If Salt and Straw is the reigning champ of locally-produced ice cream—it receives the plaudits, the national press and has such a devoted fan base than even a triple shooting doesn’t stop customers from wanting to get back in line—then Red Wagon Creamery is the underdog that doesn’t even have a storefront in town (they're based in Eugene). It’s small batch, hand crafted stuff, all natural, local and organic when possible, fair trade when not. They buy their milk from a local dairy and pasteurize it themselves. It's family run. It has all the right credentials for an artisanal product—so what does it taste like?

Given a batch to sample recently, I found that all the varieties were deliciously rich and creamy, though not overly sweet, allowing the individual ingredients to shine. Cracking open the Oregon Mint Chip I was hit with the aroma of mint, as fresh as a herb garden, while the chocolate flakes were quite subtle but had a lovely crunch to them. Hail to the Bee is made from Clover honey with toffee and chocolate bits; what could end up a sickly mess had a remarkably clean and balanced taste. The Smoked Salted Caramel, meanwhile, hit home with an intense caramel flavor that was like chewing candy—though for some palates the salt may be too knocked back.

Red Wagon tends to play it straight when it comes to varieties—chocolate, vanilla, coffee, beet, and strawberries and cream round out the list. At $9 a tub it’s artisanally priced (the same as Salt and Straw) but, given the quality and ingredients, well worth the extra couple of bucks over the likes of Haagen-Dazs. Red Wagon Creamery, 55 West Broadway, Eugene, available from select Zupan’s, Food Front Cooperative Grocery and online here

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