Last August, Blue Bell set up a contest in order to reintroduce one of their popular flavors from the past. The voting lasted a month and contained 24 possible winners; some dating back as far as 1975. With nearly 30 years of ice cream expertise under their belts, there was no doubt that the front-runner would be worthy of a review. When the dust had settled and the votes had been counted, Caramel Turtle Cheesecake had received the most tallies. This recently resurrected flavor consists of a luscious cheesecake ice cream with chocolate-coated caramel turtles, roasted pecans, and cheesecake pieces with a chocolate cookie crust all surrounded by a smooth caramel sauce. With all those succulent sounding ingredients, as well as the first layer on display after I remove the lid, it’s obvious why this flavor took the top-spot.
Strawberry Cheesecake remains one of my favorite flavors from Blue Bell, but the assortment of chocolate, caramel and cheesecake components inside could easily catapult this latest release even higher. The 210 calories per serving is quickly confirmed as my scoop is impeded by the massive amount of mix-ins that are littered about. I fill my bowl to the brim and begin to analyze the Crankin’ Back the Clock grand champion. The cheesecake base is beige in color and incorporates a nice balance of sweetness and the natural tartness of cheesecake. Each bite begins with a steady influx of sugar that eventually fades away for a tangy cheesecake finish. The various-sized pieces of roasted pecans add a bit of crunch and some nutty flavoring; all the while providing the same experience as sprinkling chopped nuts over a slice of actual cake would. The smooth caramel sauce is thick, sticky and does its best impersonation of the caramel drizzle on top. Fortunately for us, we still haven’t reached the top two components of Caramel Turtle Cheesecake.
Blue Bell’s chocolate-dipped caramel turtles come in the form of these small, round bite-sized candies. The outer coating provides a rich taste of milk chocolate that slowly melts down to release its buttery caramel interior. While these could have easily been the star of any given flavor, Blue Bell wasn't finished. To ensure their success, they’ve also added a ton of these cheesecake pieces; complete with a chocolate cookie layer to act as the crust. The small, dense squares are absolutely bursting with authentic cheesecake flavor and quickly become one of my new favorite mix-ins. With a flavor like this winning the Crankin’ Back the Clock contest, I still have hope for humanity.
Where I Found It: Super Wal-Mart
Grade: A
