I Tried Soylent's New 'Coffiest' So You Don't Have To

Soylent is not the sexiest name out there, but the drinkable meal replacement has received a lot of press. The beverage is the brainchild of Rob Rhinehart, a Silicon Valley software engineer, and was designed to deliver all the components of a nutritionally balanced diet minus the sugar, saturated fats, or cholesterol. Rhinehart drank his concoction for 30 days and posted his findings and experiences on his blog. The product went viral, and he managed to raise more than $3 million in crowd-funding to launch it into the general marketplace.

Soylent has evolved over the years. "Upgraded" versions of the drink are released every few months and contain different sets of nutritional ratios and ingredients. Soylent 1.0 used rice protein, but Soylent 1.6 was based on soy protein isolate. In September 2015, the company released Soylent 2.0, its first attempt at a premixed drink. On Aug. 9, the company announced that its newest adaptation, Coffiest, would be available for purchase online.

The company was kind enough to drop off a bottle to the Daily Meal office. At first glance I was skeptical. The sleek packaging and plastic bottle didn't give any clues to its contents. When poured, the liquid reminded me of a slightly thicker version of soy milk. One sip was all I needed, though, to determine that the drink tasted more like a nutritional supplement than a cup of coffee. That said, I wasn't put off by the taste at all. The coffee powder and natural coffee flavor added subtle yet nutty notes that helped mask the artificial flavor that's typical of protein powders or other meal replacement shakes. The texture was smooth, albeit a little chalky. As for the caffeine boost, Soylent's website states the drink is equal to one cup of coffee. What makes this drink special is the addition of L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that has been found to reduce those caffeine shakes.

 Although it didn't arrive in time for breakfast, Coffiest did end up being my lunch, and I've got to be honest: I finished every last drop.