Review: The Udder Guy's "Wild Blackberry" Ice Cream

Back when we tried The Udder Guy's Roasted Coconut flavour, we were so impressed that we couldn't wait to sample another one of these locally-made concoctions. But what to choose? I was leaning heavily toward the coffee flavour, but J and I decided to go for the Wild Blackberry flavour, as it seems even more local, and at the time of our tasting the last blackberries were still just barely pickable (and J made sure to sample them from the bush by our driveway whenever she had the opportunity).

That little anecdote should give you some idea of how long ago we actually tested this ice cream! OK, so this review has been many months in the making, and the blackberry bushes now would be lucky to even have any leaves on them, but time has not altered out opinion of this Cowichan Bay product!

Do not adjust your monitor! Yes, this is exactly how pale this ice cream was: almost grey. We were really hoping for a bit more colour, to give this ice cream a real punch, but it looks about as exciting as the DMV. The colour problem is really due to not enough fruit, and unfortunately this problem persisted to the flavour of the ice cream as well.

The Udder Guy, we are disappointed! When we read "Wild Blackberry" on the label, we expected to find more than one or two in our bowls! Yes, fruit is expensive, and wild blackberries, or blackberries or any variety really, would be difficult to procure in bulk. But this ice cream also carries a premium price tag, and one expects a flavour to match. Instead we got a flavour that actually tasted more like blueberry than blackberry. And even then, it was more like "blueberry flavour" than actual blueberries. If you've ever gotten Special K blueberry flavour, or had granola with little dried blueberries in it....that is what this tastes like. Again, we were really disappointed.

In order to compete with brands like Haagen Dazs - which it does in this market, as it shares a similar container size and price - the quality has to be the same, if not better. The Roasted Coconut flavour was bomb, but this really falls flat. Rather than capturing the essence of Vancouver Island blackberries, this product, in both colour and flavour, makes you feel more like you're eating blueberry wallpaper paste.

Recommend to a friend? Not sure who would enjoy this. Maybe people who like really bland things...
Repurchase? No