MILK

Although I am huanted by assignments, exams, deadlines, and a general sense of impending doom, I will review some milk I've had.


I am very particular with milk. My theory (derived from experience) for the best (subjective) flavour:

I realized I may not aptly describe the "milk" flavour to my fullest satisfaction. I have yet to find the right combination of words to construct a specific flavour profile, and saying something tastes "rich" and "flavourful" is vague (until mathced with real life experience). As such, I will be using skim milk to represent the "less flavourful, less rich" base (sorry, skim milk enjoyers).


Table of Contents


Whole Foods:


Ran-Lew whole milk ❤︎


My go-to milk when shopping Whole Foods. This brand caught my eyes with its low-temp pasteurization label, which is an automatic green flag. It has one of the creamiest(?) flavour I've had from US stores, and its lingering rich aftertaste differentiates itself from the rest (unlike drinking skim milk, which is just like drinking water. There is almost nothing to be detected by your taste buds). It has a velvety texture due to the fact that whole milk contains more fat, and the non-homogenized cream-top offers an extra treat for those (me) who want an even more substantial and satisfying way fo consuming milk. Ran-Lew is a local brand and usually has a closer expiration date (not a a concern of mine as I can easily down the entire bottle in 1-2 days). Bonus points for being affordable too!


Kalona ❤︎

Rivals Ran-Lew in my opinion. Kalona is the second brand that labels "low-temperature pasteurized" expliticly, which grabbed my attention immediately. It also has a pronounced aftertaste that announces its top-tier status (what am i writing). Kalona is also non-homogenized, though it does not come with a cream top (at least not the ones I've had). Still, when swirled after left still for a long time, there are visible accumulation of fat/cream inside the bottle, and sometimes some of it might stick to the lid where one (me) can lick it off. It has a stubley different aftertaste than Ran-Lew. While telling them apart based on this subtlety is sort of like identifying each human being with their particular scent (this does not sound appetizing my bad), it does not detract from its quality.


Alexandre whole milk

Alexandre is one of these brands I considered decent upon tasting, though I'm afraid I'd rank it a tier lower than the above two. This one is ultra-pasteurized, so some of the "freshness" and "milky" aftertaste are lost. It explicitly labels its percent milk fat (4%), which is something I usually look for in the first place when I was shopping for milk in Japan (from my experience, it is a common practice, at least in Japan, to label the percent milk fat on the packaging. However I don't see this often in the US). It as 10g of fat in comparison to the 8g in the previous two, so its calories are justifiably higher per serving. I'm still willing to pay the caloric price for its quality though. I must say that despite a higher fat content, it doesn't leave as strong of an aftertaste nor a heavier front taste, possibly a characteristic with UHT (ultra-high temp pasteurization). No cream-top or fat residues, but the texture is still velvety, which makes each gulp a substantial one. On a side note, I've heard that the farm abuses their cows...so proceed with caution if you feel bad.


Maple Hill whole milk

Mapel Hill is also another decent brand that satisfies the basics of whole milk. With 9g of fat, it honestly doesn't taste that much different from Alexandre whole milk. It shares a similar flavour profile and texture to Alexandre whole milk but just a bit less caloric (if you're already drinking whole milk, maybe calories isn't the main concern anymore). Although it checks the grassfed criterion, there doesn't seem to be a noticable difference in anything except maybe the cows are treated better. Overall still recommended for whole milk enjoyers.


Mooala banana milk

Moala was an interesting find as not only it is banana flavoured but also surprisingly low in calories. Contray to the dominant dairy theme here, Moala banana milk is non-dairy, so I will review it more as a drink than serious milk. Its texture is indeed less thick than whole milk, and its lower fat and protein content makes each sip less filling (which actually prompted me to drink more, and before I realized, I already emptied half the bottle in less than half a day). I thought non-dairy milk usually has a more diluted tatse, but the banana flavour was still pretty strong. Overall would recommend this to those who are controlling calories but seeking something potentially fun to drink.


Whole Foods whole milk

Whole Foods home brand, relatively more affordable and often on discounts. It's whole milk, nothing more nothing less. It still carries a "milky" aftertaste as whole milk should. Not a lot of highlights to be noted, nor anything special to betold apart from the previous brands. Perhaps it's got an even milder richness and texture. Not too bad for an affordable whole milk option. They come in different volumes and are restocked often.


a2 Milk grassfed whole milk

a2 Milk, I'd rank it in the same tier as Whole Foods' home brand. I thought it would be another "Maple Hill", but perhaps I went in with too many expectations, and its average profile diminished its impression on me a little. The packaging says to be "easier on digestion", but someone else would have to verify that for me. Overall nothing wrong with the milk, but also nothing too impressive to me either.


Horizon Organic grassfed whole milk


I see Horizon Organic around a lot. It's a popular brand available in many grocery stores. For this reason, I expected more from it. To be blunt, it did not stand out that much from the rest. It's still an acceptable whole milk product, and "organic" and "grassfed" labels must appealed to some audience more. I don't wish to do it wrong since it's an innocent and popular brand, but nothing much about this milk motivated me to dive into its aftertaste profile to discern its difference from other brands.

Organic Valley grassfed whole milk


Same deal as above. Still a valid whole milk prouct easily seen in every fridge; your daily milk.


Homestead Creamery whole milk

Homestead creamry uses glass bottles, which I thought would hint something about their taste. Upon taking a sip, I was partly let down by the fact that it didn't quite match my expectations, especially coming from a glass bottle. It's still a taste whole milk in the sense that there is still a detectable aftertaste and a somewhat velvety texture, but probably not as much as that in Ran-Lew or Kalona. The packaging was aesthetic and having it out felt as if I picked it up from a local farm (it's not a local brand). Another perk was that Whole Foods incentivises recycling the class bottle if you turn it in to their workers. I got 3 bucks from it ^v^. I will be more reserved with this review because I think it still holds potential, and perhaps I should come back after a second try.
2/8/26 update: I gave it a second try and I'm sorry to say that it let me down. I double checked that I bought the whole milk option, and upon the first sip, I only registered a transient front taste of milk. I took multiple sips afterwards but nothing memorable lingered - its taste was not strong or rich enough to emphasize the "whole" in whole milk, and neither was I able to distinguish the particular "sweetness" or auroma in the aftertaste like that in Ran-Lew or Kalona. Case closed.


Working Cows Dairy whole milk

I accidentally bought the Working Cows Dairy when I was looking for Ran-Lew. It says "cream-top" but I didn't see any. Neither was there fat residue inside the bottle if left still for a long time. This one is labeled as "pasteurized" without specifying which kind, so I assumed to be low-temp. However, it didn't resemble too much with Ran-Lew or Kalona, which was a slight disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it's still a decent whole milk product, and it does have a preserving aftertaste. I'd consider it to be a lower-tier alternative to Ran-Lew for the similarity in appearance with an acceptable quality as whole milk. The cheaper and more flavourful option would always reign nevertheless.


Meyenberg Goat Milk

I've nevered had goat milk before and was curious how different it'd be. Turns out, quite a bit. The most notable thing was goat milk tasted very strong and had a distinct goat smell. The smell was almost unpleasant to me just for how unprepared I was. Not sure how "creamy" the milk tasted (since that's what's being labeled). Not sure if I'd be prepared to give it a second try. It took me some days to finish it without my deliberate descipline, so perhaps it's a sign that I am not yet used to diversifying that far.



Trader Joes:


Japan stores (coming soon):