Mars Refuel

Product name: Mars Refuel
Purchase details: £0.39 for a 180ml carton (B&M)

Calories: 139 per carton
Country of origin: UK

I bought this carton of Mars Refuel at the same time as the Milky Way Chocolate Milk but I’ve been a bit slow to drink it!

Although I loved the idea of a Mars bar flavoured drink, I suspected it was just going to be another chocolate milk, and since its ‘chocolate milk drink’ description was identical to the Milky Way's, my suspicions weren’t allayed.

However, the Mars Refuel was marketed in a very different way to the Milky Way Chocolate Milk – it was aimed at adults rather than children and made no health claims. In comparison to the latter’s 90% milk content, this Mars drink only contained 74% of the white stuff.

The drink came, once more, in a tall and slim carton that featured Mars’ signature black background and red logo. The product type was indicated by the splash of milk at the base of the carton, which also advised to chill and shake the milk before consumption.

The liquid came in the mid-brown colour that is usual for chocolate milk. However, whilst the aroma was also standard, it was a lot milder than normal.

Containing 0.6% cocoa powder, I found that the drink tasted a bit less chocolatey than similar products, although this aspect of the flavour was still very much present. However, it tasted sweeter, and there was almost a salty aspect which, I guess, hinted at caramel. As there hadn’t been any mention of caramel or nougat in the product description or ingredients, this was a pleasant surprise – general ‘flavourings’ and cane molasses were the only listings that had given me hope!

Texturally, the milk was very smooth with the same starchy feel as the Milky Way Chocolate Milk.

As anticipated, I didn’t think the Mars Refuel tasted much different to other plain chocolate milks. However, whilst the difference in taste was minimal, it was still a little nicer.

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.25/10

Milky Way Chocolate Milk

Product name: Milky Way Chocolate Milk
Purchase details: £0.39 for a 180ml carton (B&M)
Calories: 140 per carton 

I’ve bought an unusual amount of milk-based drinks recently so, for today’s review, it’s the turn of Milky Way Chocolate Milk. Simply described as a ‘chocolate milk drink’, I wasn’t quite sure how the nougat centre of a Milky Way bar would be incorporated, but at £0.39, I thought it would be worth a try! 

Produced by Mars for the UK and Ireland (once again, no actual country of manufacture was stated!), this drink came in a tall, slim carton which carried the usual Space-themed Milky Way design, with the addition of a splash of milk at the bottom. Since the drink contained 90% milk and less than 5% added sugar, it met government regulations for use in schools, and it was also a source of calcium and protein, with no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives either. 

The drink’s brown colour had the very slight purple tinge that was present in Frijj Fudge Brownie and it had a pretty decent chocolate milk smell too. 

As instructed, I consumed the Chocolate Milk after it had been chilled and shaken, and I found it had a fairly creamy taste with a rich, slightly sickly sweet chocolatey taste mixed in. Since no flavourings were listed on the ingredients list, it seemed the taste came entirely from sugar and cocoa powder, suggesting that the milk itself was the only thing remotely representing the inside of a Milky Way.  

Since this was a flavoured milk rather than a milkshake, its texture was very liquidy – there wasn’t even any resistance through the straw. However, although it was predominantly smooth, I did find it had a starchy feel to it too. 

I felt this drink was much the same as any other chocolate milk. There’s no denying it was flavoursome but, why it was carrying the Milky Way brand name, I’m not quite sure. 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.25/10