Pronounced salty (first) and malty (second) flavor in a smooth and creamy base that is thick but not unnatural feeling. The aftertaste wanes gradually and evenly, rendering you both satisfied and also ready for more.
Producers Dairy Low Fat Chocolate Milk
Slightly earthy, and otherwise exceedingly average in all respects. It certainly doesn't stand out in a flight of chocolate milks, but occasionally there’s something to be said for getting exactly what you expect.
Crystal Lowfat Chocolate Milk
A fairly strong saltiness suggests an almost peanut-buttery flavor upfront, especially since the chocolate piece never quite comes around. It's a tad thick for a low fat product, and despite some starch, the unique flavor held my attention throughout the entire pint.
Crystal Cool Cow Lowfat Chocolate Milk
Syrupy sweetness that bleeds into the texture as well, morphing it into a sticky, sugary concoction that should reside closer to the candy aisle than the dairy case.
Sunnyside Farms Lactose Free Lowfat Chocolate Milk
Much more ‘milky’ feeling than the low fat (lactose-containing) version. The flavor is also much more in line with what you would expect and likely prefer— amply chocolaty with a kiss of malt.
Sunnyside Farms Low Fat Chocolate Milk
Thicker and starchier than expected, it tastes more like sweetened coffee than chocolate, and leaves you with a drying sensation in the mouth.
SlimFast Original Creamy Milk Chocolate
‘Chalky’ can still be ‘milky’— but not in this case. It feels a bit unnatural, and carries a fortified undertone throughout. It’s more watery than creamy, and its best feature is that it’s not abjectly awful tasting.
O Organics Whole Chocolate Milk
Buttery creaminess affords the cocoa a more prominent role and kindly ushers you into a delicious and satisfying aftertaste. Further proof that chocolate milk doesn't have to be complicated to be thoroughly enjoyable.
Ildong Foodis & Up Cafe Choco Latte
Extreme levels of cocoa flavor and sweetness— which doesn’t make for a well-balanced drink. It’s way too much, particularly the sweetness, especially without a cream or salt to help keep it in check. This has lots of flavor, and for fans of the uber-sweet— this could be your deal. As for me, I’m going to brush my teeth straight away.
Vita 200% Chocolate Low Fat Milk
Strong cocoa flavor, but severely lacking accompaniment (creaminess, in particular) that could elevate the experience dramatically. Instead, you’ve got a watery-feeling boxed drink claiming ‘200% chocolate’— when the ingredients read: (1) water; (2) sugar; (3) milk solids; (4) cocoa powder…
Pauls Chocolate Milk
Sweet, milky, and under-chocolaty, but rather pleasant, and decently natural feeling for a shelf-stable, boxed item. It won’t light your tastebuds on fire, but it also won’t be the last thing you reach for in the fridge (or even off the shelf).
Lactel Chocolate Flavor Milk
Unnecessarily thick and has an acidic quality to the flavor that doesn’t pair well with cocoa in this instance. It’s starchy, and doesn’t taste nearly as nice as some of the Lactel concoctions I’ve had in the past.
Cheer Fat Free Chocolate Milk
Feels more syrupy than milky— not only texture-wise, but the flavor is also more of an empty sweetness than one of chocolate. It checks the box for the waning populace to whom the phrase ‘fat free’ still holds cachet— but this is yet another example of nonfat chocolate milk attempting to please everyone, whilst effectively pleasing no one.
Trappist Dairy Hi-Calcium Chocolate Milk
Richly chocolaty in a mature, slightly under-sweet way. The strong cocoa is delivered through a chalky, yet still milky-feeling medium that does its job well. This wouldn’t look out of place in glass— be it on a supermarket shelf, or stemware at home.
Kowloon Dairy Deluxe Chocolate Slimilk
Awesomely chocolaty, supported well by all other factors that clearly understand their place in the hierarchy. Worthy of the ‘deluxe’ billing, it wields a dessert-like indulgence, in spite of remarkably low monetary and caloric investments.
Kowloon Dairy Hi-Calcium Chocolate Slimilk (carton)
Well-executed chocolate malt flavor that goes down with blissful facility. It satisfies without being clingy in the afterglow.
Kowloon Dairy Hi-Calcium Chocolate Slimilk
Well-executed chocolate malt flavor that goes down with blissful facility. It satisfies without being clingy in the afterglow.
Vita Low Sugar Chocolate Milk
In spite of its ‘low sugar’ assertion, this tastes distractingly too sweet— and there's a synthetic feel to it that heightens imbalance. Also present is the sourness of the ‘normal’ UHT version, which doesn't work to its advantage here.
Vita Hi-Calcium Low Fat Chocolate Milk
Simple cocoa taste paired with a light sweetness that does well to limit its foreground exposure. A slight sense of ‘powder’ haunts the texture, conjuring industrial imagery rather than the idyllic farmlands we hold in reverie.
Vita Chocolate Milk (UHT)
The texture feels unnatural, congruent with the spotty, not-super-well-mixed appearance. There’s also a strong sourness that steals away any remaining attention not usurped by the texture concerns. I’ve certainly had worse, but this is a rather unfortunate UHT port of the ‘fresh’ version.