Watery and sweet with a mild upfront vanilla-ish cookies & cream flavor, but quickly washes out and retreats to a nigh-chalky astringent finish. It approximates what an artificially-sweetened vanilla Yoo-hoo would be, but with added caffeine. It's underwhelming, ghostly (ghastly?) white, and not out of place in the Spylt portfolio.
Strong coffee flavor that does a decent job of masking the monk fruit and Stevia leaf sweetener pairing-- this feels like it has a lot of caffeine (and it does-- 175mg per can). Fortunately, the sweeteners don't play a supporting role, and this is overall a few standard deviations less sweet than average chocolate milk. Texture-wise, you can feel the modestly starchy protein isolate throughout, and especially upon the conclusion each sip, where there's a noticeable but non-egregious astringency that lingers for a few beats. I don't get any of the 'cocoa' side of 'mocha'-- but flavor-wise, this is the most palatable chocolate-adjacent product I've had from Slate.
Bland and inoffensive, unless, like me, you find blandness offensive. It feels as though someone went out of their way to make this register very little on the taste buds-- so if you're that someone, then I bid you a job well done. It's slightly thinner and smoother than average, which is fine, but still leaves you wanting much more-- and not in a good way. The second sip confirms the hollowness of the first, and all sips beyond that are simply to finish the bottle so you can no longer spill it accidentally.
Like many other Organic UHT chocolate milks I've reviewed in the past-- it's appropriately milky, slightly saltier than sweet, and carries a modestly sour cocoa flavor that is neither exciting nor off-putting-- just fairly common for the genre. It drinks smoothly and easily, especially at room temperature should you choose to ration your fridge space. Decent while it lasts-- and it doesn't last long. So.. not overwhelmingly decent in the end.
A pleasant change-up to the genre, I will say the mint flavoring here is both deftly executed and welcomed, even if it's only a limited edition release. It's nicely under-sweet, with equally discernible but not over-the-top chocolate and mint components. From a texture standpoint, sure, it suffers the same afflictions of the high-protein/low calorie genre-- a thickened/starchy/chalky body with a drying finish-- but some of that is mitigated by a nicely resolute cooling/minty presence on the back-end. It's not strong enough to call it a 'zing'-- but perhaps a more subtle and demure 'farewell.'
Like a wonky artificial intelligence approximation of chocolate milk-- it's close, but the 'uncanny valley' is undeniably present when it comes the the taste and texture. Flavor-wise, it's appropriately sweet (palatable combination of sugar and Sucralose, without its usual Acesulfame Potassium partner), but a weak, uncommitted cocoa presence readily succumbs to a cooked milk flavor that serves as a constant remider that shelf-life is valued over taste. Texture-wise, it's a thicker than 2% should be and not as 'milky' as you'd hope for. This seems to be another addition to the recent fad-bastardization of chocolate milk with the promise of higher protein, lower sugar, no lactose-- at the expense of what draws people to chocolate milk in the first place.
Well, I agree with the label-- "New Taste." I definitely preferred the old one, which was similarly bland, but had a nicely light-enough cocoa flavor that you could convince yourself it was 'deft' or 'sophisticated.' This version carries one of the stranger cocoa flavors I've had, especially for a meant-for-the-mainstream product. It hits like a cooked vanilla flavor, but even less sexy than that sounds. Strikes me as odd that the ingredients have no hint of vanilla or flavor additives or anything-- how they managed to get this flavor out of organic cocoa will remain a mystery to me, and perhaps is something I should laud as a feat of bioengineering. The remainder of the drink is drably appropriate for the lowfat/lactose free archetype-- a slightly saltier-than-sweet ratio is its most palatable feature.
Poor balance of thickness-to-creaminess ratio very much in favor of the former, and strikingly undersweet in an almost avant-garde way, which I do appreciate. Much of the flavor is focused on chocolate-- a pleasant departure from the cloying, chemical sweetness that plagues the 'recovery shake' genre. A little salt would go a long way here, but what you're ultimately left with is a nigh-sludgy, unsweetened cocoa-forward and otherwise austere way to swill 30g protein.
As a chocolate milk reviewer, 'bad' is a word I go out of my way to avoid using. It's boring, one-dimensional, and a pretty 'basic bitch' adjective to employ in a food or drink review. But this stuff is just...bad-- not sure how else to say it. An almost violently bright/beautiful brown color overpromises to a fraudulent extent-- because as soon as this crosses your lips, a bolt of searing regret hits you right in whatever part of the brain registers searing regret, I think it's behind one of the ears somewhere. From the painfully cloying and flat-out weird sweetener profile, to the chalky yet somehow watery and unfulfilling texture, to the obtuse 'cocoa' flavor that just tastes like a foul 'brown' in the way that fruit punch tastes (somewhat pleasantly) 'red.' If you need 40g protein, eat a half dozen eggs instead. Raw, and still in the shell if you have to.
Cocoa and 'cooked milk' flavor engage in a contentious yet civil battle for supremacy, with each claiming a piece of the crown at different points in the sip. Sweetness, salt, and cream play their supporting roles competently and remain in balance throughout. Texture-wise, it feels satisfying and fully-burdened, without veering into sludgy/chalky territory that claims many a protein-fortified chocolate milk. The 'good' certainly outweighs the 'bad'-- there are several things to like here. Rarely do you find a 'whole' protein fortified chocolate milk that employs real sugar as a sweetener. I also applaud the commitment to Fair Trade and eradication of child labor in the chocolate industry. My reviews are solely on taste/drinking experience, however, this remains a tasty and portable (UHT) way to enjoy a few extra grams of protein. That 'cooked milk' or caramelized lactose flavor is inevitable in ultra-high-temp pasteurization; I get that it's a necessary evil when balancing flavor with distribution and shelf life limitations.
Well at least there's "Milk" in the title-- and while it's tough to nail down the actual flavor of a Milky Way (without using the word 'nougat'-- which I try my best to avoid), this actually comes pretty close. Benefitting from an amped-up yet balanced sweet/salty quotient, the flavor pops nicely, and ages better due to the salty snap on the back end. I was pleasantly surprised after having tried the Snickers and Twix versions.
Noticeably less sweet, less punchy, less…well, everything compared with its candy bar cousins Snickers and Milky Way. I quite enjoy a Twix bar-- in part because of the crunch juxtaposed with the salty caramel-- but mostly because there are two bars in the package. This captures none of the Twix bar allure, and feels out of place and somewhat of a 'forced' drinkable port of the popular candy. "Ah if only I could drink this" said nobody ever, while eating a Twix.
Thinner than expected, but still manages to sport a somewhat chalky finish-- this is loaded with flavor, and the low viscosity helps to deliver it quickly and efficiently. Problem is, the flavor is more jarring than enjoyable, and doesn't capture the 'satisfying' essence of the Snickers bar at all. You begin with a syrupy-sweet rush of cocoa and faux-peanutty flavor, and end with a persistent, cloying aftertaste that sustains neither of the intended flavors.
Significant 'cooked milk' taste that peaks early but pervades throughout the sip, atop a light, malty cocoa flavor and competent but unremarkable 2% body. Not bad for what you can get out of a UHT box, but quite average within the full spectrum of chocolate milks.
Nary a cocoa contingent in this 'mocha' milk-- it drinks like straight coffee milk. I appreciate the creamline base, but it feels arbitrarily 'thickened' here and is a departure from expectations forged over past experiences with similar products. The coffee bit is ok, and it's not off-putting in any particular way-- perhaps it just feels a bit 'empty' after having Conoco View Dairy's excellent chocolate milk.
Lots of flavor in what feels like a compact, yet complex package. It's sweet, it's chocolaty, it's salty, it's creamy, and it has both a malty zing and an underlying grassiness. In short, there's a lot going on, and it's all very interesting. You could describe it as having a lack of focus, but it all kinda 'works' together to bring you a uniquely indulgent treat. The relatively thin viscosity helps to deliver the flavors more quickly-- acting as a 'punctuation' of sorts, that makes this most enjoyable in small, purposeful sips.
The flavor comes on strong, and leans toward the sweeter end of the sweet/salty continuum. I feel that chocolate peanut butter is best represented with a saltier bent, but that's a minor gripe, as this is plenty decadent and delicious. The creamline base pays dividends in extending the flavor more gracefully into the aftertaste than its homogenized cousin could. Plenty to like here- especially if you're looking for a bit more tastebud stimulation than usual.
Genuine cookies & cream flavor is best delivered through a creamline milk-- and this executes that very well. It's a sweeter profile (than chocolate milk) overall, and one that is a pleasant addition to the flavored milk lineup of Nittany Valley Creamery. Can't go wrong here- it is what you think it probably is (assuming you've had creamline milk before)- like melted cookies & cream ice cream without the solid bits.
Tasty medium cocoa flavor over a warm creamline base-- it's plenty substantial for those who like a beefy chocolate milk, and it remains cocoa-focused throughout. It's a flavor I feel I've had many times, and at the risk of sounding ungrateful, it doesn't move me in any particular direction, but simply delivers that delicious, creamline chocolate milk experience I've come to love.
Great balance of coffee and chocolate-- mocha milks nearly always have an overpowering coffee flavor. The creamline body deftly navigates your taste buds, delivering its undersweet, well-balanced flavor competently and evenly-- a refreshingly unique interpretation and execution of the mocha archetype.
