One glance at the bottle above and it may register recent memories of a stroll down your grocery store’s refrigerated section. Shamrock Farms seem to be doing quite well for themselves, as I’ve seen them sold in multiple supermarket chains, convenience stores, etc.
Ready-to-Drink (RTD) protein supplements can range wildly in taste, quality, nutrition, and cost. This review will tackle all four characteristics. Shamrock Farms’ product line is limited to various RTD products at this moment in time. The Rockin’ Protein Builder is their most popular product. It comes in Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry and the nutrition facts are virtually the same amongst the three. As someone who has worked inside the supplement industry and tried everything under the sun, I hope to deliver a level of insight and expertise beyond the average user.
Taste – 9/10
This is what we’re here for right? Gone are the days where you’d have to choke down a protein shake that didn’t mix well, tasted terrible, and had a funky aftertaste. We now have higher expectations when it comes to protein supplements.
Quite simply, they taste great. Vanilla is their best flavor by far, but you won’t be disappointed if you have to settle for chocolate or strawberry. Strawberry is the rarest of the three, as I’ve found you are more likely to see vanilla or chocolate in your local grocery store. Vanilla has a creamy, sweet (but not overly sweet), yet refreshing taste, while the chocolate flavor is a bit milder. There is no aftertaste that lingers like with other RTD’s.
The drink’s consistency fits nicely in the middle, not too thick or thin. If you kick back one or two of these drinks you will be satiated for awhile, compared to other products which are more watery and less satisfying.
Quality – 7/10
The protein sources in Rockin’ Protein Builder are skim milk and milk protein concentrate. This is not bad by any means, but fall below the likes of whey isolate, whey concentrate, or hydrolyzed whey proteins. As someone who cannot tolerate whey protein however, this is something I use to my advantage.
Their major selling point is that they do not use the rBST growth hormone with their cows. It’s debatable whether this matters from a human consumption standpoint, but from a moral perspective it seems to be a positive. The United States is one of the rare countries that actually allows the use of rBST (go figure), but from what I’ve seen it’s rarely used by milk manufacturers anyway.
This product contains your usual additives like sodium hexametaphosphate and carrageenan. Despite cries from people about the purity and safety of these ingredients, research shows they’re safe for consumption. It’s not as if they’re put in the product for no reason, they are there to keep the drinks shelf stable and to make the consistency thicker. I’ll pick my battles when it comes to ingredients, but if these things bother you then you’ll want to steer away from this product.
Macros and Nutrition – 8/10
The vanilla Rockin’ Refuel Protein Builder contains 3.5g of fat, 12g of carbohydrates (3g of which is fiber), and 30g of protein per 12 oz. bottle. These macros are lean enough to fit into nearly any diet, but I docked a few points since it is not 100% protein like an IsoPure would be. It’s a protein-dense product; 30g is quite a bit for one serving. This is a protein drink after all, in the end this should be our primary concern.
Micronutrient-wise it contains a decent amount of calcium and potassium, which you would expect from a product containing milk. It also contains a fair amount of fat soluble vitamins A and D. Otherwise there’s nothing too out of the ordinary, however this is a much more micronutrient-dense formula than typical protein drinks.
Price – 9/10
Obviously the price of a product will vary depending on where you purchase it. On average a bottle runs from about $2.00-$2.50, which is good considering it has 30 grams of protein per serving. I’ve seen it on sale for as little as $1.67 per bottle. It’s a good option if you’re not looking to break the bank but still hit your protein macros. Something higher quality like IsoPure will cost at least $4, which adds up if you have one per day.
Final Thoughts
The one drawback of this product, since it contains milk, is that it has to be refrigerated. As a result, you can’t order in bulk from a place like Amazon. This is my go-to protein RTD drink. As I alluded to earlier, I can’t tolerate whey protein any longer. Anyone who works out to build muscle and is serious about nutrition knows how challenging it is to consume enough protein without shakes. This is one of the rare products that has decent ingredients, is high in protein, tastes good, and is cost effective without causing stomach discomfort.