The early days: Cake batter
"The way I usually describe it is like cake batter with much less sugar."
- James Lohner on Quora
Peter experienced Soylent from the very early days. He notes how easy it is to add extra flavours (e.g. peanut butter). He even mixed in a shot of espresso to add to the kick of the shake.
Liquid Sandies Shortbread Cookies
"It tastes very much like a liquid form of Sandies Shortbread Cookies mixed with soymilk, with a slickly thick, broth-like viscosity."
- /u/phoenixscar on Reddit
Although he advises everyone to make it right before drinking, this reddit reviewer loves the taste of his Soylent.
A very pudding-y shake
"The mouthfeel is consistent and smooth."
- /u/AmpleWarning on Reddit
This review is about Ketochow, a ketogenic version of complete meals. Because of the heavy amount of fats the shakes have a great feel and this shake was made with heavy cream.
The taste was better than expected
"I was expecting a bland gruel. I guess what I got is exactly that in some people's opinion, but I was honestly positively surprised. It is a bit boring - like oatmeal, but made a bit more interesting with a flavor." - Vilhelm Carlström for Business Insider
Vilhelm was one of the early people who wrote about Joylent (Jimmy Joy) and found the experience more than pleasurable. He didn't like all flavors, but because he had a choice that his next order only that much easier.
Apple pie taste is really good, but subtle
"Liked them all! Flavors not too strong, and I'm glad that there's a bit of texture (feels more like a meal)"
- Mike in Queal's reviews
Mike loves the variety of flavors that Queal offers him. He also notes that the texture of the shakes is something positive (these are the whole grain oats).
I loved, loved the flavor
"That 33 grams of fat really made for a delicious, creamy shake and combined with all the cinnamon and honey made for something that tasted pretty akin to liquid shortbread or Graham crackers. I can drink this all day."
- Nick English for BarBend
Ample is one of the more expensive meal replacement drinks (at $8 per meal). But that doesn't mean that the taste of the product isn't great.
Jake comes with Vanilla taste
"Jakes tastes ok. It's a little thick which I guess it has to be in order to fill the stomache to a certain degree."
- Sebastian on his website
Independent reviews aren't always glowing about the taste and for Sebastian the flavor was just OK. What is easy about Jake is that making the meal took him no more than one minute.
It’s like dinner has simply appeared in my stomach, like an immaculate mea
"My second Huel tastes a bit of coffee and a bit of chocolate. It tastes quite a lot of Huel, too, but it’s more palatable."
- Peter Robinson for The Guardian
Not everyone likes the subdued flavors of complete meals and Peter was one of them. He wasn't feeling the love for Huel, but things got better when he used the flavor packages that they provide.
The taste of all flavours is very natural and yummy
"Tastes like Müsli, especialy when used with milk."
- Daniel Kogler on Lently review page
What sets Lently aside from other meal replacement shakes is that they use no additives of any kind. Some love it, others find the shakes a bit too natural.
Tastes like oatmeal pancake batter, but less flavorful, more gritty and kind of chalky.
"I felt happy, more than usual. Feeling positive led to getting up earlier and being genuinely excited for a productive day."
- Josh Helton for The Hustle
Josh lived of Soylent for 30 days straight. The flavor was maybe not what he enjoyed most, but the productivity gain is something that makes him continue using the shakes after his experiment.
It's kinda like a milkshake except more "heavy" and with all the daily nutriments you need.
"Once drank, I'm feeling as full as with a normal dinner. My favorites are Super Strawberry and Awesome Apple Pie. I also recommend putting the mix a couple of hours in the fridge to enhance the taste."
- /u/Synchronyme on Reddit
One of the first reviews of Queal on Reddit highlights the different flavors and how putting it in the fridge can enhance the flavor.