’m not exaggerating here, this stuff is phenomenal!

The chocolate chips, which are actual pieces, are also at another level. They’re not so hard that you almost break your teeth on them like they are in most ice creams. They’re supple, velvety, and fantastic. I’m not a huge fan of nuts in my ice cream, but these bourbon-glazed pecans are wonderful! If you were to stop there, you’d still have the best packaged ice cream I have ever eaten. But then there’s the bourbon.

I saved the bourbon for last because even with everything else being so incredible with this ice cream, Graeter’s has achieved what is often very difficult and what another whiskey ice cream on the market failed at (you know the one…). You can honestly taste the bourbon! You can tell that whiskey is in this, not just bourbon flavors. The true essence of the spirit is in every bite of this ice cream. It’s less than 0.5% ABV, but that tiny bit balances out the ice cream beautifully.

Now, with gourmet ice cream, as with gourmet anything, there’s the price. One store in St. Louis carries Graeter’s for around $9.00 a pint. There are shops in Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Indiana where it can be purchased directly. Then there’s mail order directly from Graeter’s, which starts at $84.95 for a 6-pint cooler, plus shipping.

Is it worth the price?

A RESOUNDING YES!!!

I’m the first one to call out overpriced whiskey, ice cream, donuts, etc…. This isn’t overpriced, it’s the cost for a superior product. That larger container of very good ice cream that you can get for a similar price is just that, very good. It’s not exceptionally superior, which Graeter’s is.

There’s also another factor that impacts price: Graeter’s ice cream, sorbets, cakes, pies and toppings are internationally kosher certifications from the Star-K Kosher Agency, with all Graeter’s ice creams certified Star-D. To qualify for Star-D certification, a product’s ingredients, plant equipment and manufacturing processes must be evaluated to ensure all requirements set by ancient Jewish dietary law are fulfilled. These requirements limit ingredients, process and equipment used for food manufacturing. That process isn’t cheap, folks.

I want to thank the folks at Graeter’s for reaching out and sharing this incredible ice cream with us. It’s the perfect thing to keep me going as I head back into exile.

Graeter’s Bourbon Ball French Pot Ice Cream hits the market on April 14, 2025. That is, if I don’t eat all of it before then!