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I just took delivery of one of these flavor packs to try all the different ones they do before I buy a 5lb tub.
I've had chocolate mint off them before and liked it but I've seen mixed reviews for some of the others so I think this is a good way of finding out for myself.

Each flavor pack is 1x31g (approx) of whey blend packing 24g of protein and I'll be mixing it with 8 oz of water in a hand shaker bottle to test (shaken for at least 10 seconds).
Let me just say for the record that I'm not a particularly sweet tooth sort of guy, I'm more of a salty/savory person so what might be too sweet for me might be great for someone else.

As I try each one I'll be sticking a review up here and linking the first post to each flavor review. I hope this helps someone with their buying decisions in the future.
I welcome feedback so if you want me to be more detailed, have specific questions or would like me try a particular one early in the game then fire away.

So let's get on with it!

Reviews
Chocolate Malt (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=654330&postcount=2)
Strawberry Banana (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=654388&postcount=4)
Vanilla Ice Cream (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=654634&postcount=7)
Double Rich Chocolate (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655032&postcount=8)
Tropical Punch (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655033&postcount=9)
Root Beer Float (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655301&postcount=10)
Rocky Road (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655349&postcount=11)
Mocha Cappucino (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655501&postcount=13)
Extreme Milk Chocolate (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655504&postcount=14)
Cookies and Cream (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655706&postcount=17)
Delicious Strawberry (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655707&postcount=18)
Caramel Toffee Fudge (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655710&postcount=20)
Chocolate Mint (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655801&postcount=21)
Orange Cream (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655910&postcount=22)
French Vanilla Creme (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655929&postcount=23)
Banana Cream (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=655931&postcount=24)


...and so the journey is over :(

Through the process it became pretty clear that for mixing with water the chocolate based ones are the best options (in my eyes). The only ones that really stuck out in the non chocolate brigade for me were the Banana Creme and Cookies and Cream varieties.

It was well worth buying this variety pack as it's made my decision on what to do for the long term. I'm going to be getting 5lbs of the Double Rich Chocolate each time I purchase as my staple but in addition I'll likely get a 2lb jug of one of the other flavors I liked too. Here's the ones that will potentially be on that shopping list:


Staple (5lb) purchase:
Double Rich Chocolate

Secondary (2lb) purchase options:
Rocky Road, Mocha Cappucino, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Malt (at a push) and the Banana Creme.

*Bonus Review*
Chocolate Banana (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=656885&postcount=25)

Chocolate Malt

Let me just say for starters that this was the flavor I bought this pack for. I really liked the sound of a Maltesers tasting shake but I had seen mixed reviews of it online.

First mouthful is really quite pleasant, was surprised to discover it actually does taste like Maltesers. Not as strong a flavor as that but still very reminiscent of them.
I don't know if any of you have tried Ovaltine before but it's kind of like a chocolaty version of that.
The aftertaste is pleasant however it does leave a kind of chalky feeling behind which is common with the chocolate/cocoa based ones I find (when mixed with water).
It was a touch sweeter than I would have liked but not completely overpowering. I think if you were to put any additives like metamucil in or anything that contains sugar/is sweetened it might push it over the top though (for my tastes).

It mixed very well, no clumps at all and cleaning the shaker only required a rinse.

I think this one would taste great with milk but with just water it was still very nice and I would put it on my possible purchase list so far.

Overall: 8/10

Subscribed! Great idea

Strawberry Banana

I'm not too keen on this one. It tastes nice at first but leaves a very chemical like taste in the mouth afterwards. The Banana taste comes through more than the Strawberry I would say and it's quite sweet/sticky tasting.
It reminds me of some really cheap sweets I had as a kid that I wasn't too keen on even then.

I notice this one didn't mix brilliantly either, had a few clumps in it and cleaning was more of a pain as lumps had stuck to the lid and mixing mesh of the shaker.

I won't be buying any more of this flavor.

Overall: 4.5/10

Vanilla Ice Cream

Haven't tried many different powders to compare but I really like this flavor, with milk it is fantastic, with water it is bearable.

Good quality, I always mix with a blender but I have used a shaker before, some lumps the first time i did it, but vigorous shaking the next time produced little to no lumps, just make sure you put the powder on the liquid not the other way around.

Have bought two large tubs, two normal ones and my last purchase was the big bag, bigger the bag, the cheaper the servings.

Can add other flavors I have heard, like adding Milo to make a chocolate shake, but have never tried (would be hard to do with a strawberry flavor)

9/10

Rate it highly and would recommend it.

Cheers for the contribution PhillyP. I'll try that flavor next myself and see if I come to the same conclusion.

Vanilla Ice Cream

First impressions suggest it's one of the better Vanilla flavored protein shakes I've had in the past. It isn't too sweet and it has a nicer aftertaste than some of the others I've tried (some of which made me gag).
That being said this as I find with all Vanilla ones it doesn't taste very nice mixed in water. I'm sure in milk it would be much better but if you mix with water like I do then it's not a good choice.

It mixed very well and cleaning was pretty much just a rinse.

Overall: 6.5/10

Double Rich Chocolate

Now this one is good. For mixing with water the Chocolate ones usually are but this one isn't too sweet and isn't accompanied by any bitterness at all.
The slightly chalky feeling/aftertaste common with water mixed choco ones is a lot less with this compared to the Choco Malt one reviewed earlier. It's there but only a tiny amount.
It tastes like a much less sweet Swiss Miss (though not quite as nice). I think you could actually get away with putting hot water in with this protein powder and have a nutritious Hot Chocolate. I think I'll be buying more of this one, so I'll have to give that a go!

Mixed great, rinse clean.

Overall: 9/10

Tropical Punch

First impressions are...weird, I like it!
I can only describe it as the same flavor/feeling you get eating an orange/lemon double lolly (you know what I mean right? http://www.candywarehouse.com/doublelollies.html).

Further drinking brings through the lumps that haven't mixed as well and after a while it is getting pretty sickly.
As a one off it's nice but I doubt I could drink this every day, especially in the morning.

As mentioned it mixed poorly, worse than the Strawberry Banana did and cleaning was more of a pain as a lot was stuck to the mixing mesh.

Overall: 6.5/10

Root Beer Float

Odd this one. It's got a kind of coke taste leaving a toffee aftertaste.
It's not unpleasant but I couldn't drink lots of it. It's too sweet for me.

Mixed pretty well, cleaned easy only a tiny amount of clumping.

Overall: 5.5/10

Rocky Road

This one seems to taste just like the double rich chocolate one but with a toffee aftertaste and some extra sweetness to round it off. It's really nice.
It's a bit sweeter than the DRC one but if you are a sweet tooth person I think this would do you better. For me I think the DRC is better as like I've said I'm not overkeen on sweet stuff.

Mixed great, easy clean.

Overall: 8.5/10

I always wondered how that Rocky Road would have tasted. The only other ON flavor I've had besides 2x chocolate was Cookies n Cream and I did NOT like that flavor.

Mocha Cappuccino

Pretty good this one, kind of tastes just like a milky coffee. I had it cold but I reckon you could have this one warm in the morning instead of a regular coffee.
That being said I'm sure you could just whack a teaspoon of instant coffee in one of the choco ones and not be that far off the same thing. I think I would prefer the versatility of that myself than buying a coffee tasting one off the bat.

Mixed pretty good, just one clump on the mixing mesh when cleaning.

Overall: 8.5/10

Extreme Milk Chocolate

Nice but not as nice as the double rich chocolate. It was sweeter but with less of a chocolate flavor, maybe a little closer to swiss miss.

Other than that pretty much the same if a little underwhelming given it's name.

Mixed and cleaned off perfectly.

Overall: 8.5/10

this is such a great thread! :tucool:

its really making me want to buy a sample pack just so i can have various protein shakes all week. :lol:

Cheers.

That's not a bad idea, if it's something you'll be buying a lot of then it's probably worth trying a flavor pack to find out what's best for you.

Cookies and Cream

Well I'm surprised you said you didn't like this Dizmal, I think it's great! I'm a sucker for toffee flavored things and this has a definite toffee high note. Pleasant aftertaste too and quite sweet but not ridiculous.
This is another that I think you could also drink warm too and I'm positive it would be really nice when mixed with milk.

Mixed/cleaned perfectly.

I'm going to mark it down just as I did with the mocha one because of it's lack of versatility. Base flavors like chocolate and vanilla can easily be mixed with other things whereas flavors like these are kind of absolute.

Overall: 8.5/10

Delicious Strawberry

Not bad, not great. Has the chemical aftertaste the Strawberry Banana one was guilty of but this one is a bit more palatable.
It's not as sweet as that was and doesn't leave such a lingering aftertaste.

I think this flavor is designed for mixing with milk, which is not what I'm looking for.

Mixed well in contrast to the strawberry banana one and cleaned quick.

Overall: 5/10

This is a pretty good idea. I might base some of your decisions on my next order of whey.

I am using the Orange Cream right now, I think you should give it a go as well.

To me, I can't stand to drink much of it. I am not sure if it's because I am just sick of it or not. The first time I thought it was good, but now it seems to be lumpy, and leaves a horrible after taste. Doesn't clean well at all either.

I'd like to hear your reviews on it.

Caramel Toffee Fudge

I can tell straight away that this one is just the double rich chocolate with a small amount of added toffee flavor. Without the extra sweetness that you associate with toffee it doesn't work. So in this instance unlike the Rocky Road one the addition isn't as successful, I think I'd just prefer the chocolate flavor on its own.

Mixed and cleaned perfectly.

Overall: 8/10

Chocolate Mint

Like I said I've had this one before so knew what to expect. It's nice but a bit underwhelming. You get a nice minty taste but the chocolate taste lags behind.
This one is probably one of the worst for adding other ingredients into as the mint taste isn't very compatible with anything else, even milk.

Mixes and cleans perfectly.

Overall: 7/10

Orange Cream

Well I got round to trying it and I'm not impressed. An odd flavor for a protein shake I think. It's not as bad as the strawberry banana one but it's still quite chemical tasting. It's aftertaste is much better than that one though.
I think this one might taste terrible with milk, it has a kind of frothy feeling plus orange+milk just sounds stomach curdlingly horrible to me.

This was the worst offender for mixing so far. Lots of clumps and stuck to the shaker more than any so far.

I dead on agree with what GhostRider103 said earlier and I don't think I could drink this every day myself.

Overall: 5/10

French Vanilla Creme

Nice and I don't normally like Vanilla ones (mixed with water) so that is a surprise for me. I think this one is better than most Vanillas I've tried as it's got a great balance of sweetness, frothiness and doesn't have that weird aftertaste that can often make you gag with a Vanilla one.
I think this one would be superb with milk.
That being said this doesn't set my world alight, it's good for a vanilla but I think it's becoming clear from what I've been seeing in these flavor pack reviews that chocolate based ones are more my cup of tea.

Mixed/Cleaned great.

Overall: 7.5/10

Banana Cream

I wasn't expecting much from this given the strawberry banana one but I'm happy to say it's very good. It smells of banana and it has that extremely "banana" taste you get when having milk2go banana milkshake or similar. The strawberry one couldn't pull that off but it works here.
I think mixed with milk this would taste like a real nice high calorie milkshake but obviously without the fat calories and miles more protein.
Given the choice of vanilla + blending in a real banana and this I would just take this, not as genuine but much nicer.

Mixed very well, only one clump discovered when drinking.

I'm not sure I would want to drink this all the time but as a change every now and again I think it would definitely fit the bill. Mixed with double rich chocolate for a choc banana one it might be mega nice too.

Overall: Was 8.5/10, now 9/10 - I'm really enjoying this flavor and not getting sick of it like I thought I would.

*Bonus review*

Chocolate Banana

So like I said I ended up buying the Double Rich Chocolate and Banana Creme varieties and I'm just this moment enjoying a 1 scoop of each mix in 16 oz of water.

Very good. The Banana is definitely overpowering the Choco flavor here so I think it could work better with a 2:1 mix of Choco:Banana but still I think this is decent. They probably work better on their own though I guess.

No mixing or cleaning issues.

Overall: 8/10

Double Rich Chocolate

Now this one is good. For mixing with water the Chocolate ones usually are but this one isn't too sweet and isn't accompanied by any bitterness at all.
The slightly chalky feeling/aftertaste common with water mixed choco ones is a lot less with this compared to the Choco Malt one reviewed earlier. It's there but only a tiny amount.
It tastes like a much less sweet Swiss Miss (though not quite as nice). I think you could actually get away with putting hot water in with this protein powder and have a nutritious Hot Chocolate. I think I'll be buying more of this one, so I'll have to give that a go!

Mixed great, rinse clean.

Overall: 9/10

Im ganna try this one out next time I run out, might try and do some brownies with it :eat:

Have any of your ratings changed since trying subsequent ON powders?

Nah I think I'll stick with those ratings. I'd look on them as relative to each other more than anything and all these ratings relative to the goal in mind (i.e. the taste for a protein powder mixed with water).

For eg. I gave the double rich chocolate a 9/10 but that doesn't mean it's going to taste as nice as a proper chocolate milkshake from a restaurant or anything.
As a protein powder mixed with water it's at least that score though.

One thing I will do now I've bought the chocolate and the banana ones proper is have a go with milk (and do the hot chocolate thing I mentioned) and post comments up about that.

Actually I'm going to bump the Banana up to 9/10, it's the one I seem to be attracted to the most when the chocolate tub and it are side by side.


* Addendum *

I've now tried the "hot chocolate" and the chocolate and banana ones in milk.

The Hot Chocolate is ok. It's no Swiss Miss (I think when it's warm it needs to be a touch sweeter) but it's not bad if you fancy a change.

The Chocolate one I'm not a big fan of in milk, I think it's sweetness and aftertaste profile is nicer mixed with water.

The Banana one holds up really nice in milk though, it's very good.

Thanks for starting this thread, it's awesome!!

I ordered one of the 16 flavor packs from ON and will put a brief review of each flavor once I get it in this week. I've tried chocolate and chocolate mint in the past and they were alright with milk but I wanted to branch out and try different flavors. I'll be sure to update with my findings.

I am going to try a different flavor every day until I finish the box....

Double Rich Chocolate
-Sweet, chocolaty flavor
-A little chalky tasting
-Mixed well, very few clumps
-Reminded me of instant hot chocolate (not as sweet of course)
-No aftertaste noticed

Overall I would give it a 9/10. I may order more of this one.....I'll check in tomorrow with another flavor.

Vanilla Ice Cream Flavor

-Vanilla flavor was OK
-Aftertaste is awful with this one; bitter almost
-Smell after it's mixed up is funky (sour milk-like)

Don't recommend this flavor. I mixed with water and it mixed very well in a shaker. I am not going to buy more of this one

Rating: 2/10

Extreme Milk Chocolate Flavor

-VERY chocolaty taste; kind of like raw, bitter cocoa in the mouth
-Sweeter than the Double Rich Chocolate
-Mixed with water very well in mixer cup; no clumps
-Somewhat of a bitter aftertaste
-Was drinkable but didn't really enjoy like the double rich choc

This one might be good mixed with something else but I don't think it's that great on its own. It's OK but the bitter aftertaste kind of turned me off. I might buy a small package of this one to mix with another flavor or put some peanut butter in.

Overall: 6/10

Cool. I'll be interested to see how you get on in comparison to me. So far I think we are on much the same level.

Looks like you are just mixing with water same as me, are you going to do that for all of them because as you've found with the Vanilla I think some are designed to go in milk.

If it's on a workout day, I mix it with milk. If it's a non-workout day (I'm just using whey these days to increase protein intake), I just mix with water. The vanilla ice cream flavor was awful. Reminded me of cheap, grainy vanilla ice cream with a sour milk smell.

So far, I am going to buy a 5lb of the Double Rich Chocolate (been my favorite). I will continue to update with my flavor reviews.

Chocolate Malt Flavor

-Good flavor overall; chocolaty with a toffee-like aftertaste
-Slight bitterness but not overwhelming
-Mixed well; I mixed with milk tonight after workout; no clumps

This one was alright. I don't think I could drink it regularly but it wasn't too bad. I think I still like the double rich chocolate myself.

Overall: 6/10

Tropical Punch Flavor

-Fruity and sweet
-Mixed well with water; can't imagine this one with milk
-Aftertaste was bearable; not too artificial tasting
-It's weird!

This one wasn't half as bad as I had imagined it would be. I probably wouldn't mind having this one on occasion to switch things up.

Overall: 7/10

mcfc98-

What protein have you been using over the past year since you put your reviews on here?

I am still working on my flavor reviews and will continue to update...

Have you tried any of the Nitrean or At Large products? If so, how do they taste in comparison? After reading some of Chris' posts and other info online, I may give them a go...

Banana Cream Flavor

I really liked this one!! I think I liked this one as much as the double rich chocolate, maybe more. The flavor didn't taste too artificial and it was frothy even mixed with water. I had it with some granola with milk as a PWO meal. I think I may buy a small package of this one.

-No aftertaste
-Fruity banana flavor is strong; somewhat sweet
-Mixed well with water

Overall: 9.5/10

Orange Cream Flavor

-Flavor not that strong and not that sweet
-Not bad but I wouldn't want this much
-Aftertaste was quite bitter
-Mixed with water well; no clumps

Not buying this one again.

Overall: 4/10

mcfc98-

What protein have you been using over the past year since you put your reviews on here?

I am still working on my flavor reviews and will continue to update...

Have you tried any of the Nitrean or At Large products? If so, how do they taste in comparison? After reading some of Chris' posts and other info online, I may give them a go...

I still use ON Chocolate and Banana varieties for post-workout. Never got bored of them.

I also use an MRP called Bio-X Power Meal for times when I want a "meal" rather than a post workout shake, usually when I have to work late nights and don't want the overtime meal they are ordering because it's pizza or something like that.
The mix of fats and carbs with it make it more satisfying/filling than straight whey.


I've not tried Nitrean, I would like to but the postage costs to Canada are a little steep.
Also it is rather costly compared to the others mentioned above, though some people think it's worth it for the mix ratio. Though if I wanted a mix I'd be getting (and have got) a personalized one from www.TrueProtein.com instead.

The Nitrean was about $0.15/serving more expensive than the ON I was looking at so I didn't consider that much of a difference. I am going to try and Nitrean and see how it goes. I have read that because it's a blend that you don't need as much to get the same effects as straight up whey protein like the ON. I may order a small container of the banana cream ON though, it's been my favorite so far.

The Nitrean was about $0.15/serving more expensive than the ON I was looking at so I didn't consider that much of a difference. I am going to try and Nitrean and see how it goes. I have read that because it's a blend that you don't need as much to get the same effects as straight up whey protein like the ON. I may order a small container of the banana cream ON though, it's been my favorite so far.

It's $10 more + $30 shipping for me (plus has 4 less servings per jug - it's 4.6lbs vs ON's 5).
Dunno what shipping is like for you, maybe it isn't a deal killer.

It pushes it way into super-premium product for me as that cost adds up fast if you consume protein regularly.

Anyway thread being derailed a bit here.

Oh wow, that's quite a bit more shipping to you.....back to the subject at hand.

Banana Strawberry Flavor
-Good banana flavor like the banana cream
-Strawberry flavor seemed kind of artificial-tasting
-Not much of an aftertaste
-Mixed well with water; no clumps

This one was alright. I didn't like it near as much as the banana cream. It tasted like banana cream with artifiical strawberry flavor added in which I wasn't too keen on. Don't think I will get more of this one....

Overall: 5/10

Chocolate Mint Flavor

-Good chocolaty flavor
-No aftertaste
-Very subtle mint aftertaste but quite nice
-I've had this one before so I knew what to expect
-Smooth; mixed well and tasted great with water

I have always liked this one. The mint flavor is very subtle and comes out as an aftertaste. I may get a small pack of this one for later...

Overall: 9/10

Rocky Road Flavor

-Very sweet toffee flavor
-Mixed well; mixed with milk for PWO shake
-Seemed like a mix of chocolate and toffee

I liked this one but it was rather sweet. It may be better diluted more than 8 oz with milk or water. I would say it was like drinking milk with choc and caramel syrup mixed in. Good taste. I might get a small pack of this...

Overall: 8/10

This has been an interesting thread... could you make a list from most preferred to least preferred?

THANKS!!!!

Strawberry Flavor

-Strawberry taste very artificial tasting
-Bitter aftertaste fairly prominent
-Mixed well with water; no clumps
-Chalky flavor

This one was alright. I could definitely not drink this on a regular basis as it was kind of like drinking chalk with a strawberry flavored candy (or strawberry antacid liquid). It wasn't repulsive but not good either.

Overall: 3.5/10

Cookies & Cream Flavor

-Tasted like the French Vanilla with some Oreo flavor
-Sour milk-like taste
-Very sweet; too sweet in my opinion

Overall: 3/10

French Vanilla Creme

-Better than the Vanilla Ice Cream but still had that sour-milk like taste
-Sweet; more of a richer taste than the Vanilla ice cream
-Mixed well with water; no clumps

Better than the Vanilla Ice Cream but not very good nonetheless. I am not big on vanilla flavored shakes anyway so I probably won't buy this one again.

Overall: 4/10

Thanks to mcfc98 for this thread. I was at GNC last night looking for some new whey protein and I bought hte Double Rich Chocolate on sale and also 20% off with my Gold Card. Had it today in my sludge and it was delicious. Thanks so much for this thread. It really helped me out.

No problem, Leftyx. The double rich chocolate is definitely the best flavor that ON Whey has going for them. I would suggest to you to try some Nitrean Chocolate from At Large. I tried it out and like it much better than the ON. I could drink either, but I definitely prefer the taste of the Choco Nitrean better. Just a thought when you need protein next time...

No problem, Leftyx. The double rich chocolate is definitely the best flavor that ON Whey has going for them. I would suggest to you to try some Nitrean Chocolate from At Large. I tried it out and like it much better than the ON. I could drink either, but I definitely prefer the taste of the Choco Nitrean better. Just a thought when you need protein next time...

I actually bought a tub of Nitrean when I first started coming to JSF.com. I remember it was okay and the taste of the ON DR Chocolate reminds me of the Nitrean. It was a bit expensive and I really like the ON now. But I didn't consider the cost of the ON this time so I'll go back and compare that to the Nitrean Choco. Thanks for the thought.