Customer Reviews

SynTrax Nectar Whey Protein Isolate, Fuzzy Navel , 2.14-Pound Plastic Jar

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've been using Syntrax Nectar for sometime and have yet to find a protein drink I like as much. Unlike the chocolate/vanilla/etc. milk-based protein shakes, it's designed to dissolve easily in water and comes in a variety of mostly fruit-type flavors. Overall I've had good luck with the various flavors, they are easy to mix, generally have little aftertaste and not as obvious "protein" taste as most whey drinks. However, my experiences with different flavors is not equal and some I would recommend over others. So here's a rundown of flavors I have tried and my ratings of them. Please keep in mind that there are often variations in lots, I've definitely sometimes gotten a batch that has particular issues dissolving and other times, the same flavor does much better. So this is just my own personal experience.

1. Apple Ecstasy - 4 stars - This is the first flavor I tried and I like the taste a lot, very "Jolly Rancher" apple flavor. For some reason though I seem to have more problem with this flavor versus others properly dissolving, it tends to leave behind a bit of grit that I don't care for.

2. Roadside Lemonade - 5 stars - This is my favorite flavor and the one I generally buy. It has great lemon flavor with little aftertaste. I often use a little less than a full scoop which helps it dissolve completely and dilutes out the strong lemon taste a little. I do get some clumps sometimes, but I find it less offensive than the grit I get with the Apple Ecstasy.

3. Strawberry Kiwi - 3 stars - This was just so-so for me but a lot of people would probably like it. I am a big fan of strawberries but the taste didn't work well for me as a drink. It's not a bad as some flavors, but not in my favorites.

4. Caribbean Cooler - 1 star - My least favorite that I've tried. This is a kind of "pina colada" flavor and I found it quite awful. It is a strong taste of coconut and little of the pineapple, if it was the other way around it probably would be much better. Again, everyone's tastes are different, and I know some people like it, but this just didn't work at all for me.

5. Fuzzy Navel - 5 stars - I like this orange flavor a lot and it's my favorite next to Roadside Lemonade. It's not quite like orange juice but close enough to taste like something you are used to drinking.

6. Natural Peach - 2 stars - Peach is one of my favorite flavors so I was eager to try this one, but definitely did not like it much. The "Naturals" line does not have Sucralose and claims to have only natural flavors and sweetners, but strangely enough, it has a more artifical and strange aftertaste for me than the regular flavors. I'm guessing this is due to the protein taste being less "hidden" than in the other types, but for whatever reason, it definitely was not something I would care to drink again. If you have issues with Sucralose though, it may be worth trying.

7. Crystal Sky - 4 stars - This one tastes like a berry-flavored Kool-Aid or Gatorade and has the same bright blue color. If you like Gatorade, you will probably like this flavor as well. I liked the flavor as it is so close to the taste of a normal type of drink although the couple times I've had it I had a little more problem with clumping. I've found clumping to vary with batches and if you use a protein mixing device instead of just vigorous stirring with a spoon like I usually do, it probably won't be an issue.

8. Natural Fruit Punch - 2 stars - Like the Natural Peach, this has a weird aftertaste I really disliked, I just can't imagine someone preferring this flavor over others. It seems that the "Natural" line of Nectar all have this strange aftertaste that is very unpleasant due to the lack of Sucralose, so consider that when choosing the flavor(s) to try.

9. Lemon Iced Tea - 2-1/2 stars - If you like iced tea, you may like this flavor, but it wasn't for me. It does have a taste very similar to iced tea (reminded me of Lipton) and seems to dissolve okay but it was a bit strong for me. A bigger issue was the color of it is kind of off-putting. It was a lot darker than the normal watered-down brown color of iced tea, and looked more like mud. I just found it hard to look at that yucky brown color and want to drink it down.

10. - Cappuccino - 2 stars - This is from their new "Lattes" line and is basically coffee flavored. It dissolved nicely and you can drink either either cold or warm, in water or milk. I tried it just in water with some ice and it does taste reasonably like iced coffee, with perhaps a touch of spice. However, it has a rather strong artificial sweeter aftertaste, stronger than any Nectar flavor I've had, that doesn't go away for sometime after consuming it. Clearly, people that don't like coffee won't like this flavor, but if you are a dedicated coffee drinker like me, you may also not care for something that tastes "sort of" like coffee but not the real thing. I'll have to try this in milk warmed up though and see if the aftertaste is lessened with a different preparation.

I tried to base these on whether or not I would recommend to a friend more so than personal opinion.

Personally, I decided to get the Naturals because I work out 2-3 times a day and always drink a whey shake after... ingesting that much artificial sweetener every day will probably add up to cancer one day. The Natural Nectars use stevia, which has actually been shown to have positive effects such as regulating blood sugar.

Flavors:

Apple Ecstasy - 4/5 - I normally like apple-flavored anything, but this did not impress me. It's a little too sour. However, there was no aftertaste or anything, so I'm sure someone out there might like it.

Caribbean Cooler - 5/5 - I must say I was impressed with how the coconut aspect of this coconut/pineapple flavor concoction really captures the taste and texture of real coconut milk. Would I want to drink 2 lbs. of this stuff? Eh, IDK. But if you like coconut...

Crystal Sky - 2/5 - Tastes like ground up Sweet-Tarts mixed with water. It's a very, very synthetic berry taste of some sort. It has so much blue coloring that my poo was bright green!

Fuzzy Navel - 5/5 - This is the flavor that made Nectar famous. It's a nice blend of peach and orange and tastes like a glass of juice; I could not detect any protein, and the aftertaste was mostly just peach flavor.

Lemon Tea - 3/5 - I really wanted to dislike this one, and although I'm still not a fan of iced tea protein (lol), I can see why some people would like it. I can clearly detect an underlying protein taste, but ignore that and it's just like Arizona iced tea.

Roadside Lemonade - 1/5 - This one is nasty, I could barely get it down! The obvious protein taste gives it a gelatin-like quality. So, yeah, (synthetic) lemon-flavored liquid Jell-O is how I'd describe it.

Strawberry Kiwi - 3/5 As soon as I smelled it, I knew this was going to be another Jell-O flavor. Honestly it's not that bad (no kind of protein taste or aftertaste), but most of us have had strawberry kiwi Jell-O, and so drinking it in liquid form is rather unappealing.

Twisted Cherry - 2/5 - Extremely synthetic cherry Kool-Aid flavor (just like children's medicine) with way too much red color.

Strawberry Mousse - 5/5 - Tastes like the pink Yoohoo or strawberry milk. Slight bitter aftertaste, but not a big deal.

Vanilla Bean Torte - 5/5 - I normally don't like vanilla, but this is just like frosting (yummmm)! There is a slight "metallic" aftertaste (Acesulfame K can do that), but not as bad as the weird Chocolate Truffle aftertaste.

Chocolate Truffle - 4/5 - It's like watered down chocolate mousse. I'm not a big chocolate fan, but someone who likes that kind of thing would probably enjoy this flavor. I took a point off because it had a strange aftertaste.

Cappuccino - 5/5 - Personally, it's way too sweet for me (but I really don't have much of a sweet tooth). I like my coffee black, but someone who is into those Starbucks shakes would probably like this. It actually reminds me a lot of a mocha flavored chocolate bar Lindt sells called "Milk Mocha."

Natural Peach - 5/5 - The best of the "naturals." It's kind of orangey-peachy, but in a more toned down way than Fuzzy Navel.

Natural Orange - 3/5 - My least favorite of the "naturals," but it's okay.

Natural Fruit Punch - 5/5 - Didn't like this one at 1st, but it grew on me. It's not like a Hawaiian Punch kind of taste, but more like fruit-flavored Tums.

I had gastric bypass, so I've tried all the flavors out there.. Nectar is handsdown the winner. It mixes easily and tastes great. Lemon tea is pretty close to iced tea, its just a little disconcerting that it's cloudy iced tea. Tastes great though!

I've tried dozens of protein drinks and powders, and through a recommendation of a friend, bought this through Amazon and I have never been happier with any other protein drink/powder. Most protein drinks and/or powders we have tried do not taste fantastic; They have a 'chalky' taste, and an even stranger after taste, and have a lot of unwanted calories/carbs, and not enough protein.

This particular product breaks the mold!

It comes in a rather large 2lb jar, along with a scoop (buried in the fine powder--I used a salad spoon to dig it out). Each tub has 36 scoops in it, at 90calories a scoop and 26g of protein per scoop. The calorie count is low for protein powder and there are no carbs in it, either.

This flavor (strawberry kiwi) tastes great with water, skim milk, or even in a fruit smoothie. It dissolves very easily and doesn't have a chalky taste/texture, nor a strong aftertaste.

My husband, who hates protein drinks, fruit drinks, and even dislikes smoothies, LOVES and WANTS to drink one of these a day. Each morning I take 16oz of skim milk, 1 whole bananna, 8 frozen strawberries, 1/8 cup of sugar and 2 scoops of nectar in a blender, and make my husband, myself, and our daughter a protein smoothie for breakfast that everyone looks forward to. I am VERY happy to have found this product, and will continue buying 2 tubs a month in Strawberry Kiwi and Roadside Lemonade!

I am a 2 year post-op Lap Band patient. I've tried lots of protein drinks and hate whey protein because of the nasty taste.

I bought the Caribbean Cooler several months ago and drank it for a short period of time, but stopped drinking it. It is too coconut for me. I had to get back to drinking my protein drinks, so I recently got it back out of my cabinet. I'm still not real fond of the coconut flavor.

I knew Nectar had many flavors, so I started researching online and found a post for a variety pack of 11 different flavors for just $9.99 and I called. I'm skeptical of things like that, but it was legit. They charged me correctly and I got my sampler pack in just 2 days! If you're interested, call 1-866-333-7403.

I just use a blender bottle to mix my drinks, so I can do it on the go or at work without having to worry about needing a blender. I have learned that it does not mix as well with ice in the blender bottle. It tends to clump up because it sticks to the ice and clumps together. I suggest that you mix the powder with JUST the liquid (water or milk) and then after it is well mixed, add ice if you want. I think they will all mix well if you do this. Also, I see that some people add crystal light to it. I'm not sure how they are doing it, but I have found that if you try to mix the crystal light powder with the protein powder it does not mix well in the liquid. I have found that if you mix the crystal light with water separately and add it to the protein drink after it is mixed, it all mixes well.

Let me also mention the nutritionals: per scoop, 90 calories, 0 fat, 0 carbs, 23g protein! You can not beat that! I have not found another protein powder that offers that kind of nutritional balance. There is no aspartame in it. They use Sucrolose (Splenda) for sweetening. Great stuff!

The flavors I have tried in order of favorite to least favorite:

1) Cappuccino - 5/5 Stars. This flavor is so good. I'm definitely going to buy this one in bulk. It is sweet, but it will replace my morning coffee and my sweet tooth cravings. I did not detect any whey flavor or aftertaste. It does not taste artificial at all and I imagine that is because they actually add decaffeinated coffee as an ingredient. I mix this one with skim milk (1 cup) and drink it down! I have also heard that some people like to drink it hot. I will try that when I buy a container of it.

2) Fuzzy Navel - 5/5 Stars. I don't have anything bad to say about it. It has a good balance of orange and peach flavor. No whey flavor and a peachy aftertaste. This is a good one!

3) Vanilla Torte - 5/5 Stars. This one was really good. I actually had this one on Saturday morning so I had time to experiment with it. I put ¼ cup frozen blackberries, raspberries and blueberries in the blender with 1 cup of skim milk and the blended. Then, I added the protein powder and blended until mixed well. It was very good. Even with the fruit I could taste the vanilla flavor. No whey flavor or aftertaste.

4) Roadside Lemonade - 4/5 Stars. It is creamier than I was expecting which I thought was nice. I was expecting a harsh artificial lemon flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was not much of a whey taste or aftertaste to it. I like this one.

5) Twisted Cherry - 3.5/5 Stars. It is smoother than I thought it would be. I thought it would be tart, but it's not. Not much of an aftertaste or whey taste.

6) Chocolate Truffle - 3/5 Stars. I was surprised not to like this one as much as I was hoping. I mixed it with a cup of skim milk and thought it would be creamier and chocolatier, but I could taste a hint of whey. It doesn't have a bad aftertaste though. It's okay, but doesn't live up to my expectations as far as flavor. Cappuccino is still my FAV!

7) Strawberry Mousse - 1/5 Stars. I mixed this with 1 cup of skim milk hoping for a strawberry milkshake flavor, but it flopped! It is so artificial tasting and I could taste the whey. I'm not fond of this one.

8) Strawberry Kiwi - 1/5 Stars. Again with the artificial strawberry flavor and I could taste the whey even more in this one. This one might be better if you add some other flavoring to it. I only have one sample though so I can't experiment with it.

9) Caribbean Cooler - 1/5 Stars. Way too much of a coconut flavor for me. Where is the pineapple? I bought a 2lb container of this one before I had ever tried Nectar at all. I had heard it was a good one and tasted like a pina colada. I figured I like pina coladas so I would like this one. The first time I tried this one it was pretty good, but I quickly got tired of it. On a positive note, there is not much whey taste or aftertaste. It's better if you mix it with the sunrise orange flavored crystal light.

10) Crystal Sky - 0.5/5 Stars. I gave this a half star just because it's not AS bad as the Apple one, but it nasty too. It has too much of a whey taste. The aftertaste isn't as bad as the apple.

11) Apple Ecstasy - 0/5 Stars. I did not like this flavor at all. It took me a while to choke it down. I could taste the whey all the way through and I could not stand it. Horrible aftertaste. I'm glad that I won't ever have to taste this one again. Way worse than the Caribbean Cooler.

So, at the end of this taste testing I decided to order two flavors. I ordered the Cappuccino and Fuzzy Navel in the 2lb tubs. The retail price at the local store is $35/tub plus tax. I ordered from [...] on Sunday. I think they have one of the best deals. They were $24.50/tub with $11.27 for s/h for UPS Ground for a grand total of $60.27. I should have them by Tuesday because they are based in Georgia and I'm in South Carolina. I think that is a very good deal. I could have gotten them a little cheaper from [...] with 5% off coupon code. They have flat rate shipping of $4.99 I believe. It would have been a really good deal and would have only cost about $54.00 for two tubs, but they were out of Fuzzy Navel. I thought about just ordering the Vanilla Torte because I do like that one, but I didn't want two sweet flavors. I wanted to have a fruity flavor to break it up some.

I hope you find this review helpful and informative. Please remember that this is one person's perspective and everyone's taste is different. I would suggest trying them yourself.

I tried to base these on whether or not I would recommend to a friend more so than personal opinion.

Personally, I decided to get the Naturals because I work out 2-3 times a day and always drink a whey shake after... ingesting that much artificial sweetener every day will probably add up to cancer one day. The Natural Nectars use stevia, which has actually been shown to have positive effects such as regulating blood sugar.

Flavors:

Apple Ecstasy - 4/5 - I normally like apple-flavored anything, but this did not impress me. It's a little too sour. However, there was no aftertaste or anything, so I'm sure someone out there might like it.

Caribbean Cooler - 5/5 - I must say I was impressed with how the coconut aspect of this coconut/pineapple flavor concoction really captures the taste and texture of real coconut milk. Would I want to drink 2 lbs. of this stuff? Eh, IDK. But if you like coconut...

Crystal Sky - 2/5 - Tastes like ground up Sweet-Tarts mixed with water. It's a very, very synthetic berry taste of some sort. It has so much blue coloring that my poo was bright green!

Fuzzy Navel - 5/5 - This is the flavor that made Nectar famous. It's a nice blend of peach and orange and tastes like a glass of juice; I could not detect any protein, and the aftertaste was mostly just peach flavor.

Lemon Tea - 3/5 - I really wanted to dislike this one, and although I'm still not a fan of iced tea protein (lol), I can see why some people would like it. I can clearly detect an underlying protein taste, but ignore that and it's just like Arizona iced tea.

Roadside Lemonade - 1/5 - This one is nasty, I could barely get it down! The obvious protein taste gives it a gelatin-like quality. So, yeah, (synthetic) lemon-flavored liquid Jell-O is how I'd describe it.

Strawberry Kiwi - 3/5 As soon as I smelled it, I knew this was going to be another Jell-O flavor. Honestly it's not that bad (no kind of protein taste or aftertaste), but most of us have had strawberry kiwi Jell-O, and so drinking it in liquid form is rather unappealing.

Twisted Cherry - 2/5 - Extremely synthetic cherry Kool-Aid flavor (just like children's medicine) with way too much red color.

Strawberry Mousse - 5/5 - Tastes like the pink Yoohoo or strawberry milk. Slight bitter aftertaste, but not a big deal.

Vanilla Bean Torte - 5/5 - I normally don't like vanilla, but this is just like frosting (yummmm)! There is a slight "metallic" aftertaste (Acesulfame K can do that), but not as bad as the weird Chocolate Truffle aftertaste.

Chocolate Truffle - 4/5 - It's like watered down chocolate mousse. I'm not a big chocolate fan, but someone who likes that kind of thing would probably enjoy this flavor. I took a point off because it had a strange aftertaste.

Cappuccino - 5/5 - Personally, it's way too sweet for me (but I really don't have much of a sweet tooth). I like my coffee black, but someone who is into those Starbucks shakes would probably like this. It actually reminds me a lot of a mocha flavored chocolate bar Lindt sells called "Milk Mocha."

Natural Peach - 5/5 - The best of the "naturals." It's kind of orangey-peachy, but in a more toned down way than Fuzzy Navel.

Natural Orange - 3/5 - My least favorite of the "naturals," but it's okay.

Natural Fruit Punch - 5/5 - Didn't like this one at 1st, but it grew on me. It's not like a Hawaiian Punch kind of taste, but more like fruit-flavored Tums.

I really enjoyed the flavor of Roadside Lemonade. This is a milk whey product, so if you are lactose intolerant then you may want to skip it. It tasted like a creamy lemon shake. I enjoy lemon flavored desserts so the taste was one I enjoyed quite a bit.

I know the flavor says Lemonade but I couldn't help thinking of eating lemon squares with a glass of milk as a kid.

It mixes well, I have one of the shake jars that helps strain out whey products, I mix it with water and take it right after working out. It seemed very foamy to me. I found that time eliminated the foam, but if I made the shake and took it with me to the gym, as it sat in the locker while I worked out all the foam was gone.

I worked it out by the following criteria:

Taste 5

Nutrition 5

Mixability 5

Cost 3

Foam 3

good stuff, I'm going to try other Syntrax flavors as well, but I would definitely get this flavor again.

This flavor of Nectar is described as "fruit punch" but it reminds me more of Berry flavored Kool-Aid or Gatorade. I personally liked the flavor and would probably get it again but with the sample I got there was a LOT of clumping, that even using a shaker bottle wouldn't dissolve. Different batches and flavors of Nectar definitely seem to have differing abilities to dissolve, so I may have just got a bad batch, but it was very frustrating as the flavor otherwise I liked. There is only a slight aftertaste and none of the strong whey protein taste than many protein powders have. If you're not a fan of Gatorade drinks you would probably want to pass this one up regardless and try some of the other Nectar flavors instead. You can find my review covering all the Nectar flavors I have tried HERE.

I am a recent gastric bypass surgery patient and have been looking for a protein supplement that is easy to drink but doesn't taste gritty or chalky etc. I read all the reviews of the Fuzzy Navel Nectar by Syntrax and decided to give it a try. This protein does not disappoint! I don't even use a blender to mix it.. I use a blender ball cup. 1 scoop of this stuff is 23g of protein.. I usually use 2 scoops (46g protein) and 16oz water in my blender ball cup and it tastes GREAT! Tastes like juice.. and not a nasty thick juice either. Best to let it sit after shaking and let the foam die down though. I am so grateful to have found this protein powder and highly recommend it for the declicious flavor, smooth non-gritty texture, amount of protein and cost. All together it is a wonderful protein and was equally excited about the "Roadside Lemonade" flavor.. tastes like crystal light! Great product.. try it, you won't be sorry!

I had gastric bypass in July 2010. I had tried pretty much every protein powder sold in stores here, and every one of them made me nauseous. I did not find a single one that I could finish. UNTIL I tried Nectar Fuzzy Navel. I was immediately hooked. This stuff is really great! No nasty protein taste, no chalkiness. It's very smooth, fruity, just yummy! My only regret is that I didn't find it months ago. I will NEVER be without it!!