Chalky, but still more milky than most other protein drinks out there. There’s a sharpness to the cocoa that feels just a tad off, but all things considered, it's a fairly decent tasting protein-enriched chocolate milk.
Weetabix On the Go Chocolate
Plenty of grit, plenty of other reasons to never drink this again. No sweetness, no cocoa, no salt, moderate cream. Weetabix is a popular brand in the UK, and this product perfectly conveys the British value of 'suffering for the sake of doing so.’ Drink this for ‘street cred’ if you must, but if it’s flavor you’re after, you're better off tonguing the coin return slot of a bus station payphone.
Valio Play Maito Kaakao Mjolkkakaodryck (250mL)
Super thin, smooth, and more sweet than anything else, though there is a background cocoa presence. It goes down very quickly, in part due to the chug-friendly viscosity, and also due to the fervency with which you will search for deeper flavor (only to come up short).
Valio Plus Maito-Kaakao
This is how I'd expect chocolate milk to taste if it came from an artesian well. A moderate amount of cream is about all that separates this from spring water.
Valio Pro Maito Kaakao Mjolkkakaodryck UHT
Noticeably different from the fresh version(s), despite identical ingredients and nutritional info. The shelf-stable version has a thicker texture, and a sour note that makes it taste less sweet and a tad more complex. I still prefer the fresh version as I feel the consistency is more true.
Valio Play Maito Kaakao Mjolkkakaodryck
Super thin, smooth, and more sweet than anything else, though there is a background cocoa presence. It goes down very quickly, in part due to the chug-friendly viscosity, and also due to the fervency with which you will search for deeper flavor (only to come up short).
Hot Chocolate 2 Go
Watery, warm, and chocolaty in a way that a vending machine hot chocolate is. Definitely not offensive, the cocoa tastes as it should, it’s just not a viable substitute for chocolate milk.
Aasa Sokolaadi Piimajook Mjau
Creamy, chocolaty, and sweet— a very welcome find here in a rather chocolate milk deprived area of the world. Reminiscent of the Miau I had in Vilnius, this hits all the notes and feels authentic throughout.
Jaani Kakao Kondenspiim
Doesn't mix terribly easily with milk (both being cold) and when it does it adds a little color and sweetness to the milk, but not much else— especially in terms of chocolate. Probably better as a baking ingredient (?) or undiluted ice cream or dessert topping.
Rainbow Proteindryck Choklad
There’s a strange intensity to the flavor, which feels like it should burn, but doesn’t. The texture is definitely more milky than otherwise— a welcome difference to the normal protein drink, and there is cocoa flavor to be had. After the initial shock of the unique flavor, it becomes more palatable with each swallow.
Fast Protein Milkshake
Dense, chalky, and though not terribly ‘sweet’— the presence of artificial sweeteners is disturbingly evident, to the extent that it is the first and last thing you taste.
A. Le Coq Arctic Sport Proteiinjook Banana-Sokolaadi
Sweet banana scent that accurately represents the flavor as well. It's decidedly toward the banana end of the spectrum (versus the chocolate end) but is smooth enough to sip without any red flags.
Maitomaa Protein Performance
Strong and nearly rancid banana scent, though the flavor is more what you’d expect (much more banana than chocolate). Dense yet smooth and surprisingly not starchy-feeling, I found myself enjoying it more as I got used to it. There’s a mild wheaty undertone that becomes more noticeable in the aftertaste, but it’s not terrible considering its makeup.
Smiltene Piena Speks Sokolades
So chalky that it turns the inside of your mouth into velcro. It’s not chocolaty, but there’s nothing too nasty about the flavor (if you can get past the chalk). After drinking half of this bottle, my mouth is drier than it was last August after a 7-hour un-airconditioned waterless train ride across Bulgaria.
Baltais Piens Sokolades
Smells like joint compound- the type that goes on purple and dries white. The consistency is smooth but not entirely ‘milky’— it’s ‘off’ just enough to suspect foul play. Flavorwise, it’s only mildly sweet, not chocolaty, and has a raw, sour note that is weak, but congruent with its industrial bouquet.
Pilos Johny Kakao
Smells a lot better than it tastes. The hazelnut flavor carries a slight bitterness before the sweetness of the remainder of the drink can register. It’s fairly thick, surprisingly smooth, and fairly creamy— but there's no cocoa flavor to offset the nutty funk.
Valio Pro Feel Suklainen Chokladsmak
Thickish and super drying to the mouth— quite a strong powdery quality. Flavorwise, it does well for having artificial sweeteners (they’re not over-present) and the chocolate is there but comes with a little sharpness initially. The more I drink, the more I’m used to the flavor but disgusted by how its coating the inside of my mouth.
Miau Sokoladinis Pieno Gerimas
Great flavor explosion— chocolaty, sweet, salty, creamy— it's all there and well proportioned (a bit heavy on sweet, but that's a minor gripe considering). This is the only Lithuanian product I've been able to find in Vilnius, maybe other chocolate milk producers know they couldn’t top this.
Rasa Rasens Sokolades Piens
Much more of a creamy taste than a chocolaty one, but what’s there is decent. Solidly drinkable and still feels indulgent enough to want to sip rather than guzzle.
Danone Danonki Kakao
One of the sweeter liquids I’ve had in quite some time. It’s so prominent that it detracts attention away from the chocolate (unfortunately) and the texture (fortunately). Feel-wise, it's a departure from ‘milky’ and has a noticeable grit, even visually so.