Although I rarely pass on the opportunity to review a limited edition flavor, Edy's Black Raspberry had been one of the exceptions. I hadn't seen it in a while, but after wandering through the freezer section, I managed to uncover a leftover carton hiding behind some containers of their seasonal Egg Nog. After confirming the expiration date hadn't come and gone, I headed towards checkout. I had first encountered Edy's Black Raspberry prior to having tried Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip from both Talenti and Graeter's. After discovering the pleasant freshness of a black raspberry flavor in the form of super-premium ice cream and gelato, even more so when combined with chocolate, I'm open to the idea of Edy's much lighter option.
The consistency of Edy's isn't the best, but this base-only ice cream is too intriguing to pass up a second time, especially seeing as how there aren't many new or limited options available at this time of year. Ironically enough, I tend to enjoy the flavors that I typically avoid more often than not, so hopefully this won't be a disappointment. With a mere 130 calories per serving, this is one of the lightest ice creams I've covered. The soft, fluffy ice cream transfers easily from the carton to a bowl and shares the same mauve coloring as the other black raspberry flavors I've seen.
As usual, Edy's teeters on falling into the lower tier of ice cream due to the subpar density. Although this isn't quite on the level of frozen dairy dessert, it's not that much more substantial either. The lilac colored base melts away quickly, but luckily the taste helps smooth things over. Even though each bite doesn't linger around for long, Edy's has managed to create a pleasant mixture of sweet cream and the distinguishable taste of black raspberries. Leaving out nearly all of the tartness you'd typically associate with berries, the sweetness makes this base-only offering extremely easy to eat. By not including any mix-ins, Edy's immediately puts themselves at a bit of a disadvantage in comparison to the other black raspberry flavors, but considering the mediocre consistency, I'm not sure it would have mattered.
Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: C
Much like I did with the base-only Dreamy Vanilla Cream from Front Porch, I added my own mix-in to enhance the black raspberry ice cream. My choice? Chocolate cake with a raspberry cream glaze.
