Optimum NutritionGold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound (Packaging May Vary)

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey - Quick ReviewOne of the best whey proteins out there.• Tastes great (many flavors)• Mixes easily with water or milk• 24g protein per scoop, low sugar and fat• High quality, trusted brand• A bit expensive compared to others, and it has artificial sweet

First off, I've purchased a bunch of different flavors of ON Gold Standard Whey. All of them have close to the same nutritional value, but they vary greatly in taste. Both my wife and I drink these protein shakes as part of our daily diet, and as a product, Optimum Nutrition is great. I've mixed with both milk and water, and all of the shakes mix well and don't seem to clump. I've tried other manufactures whey, and I keep finding myself going back to ON for the price, nutritional value, and above all the taste.So the flavor question. As I mentioned, each flavor has a different characteristic from the others. Some are bland, some taste sweet, some taste overly fake. We loved some, and we hated some. Below is a list based on what we like so far and why. Bear in mind that I hate diet drinks for their bad aftertaste. The drinks don't have to be sweet for me to like them, but I can't stand the garbage aftertaste of fake sweeteners.The best flavors:Rocky Road - By far the single best tasting flavor. The downside is that it does taste a little sweet. The nutritional value is right on with the other flavors, but it is a bit sweet. I could drink this all day. If you only buy one flavor, this is it. There is no real aftertaste, and the flavor is great.Extreme Milk Chocolate - Another good flavor with almost no aftertaste. This one tastes like chocolate, and doesn't have a fake taste to it. If you are looking at the chocolate flavors, this one is perfect.Natural Vanilla - This is a slightly different product, and it comes in a tub with yellow labeling instead of the red. It's on Amazon for the same price, and it has the same nutritional values. They claim it has less artificial sweeteners in it, hence the natural label. In any case, this is the best vanilla out there. There is no aftertaste, and it tastes like vanilla milk. It is not as sweet as the others, but it the single best vanilla flavor I've found.The middle of the road flavors:Cookies and Cream - This one is both good and bad. If you like the creamy vanilla taste, you will like the flavor. It doesn't have a bad aftertaste, but it is sort bland. It is sweet, but bland. Also, the cookie chunks in it don't dissolve. This is the only flavor so far that has bits of stuff that you are swallowing when you drink it. It's odd. That said, I have reordered it in the past.Chocolate Malt - It's just OK. The flavor is a little odd because of the malt. Given the choice, just order the Extreme Milk Chocolate.Caramel Toffee Fudge - Again, just OK. They tried too hit to many flavors with this one, and it just turned out odd. Not a bad flavor, but don't start out here. I got bored so I tried it. I doubt I'll order it again.And the bad:Double Rich Chocolate - This flavor sucks. It tastes like fake chocolate. Not good fake chocolate, but generic fake chocolate. It has that bad aftertaste of fake sweetener, and is all around not good.Vanilla Ice Cream - Another swing and a miss. This flavor tastes like bad fake powdered milk. It has that bad aftertaste, and is probably the single worst flavor they have. If you are looking for vanilla, avoid this at all costs and get the Natural Vanilla.Tropical Punch - Another fake tasting flavor. When I got this, I could barely get through the first few shakes. Eventually it grew on me a little bit, and I was able to drink it without hating it. It tastes like strawberry milk with a bunch of fake sweetener. It's just wrong, and is not something you want to drink after a workout.I know that taste varies from person to person, so take this with a grain of salt. I hate the taste of fake sweetener, so this list draws from that. I've taken to buying the 2lb tubs to try out a flavor, and then going with the 5lb tubs if I like it. It costs a bit more that way, but it means there is only 2lbs to choke down if you get a flavor that you hate.Enjoy!

Extreme milk chocolate tastes just like a Wendy’s chocolate frosty when blended with ice and water - you’re welcome. Great value. Love this pre or post workout. High quality - one of the few proteins third party tested. Smells like chocolate. Seems to be effective for a mid price range protein supplement.

I love coffee, so I like the coffee flavor. I use it to get the protein I need when dieting. Or to replace a meal once or twice a day. Or to get sufficient protein when my food that day was not high enough in protein. It mixes well with water, tastes good, and doesn't bother my stomach. I had bought vanilla ice cream flavor because it was cheaper but didn't like that as much.With protein it's best to go with a popular brand. I tried a hemp vegan protein brand once and it messed up my gut something fierce. So I don't even bother with those veggie-based kinds anymore.This brand works well. Just wish it wasn't so expensive. Protein mixes have doubled in price since I started buying them.

I’ve been using this protein powder after workouts, and overall I’m really satisfied. It mixes easily with water or almond milk and doesn’t leave any clumps. The taste is pretty mild — not too sweet, which I prefer.I feel fuller after taking it and have noticed better recovery. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because the scoop was a bit buried in the powder, and I wish the lid had a better seal. But the product itself is great and works well.