I don't normally shop at Walgreens, but I recently decided to pay my local store a visit in the hopes of finding Ben & Jerry's Truffle Trifecta, an exclusive Walgreens offering. To my disappointment, Truffle Trifecta was nowhere to be found, but since I didn't want to leave empty-handed, I decided to invest in a pint of Walgreens own ice cream brand to see if it would be any good. Being a fan of caramel-based flavors, I was drawn to Caramel Overload, described on the pint as caramel ice cream with chocolate chips and caramel swirls.
Now you've got to hand it to the marketing folks over at Walgreens: The image on the packaging sure paints an enticing picture. I figured if the actual ice cream on the inside looked similar, we’d be in pretty decent shape.
When I first dug into the pint, I was pleasantly surprised. The ice cream sported a rich, caramel color, and you could already see a bunch of the chocolate chips peeking through. Unfortunately, I think this is one of those flavors that actually looks better than it tastes. That golden caramel coloring is really enticing when you first catch a glimpse of it, but there’s something notably artificial about the base itself. If I had to describe what it tastes like, I’d say “sweet.” I know—not a flavor, which is why this ice cream leaves me a little lost. And the swirls don’t really do much to enhance that caramel flavor; their sole purpose, from what I can gather, is to add a nice visual element to the ice cream.
The chocolate chips, on the other hand, are a definite winner, and they certainly work to redeem this flavor considerably. The chips are abundant and chunky, adding a nice textural element throughout the pint. And the fact that they’re bittersweet is a good thing because they work to offset the sugary assault of the base itself.
All in all, Caramel Overload is a decent and respectable offering from Walgreens, especially given the relatively low caloric value at hand. But as far as caramel flavors go, I've certainly had better.
Where Mo Found It: Walgreens
Mo's Grade: C
