Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey Protein Powder, 100% Hydrolyzed Whey Isolate Powder, Flavor: Velocity Vanilla, 3.5 Pounds (Packaging May Vary)

I ordered the double rich chocolate (DBC), thanks to reviews indicating it did not use sucralose (and it does not as of 06/12/18). Ive never used ON before, I do not know if it used to taste better. As of 06/12/18 the DBC flavor tastes roughly like burnt brownie flavored cardboard. Thing is, I understand without a SUPER sweetener, it can be difficult to achieve flavor, but be forewarned, it is AWFUL tasting. Consistency remains almost the same as whatever liquid you have mixed it into (adds no extra thickness). I tried both water and milk. On the positive front, it is jam packed with goodies with every scoop. It mixes extremely well (I use milk mainly) and when mixed with other powders, it continued to mix well (I add extra probiotics and stuff for my joints). I let it sit for a few hours on the counter, everything settled and needed a slight jostle, but (aside from being warm) mixed right back up and tasted exactly the same with the same consistency, which is great as I have had powders that turn to sludge if you let it sit for too long.

When I was setting up an Insanity workout schedule back in the late summer (which I had to leave off once allergy season started), I researched and bought a number of different health-shake related products. The short version of this review is that I tried ONs Platinum Hydro Whey first, as a supplement to the P90X formula; eventually ran out of it; tried the other things I bought; and am now giving them away to go back to this! Being somewhat lactose intolerant, I worried that a pure milk product would be a problem, but decided to risk it due to the hydrolyzed state. Perhaps because of that I never once had a problem with this product. (And I see some other reviewers didnt either, although some have in fact had stomach cramps, so apparently it depends on the personal biochemistry. Buyer be warned. UPDATED TO ADD: as of early September 2012, the product now contains a slight amount of lactose. Not enough to bother me, but could be problematic for other people.) I bought the vanilla version (also in other products) specifically for the purpose of adding some protein and now-missing vanilla flavor back to the new version of the P90X Recovery Formula drink. As many people here will be aware, this was a very popular drink in its original incarnation, largely due to its strong mixture of vanilla and orange flavors. The new version tastes more like Tang, but lacks the sugar and vanilla flavor to hide the vitamin/mineral aftertaste. ON Platinum Hydro Whey added that vanilla flavor back to the P90 mix; and also beefed up the protein to carb ratio. (The P90 has a lot more carbs than proteins.) To this I added a bit of real Tang. As other people have reported, the Hydro Whey mixes very easily and thoroughly (even moreso than the P90 mix, by the way, which is no slouch in this department!) On the other hand, I probably wouldnt try to drink this as a straight milk supplement or alone with water, as I doubt the taste, although very good, would be strong enough for me. On yet another hand, the taste has no mineralish bite or aftertaste to it (because there arent any added vitamins and minerals, duh!) Buyers should keep in mind the report of other reviewers, that ON is being rather misleading about the supposedly superior amount of protein compared to their normal Gold Standard whey products. Mathematically speaking, there is practically no difference. I cant testify to any other differences, although technically I suppose the hydrolyzed state should metabolize much faster (and maybe mixes better). On the other hand, some people dont actually want so quick a metabolization, and would rather have the material digest over time. I dont know enough to opine on the merits of either theory, but as someone who has trouble digesting milk products I appreciate any quicker digestion! Anyway, Im buying it again and getting rid of the other things I test-bought, as they dont mix as well or taste as good (although the latter is subjective and they do have advantages this doesnt. But of course Im mixing this with something that has those other advantages already, so...)

Short review: This products works well, tastes great, and is easy on the stomach. I would recommend it. Longer review: Ill start off by briefly informing you that I use this product specifically to supplement my protein intake after a workout. Previously, I used Optimum Nutritions Gold Standard Whey for the past ~2 years. Before that, Ive used a few others and concluded that ON seems to deliver the best overall protein. That being said, I tried ONs Hydrowhey because hydrolyzed whey is absorbed very quickly after consumption. Taste (Turbo Chocolate): 9/10 Vanilla soymilk is my preferred base liquid, and this flavor tastes great with it. ...Probably even better than their Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate flavor. Mixability: 8/10 Ive used the same blender bottle for about two years as well, and this Hydrowhey seemed to clump up slightly more than their Gold Standard and stick to the lid of the bottle. Not a huge deal, but worth noting. Ingredients: 9.5/10 Lots of protein and not a whole lot of other garbage that a lot of commercial proteins contain. People will complain about artificial ingredients in their protein, but Im not from that camp. Personally, Id be upset if they started dumping sugar into it. Its also noteworthy that this protein powder (like other ON protein powders) has BCAAs, which is convenient, so that I dont have to order another product or even risk forgetting to take it. Digestability: 8/10 I include this because theres a common talking point about hydro whey being tough on your stomach. For this reason, I procrastinated in trying this, but Im glad that I did. Personally, this maybe had an effect on my stomach about 5% of the time (maybe 2 or 3 days out of the first month that I used it). All in all, Id recommend ONs hydrowhey. I only tried their Turbo Chocolate flavor, and its definitely a winner. Its a little pricey, but the quality of ingredients and taste make it worth it. I paid full price for my whey and my opinions are my own. If you found this review to be helpful in any way, feel free to tap the Yes button to indicate this was helpful to you. Thanks!

3 stars simply for the taste. I ordered Velocity Vanilla and it just tastes weird. Is this because of added vitamin or nutrients? Just really weird tasting.

Excellent choice I did. The flavor is better that any protein I used before. Recommend 100%. If you want extra sweet, you can add peanut butter and maybe a banana.

I drank one serving of this immediately after my workout. Felt half as sore as I usually do. Helped me noticeably recover faster.

I usually take protein shake after my workout. The benefits of optimum nutrition platinum hydro whey is absorbed fast and I feel my muscles get energy

The macros are good, but between the price over ONs Gold Standard Whey and how watered down it tastes, no one in the household liked this protein powder. Its not the worst by any means, but I could see it more as an ingredient in high-protein meals (ie overnight oats) rather than a powder Id mix into a drink.

Doesnt seem to be any more potent or effective for me than my previous muscle milk. Ive gone through about half a tub at this point and I feel its giving me similar if not the same results as my muscle milk light. I will say the flavor on this stuff is absolutely amazing. Im on the Turbo Chocolate and the flavor is unmatched by anything ive ever had, and ive tried a lot (worst flavor being eas stuff), middle being muscle milk and the top being ON. The consistency is dependent on how much water you use; it mixes the best of any powder ive ever tried also, you can dump a crapload of powder on the bottom of your cup and pour water in and it will still mix without issue. Also find that it works best with water surprisingly, although using it with milk is good too if you want the extra calories or few grams of extra protein. Overall id give this stuff a 10, but overall price to taste to other options it comes out at a 9 because it is priced high and I feel I could get just as good results with any other powder...just not the taste.

Although the product is a little bit more expensive than the other ones by bout $15 the price difference is all in the protein by how easily it absorbs, my shakes come out extremely smooth and frothy. Let alone the taste of this is by far one of the better proteins I’ve consumed but I’ve only been through about 6 jars of different brands and flavors. I usually don’t write reviews but this one was just a big surprise and a hit for me. Definitely going to be sticking with this for a while