All tagged Lactose Free

PediaSure Chocolate Shake

As a closet Ensure apologist (don't tell anyone) this is largely similar in texture and flavor to its grown-up (elderly?) counterpart. There's a definite 'vitamin-y' quality to the flavor, but the sweet-salty balance is decent and there's enough fat content to usher each sip toward a satisfying conclusion provided your expectations are adequately tempered.

Fairlife Protein Chocolate Milk

Lead-like dull flavor, with no semblance of what makes chocolate milk enjoyable-- some sweetness, cocoa, creaminess, etc-- none of those are remotely represented here. There's a mineral-esque, clinical, hold-your-nose-and-take-your-medicine quality to the 'flavor', and an egregiously chalky and drying finish that, as far as I can tell, is an effort to curb that pre-vomit salivation.

Oberweis Dairy Lactose Free Chocolate Milk

I'm genuinely embarrassed by my low expectations-- this is an outstanding port of the traditional Oberweis 2% chocolate milk. Particularly impressive is the no-sugar-added (allulose/stevia) finesse, executed so deftly that you have to try hard to notice the difference. For all the times I've been beat mercilessly over the head by the Stevia or Monk Fruit sledgehammer-- I had assumed that using these ingredients were a lost cause; an automatic palate destroyer. Not anymore. Oberweis figured out just the right levels to deliver a relatively low calorie, low sugar, high caliber chocolate milk experience worthy of your time, especially for those seeking these 'better for you' or lactose free features. It can be done. They cracked the code. I like this stuff.

Slate Dark Chocolate Milk

Much flatter than its lighter counterpart, the sledgehammer of fake sweetness is significantly mitigated here-- allowing for some actual cocoa flavor to poke through. There's still an issue with the chalky / drying texture here but that's not terribly uncommon among protein-fortified drinks. A clear winner among the Slate portfolio, but still won't compare favorably to even the most average of chocolate milks.

Slate Chocolate Milk

Overpowering faux take-your-medicine-esque sweetness with little relief to follow. You're left with an unnatural aftertaste and drying residue-- no semblance of chocolate or milk to be found. The label recommends you to 'shamelessly chug away'-- and I agree, as you'll want to limit the amount of tastebud contact as best you can.

Stonyfield Organic Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk

Shockingly sweet upon first draw, aided in part by the thin viscosity-- which delivers a quick sugary rush with later-developing cocoa presence and moderately-drying chalky footprint. For an organic, shelf-stable, lactose free chocolate milk, it gets the job done and would add a crowning touch to the bog-standard bagged lunch.

Kroger CarbMaster

Searing upfront sweetness that may be a welcome palate assault for the hardcore carb-averse, but for everyone else, this is much more likely to offend than satisfy. The cocoa flavor is strong enough to poke through for a quick cameo, and its fat-starved, artificially-thickened base is less concerning than the sweetener concoction which, un-chased, will continue to devalue your oral real estate.

La Colombe Draft Chocolate Milk

Surprisingly well-represented dark chocolate flavor over a paper-thin base that is quickly overmatched and incapable of doing the cocoa justice. Each sip imparts a warming sensation in the mouth that may precipitate salivation to clear it away. The packaging is gorgeous, the flavor unique, and the execution ultimately strays from 'indulgence' and instead leans toward 'interesting novelty that I don't need to have again.'

Fairlife Yup! Cookies N' Creamiest Milk

Mild cookies ‘n cream flavor delivered through an uber-smooth medium that feels a touch unnatural. On the positive side, the artificial sweeteners don’t go overboard here, which is surprising, as cookies ’n cream drinks are prone to that affliction. It doesn’t move the genre forward, but provides another vehicle to get that much needed acesulfame potassium and Sucralose in your diet.

Slate Dark Chocolate Milk

Less flavorful overall than its ‘classic’ counterpart, and when the flavor is generally bad, less of it is a good thing. The cocoa is more noticeable, but there isn’t much salt, sweetness, or cream to help develop it or add dimension. It’s watery and highly chalky as well— I appreciate the packaging and the ‘better for you’ endeavor, but from a flavor / drinking experience standpoint, it’s significantly below the typical ‘bad’ chocolate milk.

Slate Classic Chocolate Milk

Well, it’s cold, brown, and would suck if you spilled it on your crotch— that’s where the similarities with chocolate milk end. I want to like this, but even the smallest sip brings about facial contortions. It looks decent coming out the can, but the flavor is unfortunately dominated by a heavy-handed pseudo-bitter-sweet twang that steers the rest of the experience toward imminent catastrophe.

Organic Valley Fuel Chocolate

If Robitussin got into the chocolate milk business, I would expect something similar to this. Fortunately the Stevia flavor isn’t oppressive, but it’s not flavorful in any positive direction. The texture is dense and not as unnatural as expected, and visually, it looks ok. And just like that, my cough is gone.

Live Real Farms Dairy and Almond Milk Blend Chocolate

Strange upfront sweetness that reminds me of sunblock— which, don’t get me wrong, has a pleasant, coconutty smell— and to an extent, this is how I’d imagine it would taste (though I’m sure it’d be much worse in actuality; please don’t attempt). The texture is consistent, though under-creamy, and the cocoa flavor is trumped by nutty interference and early strong sweetness. I applaud the innovation (50-50 cow/almond milk blend), but wonder if/how this is intended to last beyond a summer fling.

Organic Valley Ultra Chocolate Milk

Refreshingly unsweet, with a heft that would suggest more flavor than it actually carries. There’s a bit of an aftertaste that is a departure from ‘milky’ or ‘chocolaty’ but overall, its focus on cocoa (without a sugary crutch) is unique and honorable.