Much like Publix Premium's Pumpkin Pie ice cream, the words limited edition and pumpkin pie were enough to convince me to introduce Turkey Hill to my taste buds. Fans of the blog have tried to talk me into bringing this brand on board for some time now, but now it's official. Fully illustrating what's to come inside, the outside of the carton is decorated with a slice of pie, a pumpkin patch, and a picture of the ice cream itself. At 170 calories per serving this seems to be a lighter option, much along the lines of Blue Bunny and other generic brands I've tried over the past few months.
While Publix Premium's Pumpkin Pie incorporated a whipped cream ribbon and pie crust pieces in their pumpkin pie flavored ice cream, Turkey Hill says the limited edition lid is hiding pumpkin ice cream with a cinnamon graham cracker swirl underneath. After removing the top, the base ice cream is a beautiful beige color with a darker patch of the swirl sneaking through to the top. The tiny tidbit of the graham cracker poking through the surface gave no inclination as to exactly how much was hiding underneath.
As I began to scoop some out into a bowl, the cinnamon graham cracker swirl was so concentrated that it had created a marble design against the pumpkin ice cream. I've always enjoyed the graham cracker swirls in a variety of flavors from Ben & Jerry's, but after seeing the amount inside Turkey Hill's Pumpkin Pie, this could easily surpass the competition. I collect some of the pumpkin ice cream on my spoon and take a sample. The first thing I notice is the consistency. Much like Blue Bell, the feel of Turkey Hill's ice cream is light and fluffy, but lacks the hated gummy texture that many non-super premium brands tend to have.
It's hard to concentrate on the consistency for too long, however, because my taste buds are instantly bombarded with pumpkin flavor. Strong notes of cinnamon and sugar combine with the pumpkin ice cream to create an overall taste that comes pretty close to that of actual pumpkin pie filling. This smooth base should be more than adequate to showcase these thick stripes of cinnamon graham cracker swirl. After a few bites of the base, I attack the ribbons with my spoon. Because of the firm, thick texture of the graham crackers, it takes some serious effort to break them apart. Loading my spoon up with a pile of pumpkin ice cream and the cinnamon swirl, I try the flavor the way Turkey Hill intended.
The dark color only gives slight hints of the strong cinnamon explosion to come. Packed firmly inside the ice cream, this swirl tastes nearly identical to slightly-pliable cinnamon Honey Maid Graham Crackers. Bite after bite of the combination creates a proficient pumpkin pie flavor that left me wanting a second bowl, a desire that I quickly gave in to. This limited edition offering provided a perfect introduction to the brand and secured a rather high ranking for a first impression. I'll be sure to keep a lookout for more of Turkey Hill's limited edition flavors, as well as catching up on some of their classics.
Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: A
