By Ken Hoffman

This week I reached out for a pint of John Lennon Imagine Whirled Peace ice cream, new from the flower-power flavor makers at Ben & Jerry’s.

On the label, it says: “When Ben & Jerry’s wanted to talk about peace, we couldn’t think of a better person to exemplify the message than John Lennon. Through his art and lyrics he imagined a world without war and asked us all to ‘Give Peace a Chance.’ We hope this whirly mixture of toffee cookies and fudge peace signs enlightens your bellies and souls and makes you ask what you can do to promote peace in your lives.”

Imagine Whirled Peace, inspired by the former Beatle’s Top 10 solo hit “Imagine,” not only delivers a message of peace and love, it’s packed with tasty fudge bits and cookie crumbles. It’s got a good beat, you can dance to it and it’s delicious. I give it a 95. It’s the coolest ice cream in the freezer.

Here’s the blueprint: caramel and sweet-cream ice creams blended with fudge peace signs and toffee cookie pieces.

Total calories: 270 (per scoop). Fat grams: 16. Dietary fiber: 0 grams. Carbs: 28 grams. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $4 for a pint.

Four bucks is convenience-store pricing, however. It’s usually a little cheaper in supermarkets, and a whole lot cheaper if you wait for Ben & Jerry’s to go on sale.

John Lennon Imagine Whirled Peace is one of those ideas that makes you wonder what took ‘em so long. Lennon’s anti-war efforts fit hand in hand with Ben & Jerry’s corporate philosophy of peace, love and butter pecan.

This ice cream is not for everybody. Once again, Ben & Jerry’s is jamming its politics — and toffee cookies — down the public’sc’s throat. Some conservative hard-liners might have trouble swallowing the symbolism of chocolate peace signs.

Me? I’m the biggest Beatles — and Lennon in particular —— fan in the world, so bring on Imagine Whirled Peace ice cream. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Remember how you used to read the album cover while you listened to a record the first time? With this ice cream, you’ll read the pint container while enjoying dessert.

John Lennon Imagine Whirled Peace has the official seal of approval from Yoko Ono and the John Lennon Estate. Each pint bears a cartoon self-portrait of John and a facsimile of his autograph. Beatles fans will eat this stuff up. They’ll like the ice cream, too.

Republicans and Democrats alike, if they put their politics aside, will dig this flavor. It’s Ben & Jerry’s — really good ice cream. Itt’s heavy, like John’s first solo album, “Plastic Ono Band.” The flavors are big and loud, like the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Caramel and sweet-cream ice creams harmonize perfectly, while the chocolate and toffee-crunch mix-ins make this flavor a pick hit to click.

This is not the first time Ben & Jerry’s has honored a rock star or song with a frozen dessert. Cherry Garcia, named for Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, is one of Ben & Jerry’s all-time biggest smashes. Then there’s Phish Food, Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies, Wavy Gravy, Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler and Bohemian Raspberry (honoring Queen).

And it’s not the first time that Yoko has OK’d products bearing John Lennon’s name and likeness. There are Converse John Lennon sneakers, and ties and T-shirts, and even bed linens for baby.

It’s a shame that Ben & Jerry’s hasn’t immortalized Lennon’s writing partner Paul McCartney with an ice-cream flavor, too. That should have been done, like, “Yesterday.”

Mixing politics and business usually is risky business. No matter what position a company takes, it’s going to alienate roughly half of its potential customers. But Ben & Jerry’s is known for sticking its neck out.

Besides, if you don’t like spooning with the peace sign, Ben & Jerry’s has three more new flavors: ONE Cheesecake Brownie, Cake Batter and Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt. None of them has an (R) or a (D) next to it.

Ken Hoffman’s syndicted column appears Wednesday.