Iconic

Iconic’s latest offerings, which were announced in January 2018, include two flavors that are on the trendier end of what you’ll see in the whey protein category: Golden Milk and Coconut Matcha.

While many of the newcomers to the industry are focused on the explosive trend of plant-based protein, Iconic is staying focused on the evolution of whey-based protein products. To that end, “Grass Fed” is a key part of what they offer, touting its benefits versus regular whey protein (we’ll let you read up on that elsewhere). From our perspective, this seems like a leap of faith that will -- at least for the mainstream -- be easier to make than going full-on plant-based.

At its core, Iconic still tastes very much like a mainstream protein drink. However, both Golden Milk and Coconut Matcha are elevated flavors that are far from run-of-the-mill. Both products feature 20g of protein, 3g of sugar (sugar, chicory, and monk fruit), and 130 calories.

From there, things diverge. Coconut Matcha features ceremonial grade matcha powder and coconut cream, which gives the product a flavor profile pretty darn close to what you’d get from a matcha latte. In addition, this flavor also has MCTs and 80mg of caffeine. At least the latter of the two is something that adds an instant marketable benefit. Regardless, they’ve done a superb job with the flavor. We’d say the same for the Golden Milk, which has a really nice blend of turmeric and ginger. It’s smooth, slightly sweet, and has a nice subtle spice to the finish.

As far as the packaging goes, we like the look of the brand’s 11.5 oz. bottle. It definitely looks the part of the protein category, while the sky blue backdrop gives the product some visual pop. If there’s any constructive feedback, it’s for the Coconut Matcha flavor, which has an easy to miss callout for caffeine on the front of the bottle. Otherwise, Iconic has done a great job keeping it clean, polished, and intuitive.

Iconic is a line of low-sugar protein drinks that has been through a few revisions since it first launched a few years back.

What’s constant is the formulation, which features grass fed protein isolate as the source of the product’s 20 grams of protein per bottle. Using a blend of blue agave, chicory, monk fruit, and stevia, the drinks have a nice level of sweetness but only 3g of sugars. In addition, Iconic contains electrolytes, fiber, and, in the case of Cafe Au Lait, caffeine (180mg per bottle).

All three of the flavors are smooth, clean, and enjoyable. The only place that we might like to see some adjustment is in the Cafe Au Lait, which, given all the fuss over cold brew and less bitter coffee, seems like it could stand to improve its coffee flavor. However, compared to similar whey-based protein drinks, Iconic is definitely up there with the best of them in terms of flavor.

Its latest effort, which launched earlier this year, sticks with the PET bottle that came with the last revision, but it features an updated design. Gone are the white label and the front panel icons and in are a slick looking sky blue background and photos to go with each flavor. This not only appeals to the senses but also looks very polished. Both of these things make Iconic look like a more credible product -- and it also helps the overall readability of the package. The only thing -- and this is pretty minor -- is that the label breaks apart when you twist the cap and open the bottle.