Sherbet is usually something I stay far away from. The fruity impersonation of ice cream only contains somewhere between 1% and 2% butterfat, so naturally it can’t compete with some of the super-premium ice creams I’ve had. Last month though, Blue Bell caught my attention by offering bigger servings of their Orange Swirl: vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet. Only available in pint-sized portions prior to June, they were now putting this mixture of ice cream and sherbet in their patented half-gallon pails. Considering the warmth of the summer months is among us, I’ve been slightly more accepting of refreshing, fruit-based flavors. My heat-inspired open mindedness, coupled with the fact that pints of Blue Bell are available for less than two dollars, led me to pick up a pint of Orange Swirl.
This combination of premium vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet only comes in at 120 calories, which is much lower than any of the other Blue Bell flavors I’ve tried. After removing the gold-rimmed lid, the first layer shows evenly distributed swirls of both bases flowing across the first layer. Despite the lower calorie count, the mixture still manages to retain the same fluffy consistency of all their other flavors. The vanilla is simple, sweet and fairly rich considering the lightness. Blue Bell has always been able to do great things with their vanilla ice cream and this is no exception.
The pale orange sherbet manages to avoid an icy texture because of the small amount of butterfat blended in, but still feels much different than the vanilla. The citric flavors from the oranges are bright and can be a bit overwhelming when tasted independently. The crowning achievement for this flavor are the bites including an equal dose of both bases. The vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet come together to create a spot-on impersonation of the famous Dreamsicle, one of my childhood favorites. The creaminess of the vanilla is able to calm down the boldness of the orange to create this well-balanced summer treat. I ended up enjoying this one much more than I had originally thought possible, but it still can’t compete with some of their more involved offerings.
Where I Found It: Super Walmart
Grade: C
