[First half of 2025] Ice cream enthusiasts' choice! "Top 5 best ice creams"

What I really want to eat at this time of year is ice cream!

With new ice creams appearing one after another, it's interesting to know which ones are the tastiest. So we asked Appy, a self-proclaimed ice cream fanatic who says, "I've been chasing new ice creams for over a decade. I grew up in my youth with ice cream," about his "TOP 5 best ice creams for the first half of 2025."

In the ice cream industry, products are replaced quickly, and in fact, some products have already finished being sold out for this season. However, we would like to introduce these products to you with the hope that you will try them when they are re-released. Please keep this as a keepsake!

5th place: Morinaga Milk Industry's "Pino Kinako" suggested retail price 170 yen (excluding tax) / Release date April 28, 2025

Image: Appy

"Pino" is a long-selling ice cream that was released in 1976 and will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. Surprisingly, even in such a long history, there has never been a "kinako" flavor before.

The moment you open it, the aroma of soybean flour hits you, getting you excited.

Image: Appy

The outside is kinako brown sugar flavored chocolate made with Hokkaido kinako, and the inside is kinako flavored ice cream, making it a kinako-filled treat.

Image: Appy

With one bite, the smooth chocolate coating melts in your mouth, and the aroma of brown sugar syrup and the sweetness of kinako spread throughout your mouth.

The brown sugar syrup flavor of the chocolate coating is not too strong but is subtle. The taste of the soybean flour is incredibly rich, so it doesn't get overpowered by the brown sugar syrup.

Image: Appy

The ice cream inside has a smooth milky taste. It melts gently, but leaves a fragrant aftertaste.

Image: Appy

The perfect balance of brown sugar syrup and kinako will have you blowing your hat off! Just one piece is enough to leave you feeling satisfied.

4th place: Akagi "Frozen Dessert Rich Yogurt Flavor" 218 yen / Released on March 18, 2025 *Currently out of stock

Image: Appy

"Frozen Dessert Rich Yogurt Flavor" was sold exclusively at Family Mart (now no longer on sale).

When you hear "yogurt flavor," you might imagine something light, but this flavor not only has the word "rich" in it, but when you look at the "type" label it also says "ice cream," indicating that it has a high milk content.

*Ice cream is classified into four types according to the milk content: "ice cream," "ice milk," "lacto ice cream," and "frozen dessert." "Ice cream" is made with at least 15.0% milk solids, with at least 8.0% milk fat. "Ice milk" is made with at least 10.0% milk solids, with at least 3.0% milk fat, "lacto ice cream" is made with at least 3.0% milk solids, and "frozen dessert" is made with less than 3.0% milk solids or no milk solids.

Image: Appy

The first thing that stands out is the relatively small size, with a content volume of 85ml, which fits in the palm of your hand.

The ice cream does not contain any sauce and has a simple structure.

Image: Appy

When I took a bite, it melted in my mouth. It had the rich flavor of rich milk, but also the sourness of yogurt, giving it a "rich" taste like Greek yogurt. From the first bite, I nodded enthusiastically to the word "rich" in the product name.

Image: Appy

As the ice cream softens, it becomes denser and you can feel its weight through the spoon.

Image: Appy

Although it doesn't have the same viscosity as Turkish ice cream, the sticky, exquisite texture was impressive.

Image: Appy

Combined with a rich texture, it's small in size but extremely satisfying! With the perfect balance of yogurt's sourness and rich sweetness, it's sure to capture the hearts of even the most yogurt-loving people.

3rd place: Haagen-Dazs "Mini Cup SPOON CRUSH Overflowing Chocolate Rich Matcha" Suggested retail price 351 yen / Release date March 25, 2025 * Currently out of stock

Image: Appy

Häagen-Dazs' "SPOON CRUSH" is an experiential ice cream series that stimulates the five senses, first released in spring 2023. It took five years to develop, and it is a series that offers an amazing experience of cracking the chocolate on top and enjoying the sauce that overflows from inside.

It wasn't released in 2024, but it's finally back in 2025! There are two flavors, "Overflowing Berry Cookies & Cream" and "Overflowing Chocolate Rich Matcha," but we'll introduce the matcha flavor here (both have now finished shipping for this season).

When you open the lid, you'll find bitter chocolate on top, chocolate sauce underneath, and matcha ice cream.

Image: Appy

As recommended by Häagen-Dazs, take it out of the freezer and wait about 11 minutes, then when you break the chocolate with a spoon, a thick sauce will ooze out.

The ice cream has a refined taste, with a strong bitter and savory flavor of matcha.

Image: Appy

The chocolate sauce on top is sweet, but the strong flavor of the matcha is strong enough to stand up to it. The name "Strong Matcha" is a good fit.

Image: Appy

When it was sold in 2023, cocoa cookies were mixed into the matcha ice cream, but this time it is simply "matcha ice cream".

The texture is creamier and I was impressed with how simple yet still manages to fully enjoy the flavor of matcha!

2nd place: Chateraise "Barrel-aged wine gelato red Cabernet Sauvignon" 172 yen / Release date: May 26, 2025

Image: Appy

The name is "Barrel-Dried Wine Gelato Red Cabernet Sauvignon". *Please note that it contains alcohol (0.95%), so please be careful if you are a child or have low tolerance to alcohol.

This ice cream, which uses wine delivered directly from Chateraise's own winery, has become a hot topic. I was personally very impressed with this ice cream. This product was released in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, and will be available in limited quantities in 2025 (while stocks last).

There are red and white flavors, but this time we will introduce the red one.

When you open the lid, you'll see a calm pink gelato with no sauce or toppings, making it look simple.

Image: Appy

Last time it contained ruby chocolate, but this time it has been changed to white chocolate and mascarpone cheese has also been added.

When I put a spoon into it, it went in smoothly and easily. It felt soft even though it had just been taken out of the freezer.

When you bring the spoon close to your mouth, you will be greeted with the soft aroma of wine. When you put it in your mouth, it melts smoothly and the gorgeous aroma spreads, followed by a mellow sweetness. The aftertaste leaves a strong sense of alcohol and a deep flavor.

Image: Appy

I felt that the wine had a strong richness and mellow sweetness, allowing me to enjoy its elegant flavor even more.

Image: Appy

The texture, richness, and refined flavor of the wine...it was irresistibly rich, and although it had an alcohol content of less than 1%, it was a drink that would get you "intoxicated with deliciousness."

Wine ice cream is quite rare, so I hope many people will try it!

1st place: Lotte "The Chocolate Bar" 258 yen / Released on February 18, 2025 *Currently out of stock

Image: Appy

The top spot went to "Chocolate made with cocoa beans from Madagascar," which was sold in limited quantities at Family Mart (now out of stock).

When you open the package, you'll find a chocolate-coated ice cream bar.

Image: Appy

Looking at the product details, we can see that the chocolate is made using cocoa beans from Madagascar, which are generally characterized by a fruity, sour taste.

When you take a bite, the first thing you notice is the gorgeous aroma of cacao, followed by a pleasant fruity acidity and then the deep sweetness of chocolate.

Not only is it sweet, but the addition of a sour taste gives it a rich flavor, and it has an authentic feel that is hard to find in commercially available chocolate ice cream. As soon as I started to eat it, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"

Image: Appy

The texture is also unique. It's neither crunchy nor melty, but melts slowly and gently, like a thin layer of raw chocolate. It's slightly thick and melts and spreads slowly in your mouth, allowing you to fully enjoy the flavor of the chocolate itself.

The ice cream portion is rich. The sweet aroma and richness of the vanilla is perfectly matched with the sourness and depth of the chocolate, creating a well-balanced flavor.

I enjoyed the contrast between the chocolate and vanilla, and the more I ate it, the more I was drawn into the world of this ice cream bar!

Image: Appy

The price of 258 yen seems cheap, and that's what left the biggest impression on me. I want this to be a staple and be sold forever, and I want all chocolate lovers to try it!　 I sincerely hope it will be available again next year!

What did you think? I'm sure Appy's enthusiastic report made you want to try all of them. Even the products that are no longer on sale will surely be on sale again when the season comes around again (hopefully)! If you come across the ice creams introduced this time in a store, be sure to give them a try. (Written by ARNE Editorial Department)

*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Stock may vary by store. *Prices include tax.
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#Gourmet Check them all out!
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