Ben & Jerry's Blueberry Cheesecake had been my first cheesecake ice cream experience and I still have a hankering for the exclusive flavor from time to time so I was excited to see Private Selection had rolled out this new offering, Maine Blueberry Cheesecake. Described as flaky pieces of crust and blueberries folded into blueberry cheesecake ice cream swirled with blueberry sauce, this has a much more impressive sounding ingredient list. The Ben & Jerry's version had utilized separate blueberry and cheesecake base ice creams with their patented graham crackers swirl.
The dark splotch of blueberry sauce in the background above was the only hint at the excitement going on below the surface of the pastel-purple base. Maine Blueberry Cheesecake comes in at 210 calories per serving, but is so loaded with mix-ins that this still seems a small price to pay. As I fill my bowl, the denseness of the flavors from Private Selection are the ideal combination of fluffy, but still substantial. I can hardly concentrate on the consistency with the flowing rivers of blueberry sauce and sizable pieces of pie crust that I continue to uncover.
Looking at my bowl full of Maine Blueberry Cheesecake, this is one of the most impressive looking ice creams I've come across. The swirl is so incredibly thick that it reminds me of the thick jam included in Jeni's Brambleberry Crisp. The light purple ice cream leads with the taste of slightly tart blueberries, but brings some serious sweetness on the back end in order to balance out the bite of the berries. After a few bites it's evident that Private Selection has erred on the side of caution when it comes to the taste of cheesecake. Seeing as how I usually enjoy ice creams that allow the taste of cheesecake to come through strongly, I was a bit disappointed to find this aspect nearly non-existant.
Fortunately, as the ice cream broke down in my mouth, the consistency was strikingly similar to that of authentic cheesecake. This blueberry cheesecake base also leaves some of the skins behind to add texture. Much like they did with their Southern Recipe Banana Cream Pie flavor, they throw caution to the wind when it comes to their swirls. The blueberry sauce brings with it an intense blueberry tartness, as well as an amazing textural aspect. Despite being surrounded by frozen ice cream, the swirl is able to remain in a slightly liquid-like state. When a large helping of the sauce is combined with the blueberry cheesecake ice cream, it borders on being too tart, so hopefully the pie crust pieces can add some sweetness, as well as texture.
Similarly shaped to the cheesecake chunks in Blue Bell's Strawberry Cheesecake, these simple slivers of pie crust aren't quite as impressive in the taste department. Private Selection attempts to make up for the lack of cheesecake taste in the base ice cream by including an authentic crust. These were soft and flaky, but didn't add much as far as flavor is concerned. Although it was a valiant effort, even the impressive mix-ins couldn't bring this above this blog's standards. I'd stick to Blue Bell or Ben & Jerry's when looking for a blueberry cheesecake fix.
Where I Found It: Kroger
Grade: D
