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

I was a little concerned about buying this due to the "Double Rich Chocolate" flavor as although I like chocolate I thought it might be too rich. I was very pleased to discover it's not as strong as the name might infer.I also purchased this specific flavor because after research I found flavors like the Vanilla Ice Cream etc contain ingredients like :Cellulose GumXantham GumSaltSucraloseetc.This specific Double Rich Chocolate DOES NOT!!! May not seem a big deal for some but I wanted to steer away from those specific added ingredients, albeit they are in very low quantities. So if you are choosing this brand (which is rated #1 amongst athletes etc) be aware that different flavors contain different added ingredients.BTW, this brand DOES contain "Whey Protein Isolate" which is by far the most recommended protein type. Again, another big deal for me in choosing this specific brand.I use fat free milk for my base fluid although water works just as good. Rather than whisk or stir it up I use a high speed mixer which creams up the solution nicely. No powdery taste etc when mixed thoroughly (as the label instructs).I can't make any statements about how well it works, how great the protein is etc, at this time as I've only just started using it. I will update my review in a month or so with an update. Overall this is the best quality whey (especially this specific flavor) so from all my research I'd definitely recommend it. Also, you don't have to workout regularly to benefit from having an additional protein intake. Talk to your doctor, even if your retired...

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!

When I was originally looking for a protein supplement I got started with Optimum Nutrition Double Rich Chocolate (5-pounds). While I was pleased with it, I decided to look into a few alternative brands. I can't claim that with any brand I felt a big physical difference. That said I am using whey protein more as a supplement, so I rarely had more than one serving a day and at times did not have any if I felt my food that day supplied adequate protein. (Yeah, it took me a while to get through five pounds of this stuff.)- Cost/PricingOne misconception I had as I looked for protein was that comparing price per pound. I thought I was making a good comparison of the cost of each, where it really makes more sense for me to compare price per serving. Since the other two main proteins I tried had a serving size 30-45% larger, the containers I was buying would not last any where near the same length.For example, the 2.91 pounds of Syntha-6 I bought was not bad on price, but only contained 30 servings because of its huge serving size. The fact that almost three pounds would only last me a month or so made it a much more costly protein. Here's a break down of serving sizes.Serving Sizes (in grams):Optimum Nutrition - 30.4g - (24g protein)Six-Star - 39g - (26g protein)Syntha-6 - 44g - (22g protein)- Artificial SweetnersThe other disappointment with the two other protein powders was they both use Sucralose (witch is more or less Splenda). Particularly with the Syntha-6 that advertises on their container that they do not use Aspartame, it is a little deceptive to just replace it with a different artificial sweetener. Everyone varies a bit on their take of artificial sweeteners; personally I avoid them, at least in anything I would be consuming on a regular basis. With that said, understand Optimum Nutrition is using Acesulfame Potassium as an artificial sweetener in their whey protein. I am torn on how I should feel about that; it is something I would rather avoid.- TasteSyntha-6 was the best tasting of the powders I tried, but considering it contains six grams of fat (two grams saturated fat), it really should taste pretty good. Fat content is something that I think people freak out about a little too much at times. Syntha-6 is actually intend as a meal replacement as well as a protein supplement, so it makes sense they would have a higher fat content. Depending on your goals or nutritional needs that may or may not be a good thing. I saw it more as a negative since I was simply looking for a way to add protein to my diet, particularly after exercise. Meal replacement isn't something I am too interested in... meal addition is more up my alley ;) (Optimum Nutrition has 1 gram of fat per serving)- ConclusionOf any protein I have tried for a decent amount of time (at least three weeks) Optimum is still my favorite. The taste is good, especially when mixed with milk; and as most have said it mixed pretty easily. I order another five pound container, it will take me a while to get through that. The down side that I still find with it is the use of Acesulfame Potassium, but I have yet to find a good powder with no artificial sweeteners just yet. Over all I would recommend it, has not given me any adverse side effects, like gas or discomfort. (I always think it is a good idea though to try a new supplement at half dose instead of full to get an idea of how it will effect you.)