REVIEW: Ben & Jerry's Berry Voluntary (Target Exclusive)

Having been pleasantly surprised by all of Ben & Jerry's cheesecake flavors, I was interested to try the Target exclusive, raspberry cheesecake version. The thought of tart raspberries and bland bits of white chocolate don't have me too excited, but hopefully this can overcome my low expectations.

Scanning over the description of "Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with White Chocolately Chunks & Raspberry Swirls" I can't help but notice the lack of a graham cracker swirl typical of Ben & Jerry's other cheesecake creations. I really enjoyed the raspberry swirls in Blue Bunny I Do, I Do Wedding Cake, so perhaps that, as well as the addition of white chocolatey chunks, can provide enough assets to assist this flavor in avoiding the dreaded thumbs down.

The initial layer only shows slight signs of raspberry hiding under the surface. The violet swirls only become evident when the all-white cheesecake ice cream is peeled back. The white chocolate chunks camouflage well, the matte color giving away their identity. This particular cheesecake base leads with fruit. The raspberry comes through first, then finishes with a nice cheesecake flavor. It's a little tart, but otherwise, rather unexciting. I can already tell this is going to be the crummiest of any of the cheesecake options I've tried so far.

The swirl reminds me of sour preserves, adding strong notes of raspberry. The white chocolate chunks were scarce, but when scooped up, they added some texture as well as that unique taste of white chocolate. When I let them slowly melt away in my mouth, they were much more enjoyable than attempting to chew them while they were still partially frozen.

Not that a graham cracker swirl would have been able to save this one, but why wasn't it included? It would have added a satisfying texture, as well as a bit of variation in taste. All in all, this one just didn't do it for me. Everything was just a bit too bland. Luckily I wasn't expecting a huge success, because I certainly didn't get one.

Where I Found It: Super Target
Grade: C