NOW Foods Sports Nutrition, Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, 80% Protein, Unflavored Powder, 2-Pound

Yeah it tastes like cardboard but what do you expect it's UNFLAVORED PROTEIN ISOLATE not creme brulee. I mix 50/50 with Now Pea Protein and two tablespoons of pure maple syrup and pound it down as soon as I hit the locker room after my workout. It's not bad. Not good but not bad. You want bad? Try pounding down citruline malate. I'm not sipping this in a Paris cafe. I'm using it to make gains without eating a lot of weird additives or gross flavorings and sweeteners like stevia (barf).If you want something that doesn't taste like cardboard out of the container, buy something else.

1) I like the performance I get with this protein, especially when I mix it with pea protein.2) This is raw rice protein - it's going to taste like earth or rice bran regardless of who makes it. It will also be hard to mix, so use a blender.3) I notice that the serving size is 5g, delivering 4g of protein. I'm convinced this is because of palatability; most people won't use much more than this without feeling overwhelmed by the flavor.4) You'll need to work on different recipes to hide the flavor, but this product delivers a hearty, healthy, protein source. Chocolate hides the flavor well, and banana/cinnamon can distract the tongue too!

Wow. The other reviewers were not kidding when they said this stuff tasted straight-up "foul." It really is some of the nastiest-tasting protein powder I have ever had. I tried mixing it with something sweet, and it has this tangy/bitter during-and-aftertaste that refuses to fade. It's absolutely horrendous. I think maybe it might work well under grapefruit juice... maybe? It would still be chalky, so that would still be totally gross. Like a chalky, grainy glass of bitter grapefruit juice with a hint of old cheese and aloe. I would want to return it, but I have already opened it. I'm glad it wasn't so expensive, but it was more than I would ever volunteer to pay for it given the circumstances. I was mixing this with the pea protein powder of the same brand (which is not so bad as this one) to get a complete protein source. It tasted so bad, and I had to figure out which one of them was ruining my drinks/meals. Definitely this one. For the love of Pete, get a different rice protein powder. The low carbs do not make up for anything.UPDATE (08/12/2016):Based on my previous review, I was able to concoct a somewhat acceptable sauce/soup using this protein powder. I made it into what tastes like a Creamy Citrus Parmesan Soup, using lemon flavoring along with some spices and coconut milk. It made sense out of all those flavors that I couldn't quite enjoy. Holy crap, I'm glad I can cook. Since I have figured out a somewhat decent way to utilize it, I will up my rating to at least 3 stars.UPDATE (08/13/2016):Just tried making a "Citrus-Vanilla Shake," but the bitterness is overwhelming. It's just palatable enough that I can get it down. It really does taste like aloe. Yuck. The "cheesy" flavor is only highlighted when it is mixed in with something savory. I guess, I was just determined to see if I could make it taste good, but I've failed. It cannot taste "good"... only "tolerable." I, at least, was able to get the "Citrus-Vanilla Shake" down faster than the soup. I'll use the rest of it because I don't want to be wasteful, but I'm so not purchasing this powder again.UPDATE (08/22/2016):Okay, so I figured out the fastest way to consume this stuff if you HAVE TO do it for the nutritional value... DON'T TRY TO MAKE IT TASTE GOOD. Just mix it with a good amount of water, and chug. Then you can enjoy whatever you were going to mix it into without it, and you get closer to your water requirement for the day. Problem solved. I appreciate the price and the nutritional profile, so maybe I'll give it one more star. The taste is downright appalling, but it serves its purpose, and keeps me satisfied for hours.

As someone who can have normal whey protein this fits the bill and works great. However it doesn’t seem to matter what you mix this with nothing masks the taste and texture.

I wanted to try something other than whey protein. Rice protein has an intense, nutty, bitter flavor so you need to be creative what you mix it with. Does not go well with most smoothies but blends better with oats and cereal.

1. I read the reviews and thought others just hadn't tried stuff to mask the flavor. WRONG (or maybe right, but nothing can :). See below).2. It doesn't come with a scoop. (What protein powder doesn't come with a scoop?? One whose serving size is only 1Tbsp because of the inhumane flavor :) )3. 1 Tbsp is the serving size. And 1 Tbsp in 20oz water, and it just tastes a little nutty. Like nutty mixed with dirt lol (not kidding tho) Not the greatest, but definitely tolerable. **However, 1 Tbsp is only 4g protein.**4. 5 Tbsp in 32oz water (to get to 20g protein) and this product is irredeemable. I literally tried 10 Tbsp pure Hershey cocoa powder and 6 Tbsp Stevia powder to mask this horrible idea, and even those didn't work.I eventually just threw it out. I think it's been too long for me to get my $$ back, but I'm going to check.DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY unless you already know you like the taste, or it will be bypassing taste buds like through a feeding tube or something. Because it's seriously that bad.

Now, this product is exactly what's advertised: Rice Protein powder. Is it the most delicious form of protein? Many say no. Does it blend perfectly? With a blender, it blends just fine. I mix it with pea protein in a 1:1 ratio. Is it a bit gritty by itself? Yes. Yet I use it every day to get extra vegan protein for my workouts. It's unfair to judge this product for being what it is. It would be like rating bananas with a 1-star because you personally can't stand banana flavor. Or the effort of having to peel a fruit. Or an aversion to the color yellow. So don't be a hater and appreciate this for the fine product that it happens to be by nature. Amen.