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

This Whey Protein is not the best tasting, least expensive or most nutritious, but it is the best balance I have found yet of those three things. The taste is good, its price per scoop is good and its nutrition is good. You can find some that taste better. You can find some that are less expensive (and way more expensive too). You can find some that are more nutritious. This is the only one I have found though that was acceptable in all three areas in one product. I should also add that the only flavor I have ever tried is double rich chocolate because most of the time other flavors taste absolutely dreadful and I wasn't willing to risk having a 5 pound tub something that tasted like chalk dust vanilla or dried pepto bismal strawberry just so I could experiment. The double rich chocolate taste is not overwhelming and is not full of too many artificial flavorings (it does have some, but not even close to most I have tried), it mixes well with water and milk, but my favorite is unsweetened almond milk. It also works well in many recipes as a cocoa or chocolate substitute and as a protein kick in various foods such as steel cut oats with some almonds or walnuts. Its taste is not overpowering like many I have tried and that makes it very useful for things other than the standard shaker bottle post workout protein shot.If I had to complain about anything it would be that ON doesn't seem to offer proof of quality regarding the ingredients and nutrition stats. I am not saying they are being deceptive or I have any reason to doubt that there is really and truly 24 grams of protein per scoop with only 1 gram of sugar and 4 carbs or that there is anything I would normally shun, buy why not be up front and in everyone's face about that? Most of the people who order and use this kind of stuff (especially a 5 lb tub of it!) are picky about precisely what they are paying for and ingesting. If we didn't care then we wouldn't be on the internet scouring websites for statistics about various products and ingredients. Anyway, enough ranting because this minor gripe is not enough to keep me from continuing to buy it and it is by far my favorite of all I have tried so far, but if it was my company I would have postings of proof of quality and tolerances everywhere I could stick them just so nobody could doubt it and I could justify charging a little more than some others.Its the best total package I have been able to find so far anywhere. You can get better nutrition and taste, but you have to pay a lot more to get it.

I’ve tried many protein powders over the years, but Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder in Double Rich Chocolate is hands down the best! The flavor is incredibly smooth and rich, without being too overpowering. It mixes easily with water or milk, leaving no clumps behind, which is a huge plus.The protein itself works wonders! I’ve noticed a significant boost in muscle recovery and overall strength since incorporating this into my daily routine. It’s the perfect post-workout drink and keeps me feeling full for longer, helping curb cravings throughout the day.

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!