My first impression was that I couldn't taste much of anything. After waiting a moment, I got a faint hint of chocolate, kind of like when you open a box of Ovaltine and some of the powder wafts up and you breathe it in. It's not a strong taste, but it is noticeable. The milk chocolate flavor does have a rather artificial tang to it, but it's not off putting or anything. I suppose if you aren't getting to eat the real stuff, even a hint of the artificial stuff is welcome.