Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder, Mocha Cappuccino, 5 Pound (Packaging May Vary)

Nutritionals are easy since they are clearly stated on the label, but having never tasted a whey supplement before, I didn't know what to expect taste-wise from a artificially sweetened vs. a more natural product. So I bought two tubs to compare side by side. My selections were the ON Gold Standard Mocha Cappuccino, and the NOW Sports Dutch Chocolate. Here goes a very detailed comparison of the two. * Nutritionals and label: Both pack 120 calories. ON has 24gr of proteins, while NOW has the slightly higher 25gr. Both offer some of the highest protein / calories ratio among the plethora of whey supplements available in the market. I don't think that 1gr is significant enough to sway anybody's decision, and the nutrition labels are never 100% accurate anyway. (ON = NOW) ON is a protein blend, while NOW is a whey isolate. However, going back to the nutritionals, it is obvious that the majority of the ON blend is made of whey isolate as well. At the end of the day, and given that they are both whey based, what matters is the protein / calorie ratio. (ON = NOW) Both are made in the USA, which often indicates higher quality control in production. ON however also states that they use "domestic and international ingredients", and who knows what that means. (ON = NOW) ON is flavored with cocoa, coffee, sucralose, acesulfame potassium and other undisclosed "flavorings". NOW on the other hand only has cocoa, "natural flavors", xylitol and stevia. While the latter two are not ideal, NOW at least uses all natural products and definitely has ON beat. In addition, ON has a bunch of enzyme additives, purportedly to ease digestion, but I don't see why they are needed, and I'd rather do without them. (NOW > ON) Overall: NOW > ON * Mixability: I went with the worst case scenario, and mixed both with about 6 oz of cold water in a glass, and simply hand stirred with a spoon. ON was amazing, it dissolved almost completely as soon as it touched the water, and after a few seconds of stirring it was as smooth as it gets. Mixing NOW was not as easy but still okay; it first had a sticky consistency and required about 30 seconds of rigorous stirring, but the final mixture was as good as ON. If you have a shaker or blender, you will notice absolutely no difference between the two. (ON = NOW) * Aroma: ON powder smells just like any instant hot chocolate mix. When added water, coffee becomes more pronounced, and smells of more like an instant mocha cappuccino mix. Quite pleasant, no artificial or out-of-place aromas. NOW powder smells like very mild milk chocolate, but then a more chemical, sour milk/kefir-like aroma becomes noticeable. It is by no means unpleasant, but you know right away that you are drinking a supplement product. With water the nose of the powder stays pretty much the same. Overall: ON > NOW * Texture in mouth: Both were smooth, but thin, and not oily or thick. Neither one had any hint of graininess. They pretty much kept the mouthfeel of water. (ON = NOW) * Taste: From start to finish ON is sweet. I prefer my tea/coffee/milk/etc completely unsweetened, and I definitely find ON sweet, but not cloyingly so, it is still okay. Just like the nose, the taste is very similar to mocha cappuccino mixes you can buy at your supermarket, and stays fairly one-note from start to finish. The finish fades quickly, leaving no aftertaste. Overall, I find that the artificial flavors of this one are very well crafted. It doesn't taste any worse than instant cappuccino mixes, and surprisingly you don't get the familiar acesulfame potassium taste. NOW immediately hits your tongue with a bitter and tannic taste; think a dry over-aged/over-oaked whiskey or wine. My guess is that this is xylitol and stevia playing tricks on my taste buds. However, this bitterness quickly goes away and gives way to... nothing actually. No taste, completely neutral, just like plain water. After you put down your glass and wait a second, the drink finishes with very mild and pleasant flavors of unsweetened cocoa, vanilla, and milk chocolate. The finish lingers for a good 10 minutes, but it tastes like chocolate so no problems there. Overall, although some may find ON overly sweet, I think it still has the edge in taste. It doesn't have off-notes anywhere, and at its worst, tastes like a cheaply made instant cappuccino mix. NOW is nowhere near undrinkable, in fact it is pretty good as well, but the initial sour smell and the bitter bite on your tongue will remind you that you are taking a supplement. (ON > NOW) * Overall: The differences are minor, you can't go wrong with either, and they both get 5 stars from me. But I found myself mostly going for NOW simply because it doesn't have the artificial additives, and while the taste is worse in comparison, it is also sufficiently good. In fact, this experiment encouraged me to try the completely natural unflavored variety of NOW next. I'll probably stick to NOW in the future, and throw in a tub of some crazy flavor of ON once in a while just to keep myself entertained.

I just started working out again after being out of it for years. Now that I’ve been steady for a few months, I wanted to work some more protein into my daily routine so I wanted to try this. I like to drink coffee each day, so the mocha cappuccino flavor was suggested. At first, I tried to mix it in with my daily coffee to see if I could make a combination, but that didn’t taste great. However, using cold water and ice cubes, if you mix two of the scoops with 14 ounces of water, it tastes almost exactly like Yoohoo. I placed it in the freezer for about 30 minutes already mixed up and then shook it really well afterwards, and it was incredibly easy to drink, tasted great and did not have any crazy aftertaste. Even my kids tried it and agreed with the Yoohoo opinion. I will probably continue purchasing this flavor because it’s very easy to drink and has very low sugar as well. It seems to mix really well without any clumps.

This is the biggest gd container I've ever seen in my life. 5 pounds didn't seem like a ton, but this is a metric ton of protein powder. It tastes good and dissolves SUPER well. I've never had a stomach issue with it, it goes down easily. So- no clumps, no upset stomach, low calories (10-15), low carbs (1), high protein (20) and one of the better tasting powders I've tried. It's expensive but you get a METRIC TON.

As a thirty-something father of two, I'm a little late to the Get Buff party. With work, kid extra-curriculars, and frenetic meal times to worry about, in addition to a body that just isn't 20 any more, I'll take my fitness where I can find it. After a lunch time workout at the local gym, I need something to help my body recover. ON's Whey Gold Standard really fits the bill. With a work laptop, lunch, a change of clothes and a towel to wrangle into work each workout day, I place a premium on ease of use and portability. Obviously a 5 pound mega-jug doesn't fit the bill, but this powder can be placed in a blend cup with liquid (I go with 1% milk) and stashed in an insulated container with a freeze pack until after my workout. The label claims it's 'instantized' and while I'm not clear on what that entails, it certainly mixes with ridiculous ease. A couple shakes of the blend cup and I have a nicely frothed up beverage for the drive back to work. There are no powder clumps bobbing at the top or lingering in wait at the bottom, daring me to spoon them out to get my full serving's worth. The drink is velvety smooth. The Mocha Cappuccino's taste is quite delicious by my standards. It isn't quite as chocolatey as Hershey's syrup, but it's a nice full flavor and I could easily see enjoying it for the flavor alone. It also includes coffee as an actual ingredient, which is handy for those of us with caffeine habits. The powder proudly wears its nutritional merits on its sleeve, so I can add little in that regard. If you are looking it up here, you already know that it's low in calories and carbs, but high in whey protein, the particular sort of protein that is most easily absorbed by your body. This particular brand is well regarded, suffering only from the occasional irritation that popular products always engender from people who prefer their brands to be a little more exclusive and against-the-grain. I'm sure there are more esoteric varieties available that are marginally better in some precise way, but a pretty wide Google net seemed to reveal that ON is a well-loved fixture even among some of the die-hard enthusiasts. Considering the exceptional taste and ease of use, that's good enough for me.

Optimum Nutrition is my preferred brand of protein powder and 100% Whey Gold Standard Mocha Cappuccino is my favorite flavor. And, you probably can't find better prices for it than on Amazon, especially with Prime. As you'd expect, the larger the package, the lower the per serving cost. Too bad this flavor doesn't come in 10 pound tubs, but maybe some day. I've tried a few other flavors in the chocolate family but keep going back to the mocha. Flavor is subjective, but there's no real expectation with mocha flavor so it's hard to be disappointed. I've only had it with plain cold tap water and always use more water than instructed. This doesn't make for a thick shake but it is a pleasant tasting drink. It mixes up really well in a shaker bottle and a blender ball isn't required. I'm sure blending it with ice and adding other ingredients make it seem more shake-like, but I think it's just fine with only water. The reason I didn't give this product five stars is because occasionally there's a weird chemical-y or metallic aftertaste. It's not unique to ON products but I still notice it a few times a week. I have no idea what causes this and it doesn't happen right after drinking it. Sometimes the aftertaste will pop up a few hours later but I know it's from my protein shake. Still, it's not enough for me to try other brands or flavors - espeically since I already know I like this one.

This was my first purchase of this brand. I'm not going to lie, I mainly decided to try this due to the reviews on the taste. I was looking for something that would be a little more enjoyable to drink than my usual protein I've been taking that is on the bland side. The kind you just make yourself drink. I purchased the Mocha Cappuccino because I'm a cappuccino/coffee lover in general. The kind with a million grams of sugar and calories to boot, so I thought this flavor would be a nice alternative. I've been looking at this product for a pathetically long time before I actually ordered, so the reviews from this and other sites already had me pretty much sold on it, therefore I went ahead and bought the 5 pound tub. I'm glad I did because it tastes wonderful...and also because my Husband who has a massive appetite loves it too. If you are a coffee/cappuccino lover, I would recommend this flavor. It also mixes better than my former protein powder. The flavor wasn't the only selling points for me though. The quality of the protein and the reviews of the results were a big reason, otherwise I likely wouldn't have tried this for the price. I can't speak for long term results yet, but so far I really feel the difference it makes in reducing soreness in muscles after a workout, and it's a nice "treat" that keeps me satisfied. I drink it 1-2 times a day depending on my activity and my macros from food sources. I look forward to trying other flavors of this, and likely will purchase another before I even finish this just to have some variety.

Value

All and all this protein is great, I have been using it for almost 10 months and only this protein because I didn't find the need to change it. So taste I have been trying to taste all the flavors they offer. so far I've tried five flavors only Double Rich Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Malt, Extreme Milk Chocolate, and Mocha Cappuccino. I would rate them only based on the Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard because I have not tried other brands so I can't compare them to other brands. *I usually take from 2~4 scoops of whey with 6~8 oz of water or milk my favorite so far is the Double Rich Chocolate I give it 10/10 on taste. either with water or milk it tastes good specially with milk. Chocolate Mint 8/10 it tastes good but there is an after taste not specially bad but I would rather do without. Chocolate Malt 6/10 by far my least favorite chocolate flavor. I started to add extra scoops just so I finish it quicker so I can order another flavor lol. Extreme Milk Chocolate 7/10 not bad but nothing extreme about it. imagine drinking milted chocolate ice cream but not the good ice cream the fat free one Mocha Cappuccino 5/10 it tastes somewhat sort of coffee flavor but mixing three scoops with water still feels diluted more like water. Delicious Strawberry 10/10 real good flavor and more servings. it does have more sugar per serving but only 3 gm. This is based on my taste so you may like different things than what I do. I will try Chocolate Coconut next. **update** Delicious Strawberry 10/10 real good flavor and more servings. it does have more sugar per serving but only 3 gm.