REVIEW: Reese’s Peanut Butter Sandwich and Reese’s Peanut Butter Light Ice Cream

Reese's Peanut Butter Sandwich Box

Let me start this review by saying I absolutely love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Has been, and always will be my favorite candy. I just can’t get enough of that amazing chocolate and peanut butter combo. I’m usually shocked when I find out someone doesn’t like them. Case in point: I joke that the only flaw of my boss is she doesn’t love Reese’s. All this said, I was super excited to find out Reese’s is releasing a new line of frozen treats.

Reese' Peanut Butter Sandwich Wafer Top

The first item I tried was the Reese’s Peanut Butter Sandwich. It’s described as “peanut butter frozen dairy dessert filling with a signature Reese’s peanut butter swirl packed between two chocolate wafers.” Upon opening, the sandwich was about the size of my palm – enough to be satisfying without overdoing it. The chocolate wafer portion was thinner than I expected.

Middle of the Reese's Peanut Butter Sandwich showing side view of wafers and ice cream

Interestingly, on first bite, it actually had a hint of coffee flavor, which I think came from the chocolate. Further tasting brought no more coffee, just chocolate. The sandwich does have more of a peanut butter taste, though. To me, that’s the main reason this does not taste exactly like a Reese’s – the candy gives a pretty even chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio. Here, the focus is on the peanut butter. If you want a Reese’s, this isn’t quite it, but it still proves to be a delicious treat.

The peanut butter swirls in the ice cream were amazing, but I just wish there were more of them. They added a nice texture, especially since the wafers were so thin. And the ice cream itself felt light and sweet.

All in all, I thought this was good and something I’d eat again. Here’s a quote from my three-year-old, a budding opinionated reviewer himself: “It’s good, like Reese’s peanut butter.” Ah, the wise words of the young!

Reese's Light Ice Cream Tub

The next treat we tried was the Reese’s Peanut Butter Light Ice Cream. This one is “light peanut butter ice cream with chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a Reese’s peanut butter swirl.” Now THIS is what we’re talking about if you want a dessert that tastes more like the candy. I was thrilled to see this one had pieces of the cups loaded inside. (Although I did get worried when I first took off the lid – the ice cream was so smooth at the top with no chunks in sight. Alas, they were there when I dug in. Phew!)

Top of Reese's Light Ice Cream tub. Digging in reveals the Reese's cup chunks and peanut butter swirls

Once again, the peanut butter swirls were a big positive and an excellent addition to the peanut butter ice cream. I would think both the sandwiches and the ice cream use the same ice cream base, but for some reason this one had a stronger peanut butter taste AND smell. Not complaining! The amount of candy chunks per spoonful was definitely acceptable. I’d happily eat this ice cream all year round, even in the chilly winter of the Midwest where I live.

Reese's Light Ice Cream in a bowl

If you’re a Reese’s fan, I recommend you give these a try. They are nice additions to the Reese’s product lineup!

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Reese’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: Four sandwiches (Sandwich) and 1.5 quart (Light Ice Cream)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sandwich), 9 out of 10 (Light Ice Cream)
Nutrition Facts: Reese’s Peanut Butter Sandwich (One sandwich, 81 grams) 240 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 20 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of protein. Reese’s Peanut Butter Light Ice Cream (2/3 cup) 230 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 24 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

SPOTTED (SEASONAL EDITION): 1/27/2023

Here are some new seasonal products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Cadbury Rainbow Mini Eggs
Cadbury Rainbow Mini Eggs

(Spotted by Allison H at Target.)

Strawberry Cookie Dough Bites
Strawberry Cookie Dough Bites

(Spotted by Robbie at CVS.)

Clever Candy You Make My Heart Pop I Love Our Friend Chip and Happy Valentine s Day Bars
Clever Candy You Make My Heart Pop, I Love Our Friend-Chip, and Happy Valentine’s Day Bars

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

Moodibars Smitten Strawberry Champagne Romantic Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Love Red Velvet Bars
Moodibars Smitten Strawberry Champagne, Romantic Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, and Love Red Velvet Bars

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

Jelly Belly Gimme some Sugar Greeting Card
Jelly Belly Gimme some Sugar Greeting Card

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

The Modern Gourmet You Bake Me Happy Baking Kit
The Modern Gourmet You Bake Me Happy Baking Kit

(Spotted by Robbie at Ross.)

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts and Valentine Collection
Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts and Valentine Collection

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

Niagara Chocolates Dark Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups and Double Chocolate Frosting Cups
Niagara Chocolates Dark Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups and Double Chocolate Frosting Cups
Niagara Chocolates Snickerdoodle Cookie Clusters
Niagara Chocolates Snickerdoodle Cookie Clusters
Niagara Chocolates Dark Chocolate Fondue
Niagara Chocolates Dark Chocolate Fondue

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

Joffrey s Disney Mickey  Minnie Be Mine Brew
Joffrey’s Disney Mickey & Minnie Be Mine Brew

(Spotted by Robbie at Home Goods.)

Favorite Day Conversation Hearts Candy
Favorite Day Conversation Hearts Candy

(Spotted by Allison H at Target.)

Valentine Treats 12 Swirl Pops and 12 Jelly Pops
Valentine Treats 12 Swirl Pops and 12 Jelly Pops

(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)

Favorite Day Bakery Hand Decorated Crispy Bar
Favorite Day Bakery Hand Decorated Crispy Bar

(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

REVIEW: Red Bull Blue Edition Ocean Blast Energy Drink (Japan)

Red Bull Blue Edition Ocean Blast Energy Drink Can

Blue Edition?

I know Red Bull is supposed to give you wings, but I think Red Bull Japan was a different kind of high when it named this energy drink. You see, this Red Bull Ocean Blast is lychee flavored, and nothing about the fruit brings blue to mind.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, it looks like a strawberry covered with outies, and under that red skin is a white, sweet, and slightly floral flesh that I will rip off with abandon because it’s delicious. Under the flesh is a dark brown seed that annoys me when they’re too big because that almost always means less of that succulent fruit flesh.

Note that of all the colors I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I didn’t mention blue. So it’s a bit confusing that this is the Blue Edition. Look, I get it. The blue relates to the Ocean Blast name. But Red Bull has a long history of pairing whatever Edition color with a fruit that’s actually that color. Here in the US, Watermelon is the Red Edition, Tropical is the Yellow Edition, and Blueberry is the Blue Edition. In Japan, the Purple Edition is grape, the Ruby Edition is mangosteen, and the White Edition is white peach.

Well, at least the color of the beverage itself reminds me of what’s under a lychee’s skin.

Red Bull Blue Edition Ocean Blast Energy Drink Glass with Cloudy Liquid

Odd naming aside, this Red Bull has flown up to the top of my favorite Red Bull flavor list. Although, I might be a bit bias because lychee is my favorite fruit in the whole wide world. Opening the can brought out an aroma that’s similar to what rises from a freshly peeled lychee. Its flavor wavers between a sweet lychee and a slightly tart overripe one. I guess it’s hard to fully hide the flavors of the underlying Red Bull. The aftertaste that lingers in my mouth is like what flavors remain in my mouth after eating lychee. From beginning to end, it’s a wonderful experience, if you’re into the fruit as much as I am.

While I love this flavor, it might be awhile before I’m able to drink it again since it’s only available in Japan at the moment. If you happen to see it at a Japanese grocer in the US, I’d definitely recommend picking it up. If you want to buy it from one of the many online Japanese snack shops based in Japan, expect to pay a lot for quick shipping or to wait a lot if you decide to get it shipped via the cheapest option (I waited two months for mine, and I’m closer to Japan than 99 percent of y’all).

But I want more people to try this and I want to drink it regularly. So this is my plea to the powers that be to bring a lychee-flavored Red Bull to the States. I don’t care what color or season Edition it becomes. Even if it’s the Brown Edition, just make it happen.

Purchased Price: $5.99 (plus shipping)
Size: 250 ml can
Purchased at: NapaJapan
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (100 ml) 45 kcal, 0 grams of fat, 0.14 grams of sodium, 10.7 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and 32 milligrams of caffeine.

SPOTTED: 1/26/2023

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Trader Joe s Maple Pancake Flavored Puffs
Trader Joe’s Maple Pancake Flavored Puffs

(Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe’s.)

Great Value Birthday Cake Granola
Great Value Birthday Cake Granola

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Herr s Jalapeno Cheddar Mini Pub Style Pretzels
Herr’s Jalapeno Cheddar Mini Pub Style Pretzels

(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)

Herr s Honey Mustard Mini Pub Style Pretels
Herr’s Honey Mustard Mini Pub Style Pretels

(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)

RXBar Original Protein Granola
RXBar Original Protein Granola

(Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)

Open Nature Cinnamon Bun Granola
Open Nature Cinnamon Bun Granola

(Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)

Happy Mama Classic Tiramisu in a Jar
Happy Mama Classic Tiramisu in a Jar
Happy Mama Sicilian Canolli in a Jar and Tuscan Chocolate Pudding in a Jar
Happy Mama Sicilian Cannoli in a Jar and Tuscan Chocolate Pudding in a Jar
Happy Mama Italian Cheese cake in a Jar and Italian Chocolate  Vanilla Cake in a Jar
Happy Mama Italian Cheese cake in a Jar and Italian Chocolate & Vanilla Cake in a Jar

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

Happy Mama Cherry  Chocolate Spread
Happy Mama Cherry & Chocolate Spread
Happy Mama Peach  Chocolate and Apricot  Chocolate Spreads
Happy Mama Peach & Chocolate and Apricot & Chocolate Spreads
Happy Mama Strawberry  Chocolate and Pear  Chocolate Spreads
Happy Mama Strawberry & Chocolate and Pear & Chocolate Spreads

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)