How to Identify Ice Cream Flavors in Whisky

From the texture of a whisky's mouthfeel to the intentional use of casks, ice cream flavors abound in whisky

August 19, 2025 –––––– Jonny McCormick, , , ,

Welcome to sundae school, where we’ve got the scoop on identifying ice cream parlor flavors in whisky. Picture the first lick of a perfect vanilla scoop, a spoonful of affogato for a sophisticated after-dinner treat, or the joy of a sweet frozen dairy dessert coated with sprinkles, drizzled in hot fudge, and studded with cookie dough chunks, with swirls of whipped cream. Given the thousands of available scoop-shop flavors, arguably almost any ice cream or gelato flavor could turn up in a whisky tasting note, but when it’s found, the reviewer generally is not simply referring to a single flavor. Instead, the senses are being stimulated by a combination of mouthfeel, texture, creaminess, and strength in the whisky, while the taste buds are making multiple connections between different flavors and the brain is drawing on memories of past experiences.

When Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream was released in 2024, the secret to its creamy flavor was the combining of whiskies drawn from bourbon barrels and new oak casks. The latter were given an experimental toast to accentuate the vanillin notes from the oak.

Swapping the white jacket of the ice cream dipper for the white lab coat of the scientist, let’s put ice cream under the microscope. It’s a soft-solid frozen dairy food, containing ice crystals, air, emulsified fat globules, and sugar or other sweeteners, along with substances like proteins, salt, and polysaccharides. Once it’s been mixed, pasteurized, churned, and frozen, the intent is to deliver a serve with the right viscosity, flavor, and smoothness. Ice cream is a $75 billion global industry spanning artisanal cow-to-cone creations to mass-market soft serves churned out with much more whipped air and less butterfat.

Like whisky, ice cream is a complex matrix adept at carrying flavor. In whisky, mouthfeel is influenced by cask extractives such as oak tannins and vanillin. Toasting and charring oak casks can dial up the caramel, nutty, maple syrup, and chocolate ice cream flavors, while high-rye mashbills can sometimes evoke mint chocolate chip. Enjoyable childhood flavors lock in a lifetime of powerful memories.