More sharply ‘rummy’ than the UHT version, and accompanied by a ‘soiled paint thinner’ note quite opposite of the pleasantly sweet vanilla aroma. On its own, you might not notice the shortcomings as much, but in serial comparison to other chocolate milks, it’s surprisingly ugly.
Sweet and dirty, like how you’d expect the mud in Candyland to taste. The texture is more syrupy than milky, and you can tell there’s some fortification therein, particularly in the aftertaste.
Smooth with a chalky finish— the cocoa flavor definitely steers into a rum-like direction, which is not what I’m looking for in chocolate milk.
Remarkably creamy and chocolaty experience, without the sugar. It’s sweet enough, but only barely— and it works, as this manages to retain an indulgence that isn’t cheapened by loads of sugar, gimmicky flavors, or a contrived texture.
Thicker, and thankfully more flavorful than the canned version. It’s still on the bland side of the ledger, but does a better job at emulating chocolate milk than other Milo manifestations, and it is fairly well balanced for what it is.
Watery and weak, unsatisfying flavor. Without much chocolate, sweetness, salt, malt, or cream— what do you have? An utterly pointless product.
Similar to the 1L box version from a taste standpoint, but carries a stronger ‘sourness’ that becomes more reminiscent of ‘freezerburn’ taste, detracting a bit from the overall experience.
Competent, straightforward, and a touch on the bland side. You could do a lot worse, but with the same amount of effort, you could do a standard deviation or two better.
The ‘caramel’ piece is not at all obvious, and you’re still left with an under-flavorful experience that blends in with it surroundings on the UHT milk shelf. It’s a bit saltier than the typical Dutch Lady product, and if that’s attributable to the ‘caramel’ flavor, then it’s a positive (but still relatively impotent) thing.
Relatively smooth, but tastes like a fortified drink to an extent— there’s a minor vitamin-enhanced-metallic bent to the flavor that is not necessarily distracting, but just as prominent as the (still weak) cocoa flavor. A few straw-lengths and the tiny box is depleted, much like your desire to siphon 125mL more.
Powdery and uninteresting. Lacks any sort of compelling flavor, and the texture is needlessly granular. It’s not ‘gross’ or ‘strange’ by any means, just relatively pointless.
Chocolaty, noticeably chalky, and carries a very mild sourness that registers as unique and somewhat interesting— though the flavor washes out a bit quicker than you’d hope.
Super thin and smooth, just like the boxed version, and a little less bland, though far from overpoweringly flavorful. It does carry a much more noticeable salt quality, which amplifies the cream and creates a stronger overall experience.
Record-scratchingly bland— it’s sporting ‘business casual’ to a Halloween rave. Nothing is offensive here, just rather pointless— especially if you’re expecting flavor in proportion to the chocolate chunks that abound on the package.
It's clearly a malt rather than chocolate focus— executed rather tastefully, I might add. It takes one sip to get used to it, and by the third, you’re looking forward to several more.
Unexpectedly thick for a boxed milk, I kept expecting the flavor to turn sketchy— but it never quite did. It’s well proportioned (in contrast to other F&N products I’ve had in the past), and a pleasant surprise— though the viscosity remains a drawback for my tastes.
Begins with a remarkably sharp salty hit that feels artificial, and is entirely distracting from whatever else might be taking place. Thankfully, it recedes almost as quickly as it comes on, but each sip repeats the cycle, and it’s not something you’ll want to experience multiple times in a row.
The heavy chalkiness is (in part) warranted by the cocoa flavor, and (in part) mitigated by the cream quotient that serves as a competent base for a drink that is nearly devoid of sweetness- and it works. The flavor is more of a ‘slow burn’— and it feels more sophisticated than your average sweetened milk beverage.
Watery, strangely thin but powdery, and carries a hint of a fermented ‘beery’ note that is thankfully fleeting, but still present in every sip.
Malty, chalky, but still decently satisfying considering the relatively low calorie content. The flavor washes out more quickly than the cartoned version, making the residual chalk more noticeable. In short, not bad for a canned drink.
