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

I’ve been using Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey for several months now, and it has consistently lived up to its reputation. The mixability is excellent—no clumps when shaken with water or milk—and the taste is among the best I’ve tried. (Double Rich Chocolate is my go-to flavor.)It’s a great post-workout option, easy on the stomach, and I’ve noticed quicker recovery times and better muscle maintenance since incorporating it into my routine. I also appreciate that it contains minimal sugar and a solid dose of protein per serving.Whether you’re new to supplements or a regular gym-goer, this is a reliable and effective protein powder. Highly recommend!

This vanilla ice cream whey protein is amazing! It mixes smoothly, tastes great, it isn’t too thick and doesn’t have that nasty aftertaste like other protein powders. It’s not chalky at all, which I really appreciate. The vanilla flavor is just right not too sweet and it blends well with water, milk, or in smoothies. I also love how effective it is keeping me full and energized after workouts. Definitely one of the best protein powders I’ve tried!

I’ve been using Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey for years, and it continues to be one of the best protein powders out there.The taste is excellent—especially the Double Rich Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream flavors. It mixes smoothly in water or milk with just a shaker (no blender needed), and it’s not chalky or overly sweet like some other brands.Each scoop delivers 24g of high-quality whey protein, including whey isolate as the first ingredient, which is great for muscle recovery after workouts. I’ve noticed better results and less soreness when I use it consistently post-exercise.

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!

Optimum's Whey Protein is a very good choice for a chocolate protein powder.I tend to use this powder in two forms. I blend it with milk and a banana for a protein shake, and I mix it into yogurt for a protein bowl.It's super easy to measure and scoop using the included scooping device.When using a blender, it is relatively easy to mix the protein powder into a shake. When mixing by hand, you will find it is challenging to break apart some of the clumps and keep the powder from sticking to the bowl or coming out of the bowl and making a mess. With that said, I don't think this is a problem exclusive to this brand, it is simply a fact of life with many protein powders.The taste is good, it is a good source of protein, the price is right, and it does the job.

I’ve tried dozens of protein powders over the years, and Optimum Nutrition Double Rich Chocolate is hands down the best. The flavor is smooth, deep, and genuinely rich without being overly sweet or artificial. It mixes effortlessly in water or milk with just a shaker. No clumps, no weird texture. It's my go to for post workout shakes and helping in muscle building. It also digests easily with zero bloating. If you’re serious about your fitness and want something that tastes great, works well, and has low carbs and high protein, this is the gold standard for a reason.

I’m getting back into the gym after a few years off, and while tracking my diet it was obvious I wasn’t getting enough protein. This came highly recommended for taste and being easy to mix, so I tried it out. Thankfully the rumors were true! Even just mixed in water (I prefer milk), it’s not grainy and mixes easily in my helimix bottle. The extreme milk chocolate smells and tastes great, which I can’t say for some if the others I used to use. Comes with a scoop (some brands don’t include those anymore) so measuring is quick and easy, and it’s a pretty good value for how much you get. I’ll definitely be buying this again and also trying other flavors to keep it fun. Definitely recommended!