Ben & Jerry's Clusterfluff Now known as What a Cluster An Ice Cream Review

[New for 2011, left after 2014]

I'm so excited, that I need to start with this:

Do I like it? YES!

Do I love it? YES!

Was it love at first bite? OH YEAH!

Sorry, I don't mean to be melodramatic, but I've adored "fluffernutters" since I was a kid and now Ben & Jerry's has come out with the ultimate tribute to the wonderful mixture of Peanut Butter & Marshmallow. For reference, local company Brigham's did introduce a fluffernutter ice cream five years ago, but unfortunately the flavor disappeared long before I ever noticed it.

Sorry Jimmy Fallon, but at the moment, I dub this the best new flavor of 2011!

Ben & Jerry's Clusterfluff >> What A Cluster Ice Cream

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Caramel Cluster Pieces,

Marshmallow Swirls & Peanut Butter Swirls

Notice how they've "fluffed" up the packaging. Now maybe I'm a little biased because I adore PB&M in sandwiches and crackers, but to me, this is the flavor to beat. Clusterfluff is the mighty combo of Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Caramel Cluster Pieces, Marshmallow Swirls & Peanut Buttery Swirls.

A freshly opened container

Let me say it right off the bat that the star here is the Peanut Buttery swirls. I started my eating adventure as soon as I got in the car so the swirls were still cold and fairly solid. They remind me very much of the salty PB swirls that I love in Turkey Hill's Peanut Butter Cup. Now I didn't taste the marshmallow directly at first, which you may think is a bad thing, but don't fret. Instead the marshmallow takes a back seat and builds up the PB&M vibe that grows with every bite. It's epic really. Man, I'm so excited, I feel like a kid again. It's unique products like these that keep me blogging.

The caramel cluster pieces vary in size but many are small. Look at the picture above and you will see that they are literally everywhere. I got at least one in every bite and sometimes 2 or 3. They are somewhat crunchy but I felt like they were more of a thud than a pure crunch. In fact, the peanut butter flavor is so strong that I couldn't even really pick up on a caramel taste. Part of me is tempted to say that you don't even need these cluster bits, but the other part worries that a crunchless version would lose that fluffernutter vibe.

Is there anything I don't love? Well, this flavor comes in at a whopping *320* calories and a mighty 7 grams of protein per serving! Guess what? I don't care about the calories because this is such a rich and sweet treat that a single serving filled me up. I didn't want to stop, but another bite would have pushed me over the edge. Take my advice here, you have to go real slow on this one and just enjoy every small bite. This is a mighty treat and it needs to be savored. Awesome job Ben & Jerry's!

Geez, I was talking to a friend and realized the only catch here would be if you don't like peanut butter and marshmallow! Well, maybe this will make you a convert, go give it a try!

On Second Scoop: Now that my belly is once again full of clusterfluff (mmmmm, mid morning snack), let me say it again that I love this flavor. I expect my peanut butter flavored base to have a bit of peanut butter grit to it and they succeed. The included cluster bits add a nice subtle crunch to the whole thing. To finish it off the marshmallow sits in the back and pushes you towards the sweet joy that is peanut butter & marshmallow (fluffernutter!). I think you could probably bump the marshmallow content up a little bit just so the flavor was a little stronger, but you'd have to be careful because we're dealing with a flavor that is already very sweet and sugary. This flavor even has an awesome lingering aftertaste that is calling me to go finish off the pint... so so so tempted to finish off the pint right now.

The Final Scoop: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, It's gone, all gone.... what will I do without my daily fix?? Stuck on a dessert island with just three flavors? Milk & Cookies, Clusterfluff, and.... hmmm, not sure which chocolate flavor to bring... flourless chocolate cake maybe?

Update: As of the end of June 2011, Ben & Jerry's has renamed Clusterfluff to What a Cluster. Yes, they've gone from a risque name to a terrible name. I know they change the names to be more meaningful sometimes, but this was obviously a response to negative feedback from consumers. I get trying to be cute, but try explaining the name to a little kid. --- note that this may have been a trademark issue with fluff, and not so much a foul language thing.

2014 Update: the news of What a Cluster's demise has been greatly exaggerated. It is still very much alive (though it has not transitioned to the new Non-GMO packaging yet). We will keep an eye on it though just to be safe.

2015 Update: Sorry, it's now officially cancelled.

Verdict?  AWESOME
Buy Again?  YES