Sam's Choice Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream

So, is everybody having fun watching the freezer aisles mix in all the new 2014 stuff? Some stores are a little more energetic than others, and one store that's gotten pretty creative is Walmart actually. In my store, the entire last freezer door is now their fancy section. They've got a few shelves of Talenti, they've got a shelf of the new Breyer's gelato, and they have a whole bunch of new Sam's Choice Ice Cream Quarts (and a few froyos and a sorbet). It's a respectable selection of some standard ice creams but there are three that really stand out: Coffee & Donuts, Blackberry Crumble, and the one I choose first:

Sam's Choice Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream

White chocolate flavored ice cream with pieces of cheesecake and raspberry swirls

I remove the plastic seal and this one looks great, it really does. 

Tons of swirl, lots of cake crumbs in the base....

and a huge chunk of cheesecake. How can you not aim for that cheesecake hunk first? I scoop it up and I'm not getting a ton of cheesecake flavor from it, and in fact, I'm not getting much of a white chocolate vibe either. I take a few more bites and I seem to be getting a bit of swirl funk that's pervading into everything else. Well, not funk, but maybe a little tartness or tang maybe?

Ok, step back for a secoond here. This isn't terrible, I'm not saying that, but of the four words in the title, I only really pick up on one of them. Granted, white chocolate is hard to replicate in ice cream, but I did expect more of a cheezy kick. Instead the raspberry seems to be the main player here, and it's not a straight raspberry flavor either, it's more like the sauce you might find in a raspberry danish.

Ok, I just chowed down on about 4 cheesecake bits and they aren't bad at all. There is a mild sweetness to them, and a mild cheesecake flavor is there. They aren't crunchy or stall, not oily or gooey, instead they are fairly dense. Hmmm, will I get more cheesecake flavor from the base now? Ahhhh, maybe a smidge, but it's fading as the swirl funk comes back. [note: I let one of the cheesecake bites sit out and once it got soft, it became full on cheesecake flavor going on]

On Second Scoop: I know I was complaining, and in my defense, the flavors aren't lining up with the name like you might expect from a fancy looking ice cream, but that said, there is a certain intrigue with this ice cream that has me going back for more. I'm curious what others will think, will they call the base flat, or will they call it subtle? Will you pick up the cheesecake flavor more than I do? Will you scoop and think "whoa, this is pretty mature for a store brand"? Let me know!

Verdict?  be not afraid (but be realistic)
Buy this brand again?  sure