Campina Yazoo Chocolate Flavour Milkshake

My husband recently brought in some soft drinks for us which he had purchased from a local grocery store. Among the assorted drinks was a couple of milkshakes from the well-known "Yazoo" brand, and this review is based on my opinion of the Chocolate flavour milkshake drink.

Packaged in a generously sized 472ml bottle, the milkshake that my husband bought cost around 80 pence and the bottle was large enough that we could both get a glass of milkshake from it. The bottle can be recycled after use, as it is made of plastic. (The bottle has changed from the picture shown at the top of the Ciao page here, but the product is the same).

I believe that the range of Yazoo Milkshakes offers other flavours such as Banana and Strawberry. The drinks are available to buy in some stores in little multi-packs containing smaller bottles, as well as two sizes of 'larger' bottle, namely a 1litre size and the bottle I had.

On top of the bottle is a circular lid which can be closed tightly. Underneath the lid was a foil seal which had to be removed prior to the drink being poured. I liked the fact that this little seal was present as it gave the impression of the drink being completely hygienic and fresh. We drank the bottle in one sitting, but if you choose to store an opened bottle of the drink, you should treat it as you would with normal milk and of course this means it should be stored in the fridge.

As a side note, I have seen the Yazoo milkshakes for sale in some stores and shops where they are simply stored on a shop shelf and not in a refrigerator. If this is how you purchase your Yazoo, then I would recommend storing it in your own fridge for a while before you drink it. This drink is definitely one that is best served chilled, and there is a suggestion to this effect printed on the bottle's label.

Pouring the milkshake into a glass, I could see that it was wonderfully smooth and it looked to be quite creamy in its appearance, although I was surprised that it didn't have a thicker consistency. It didn't look to be overly-runny to be fair, but compared to other chocolate milkshakes that I have purchased recently, the Yazoo was certainly a lot thinner in comparison.

The smell of rich chocolate was evident almost as soon as I peeled the foil seal from the bottle, but certainly as I poured the milkshake into a glass. Smelling extremely sweet and quite rich, I was concerned that the shake might have a slightly 'sickly' feel to it as I was drinking it. This was purely down to the level of sweetness that was evident to me as the drink was being poured.

Sipping the drink from the glass, I found that the consistency was actually quite creamy and although based on its appearance I had thought it was lacking slightly in its thickness, this wasn't evident at all whilst I was drinking the shake. I actually thought that the consistency was very pleasant and it suited the taste of the chocolate milkshake perfectly.

The flavour and taste of the Yazoo Milkshake were neither disappointing or uninspiring either. I thought that the chocolate shake was quite flavoursome and not at all watery or too subdued for my own liking. The rich chocolate taste was surprisingly strong and I found the flavour to be quite satisfying. It is true to say that the chocolate shake was extremely sweet, and I am therefore unsure if I could have drank a larger quantity. For the glass-full that I did consume however, I thought that the drink was not at all over-powering or sickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the drink.

Several other brands of chocolate milkshake that I have bought in the past have been a bit of a disappointment for me personally, as I have found they can produce a slightly bitter after-taste within their flavour. This experience has made me slightly cautious about trying new brands, but I was pleased to note that the Yazoo shake had no such bitterness within its overall flavour, and it is definitely a drink that I would purchase again.

Looking at the nutritional information on the bottle, I can see that 100ml of the Yazoo shake will provide 65kcal and 1.5g fat. I can also see that the product is suitable for vegetarians. The chocolate shake contains no artificial colours or flavourings.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Yazoo shake and I will buy it again.

The milkshakes can be bought from good grocery stores and some supermarkets, such as Asda (or online at www.asda.com) for only £1 for the 1litre bottle, or £2 for the multi-pack containing 6 small bottles. (Info correct as @ April 2012).