It didn't take very long before I had blown through all the Blue Bell pints in my area, but this recently surfaced between some of the familiar faces. Typically only offered in half gallon tubs, I jumped at the opportunity to pick up this smaller container. Wearing similar garb to that of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough I almost looked right over it.
Moo-llennium Crunch isn't a seasonal, exclusive or limited offering, but it's certainly not one that reveals itself regularly either. The name is clever enough. And something about that gold rimmed lid leads me to believe there's some moo-llennium magic to be found under that top. This year-round flavor is described as, "Classic Vanilla ice cream with a combination of dark chocolate chunks, creamy caramel chunks, roasted pecan halves, chopped almonds and walnut pieces." After getting rid of the gold lid, I'm left looking at a pretty simple looking layer of vanilla ice cream with small mix-ins strewn about.
The tried and true vanilla ice cream Blue Bell uses remains first-rate. It's light and fluffy, lacking the density of other super-premium ice cream producers, but still more than capable of getting the job done. It's subtle and mild, avoiding the too sweet sensation you get with some vanillas. The layers peel back with ease, only snagging on some of the super-sized pieces of nuts. The chocolate and caramel pieces are pitiful, but the almonds, pecans and walnuts were whoppers.
The pieces were just big enough to allow you to decipher the different types of nuts in each bite. Blue Bell attempted to make up with the lack of size with the frequency in which you find them. Of the five mix-ins involved, two to three were included in every spoonful. The taste was reminiscent of the last few melted bits of a classic hot-fudge sundae using vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel syrup and chopped nuts.
After a few bites I was already bored. The tiny chopped nuts, little pieces of chocolate with a subtle vanilla base just lack the complexity to keep my attention. I had high hopes after reading the description, but I'm glad I didn't invest in the half gallon size after finishing this pint.
Where I Found It: BI-LO
Grade: F
