McConnell's - Hibiscus Lime

Hibiscus Lime - Hibiscus and Lime Ice Cream

The other day, I got a nice present from a relative who appreciates my ice cream hobby -- a shipment of the McConnell's Melting Pot Collection.  It is four limited-edition flavors for the end of summer -- all flavors are a bit exotic in nature.  The first flavor is Hibiscus Lime.  I have never seen hibiscus-flavored ice cream before.  I've never seen hibiscus flavored anything before.  My mother had a potted hibiscus plant in our backyard when I was a kid, but I never thought about eating it.  I guess it is a thing, though.  Part of the flower can be used to make a red-colored tea which has a tart cranberry-like flavor.  Places that serve crafty mixed drinks sometimes include hibiscus in their rotation of exotic ingredients, so it makes sense to extend that to ice cream.  Here, McConnell's adds a bit of citrus into the mix with the lime.  I am quite curious to check this out!

Since these pints were packed in dry ice for shipment, I always leave them out for an extra five minutes to let it soften.  Opening the pint, I see that the base has a chalky pink color.  It is an ice cream and not a sorbet so it won't be a bright red.  With the first spoonful, there is a strong berry flavor and it is a little bit tart.  I was trying to figure out exactly what kind of berry, but it is hard to place.  It reminded me a little bit of tart version of Izzy's Church Elderberry but more tart.  At any rate, it really is quite delicious.  I could sense the presence of lime, but its role here is a supporting one.  There are no mix-ins in this pint.

This was fun.  I enjoyed this new flavor.  The tartness built up a bit as I ate further down into the pint.  The end of the pint was still good, but this is perhaps a flavor enjoyed one large scoop at a time.  So, if you're in a McConnell's scoop shop in the next couple of months, then check this out.