Natrel Lactose Free Whole Milk, 32 Ounce (Pack of 12)

my milk arrived yesterday .. promptly .. and i find the flavor to be absolutely delicious, and the cartons are very sturdy and i've no qualms about leakage, as i have concerning some of the boxed soups i've purchased. i'm very pleased with my purchase. The milk is 'ultra-pasteurized'. Here is a cut n paste from Cornell Department of Food Science..."Ultra-Pasteurized Milk: “Ultra-Pasteurized” means that the milk is heated to a minimum of 280°F for a minimum 2 seconds. This temperature and time combination is much more lethal to bacteria, killing virtually all of concern in milk. Ultra-pasteurized milk is also packaged under near sterile conditions, which makes re-contamination with spoilage bacteria unlikely and rare. Though Ultra-Pasteurized milk is processed to be free of spoilage and harmful bacteria, it is not considered sterile because it is not hermetically sealed (i.e. canned), thus, it requires refrigeration. Ultra-Pasteurization is most often used for creams and specialty dairy products though its use for milk is becoming more popular. Ultra-Pasteurized milks will often have more of a “cooked” flavor when compared to conventionally pasteurized milks. The average shelf-life of Ultra-Pasteurized milk products is 30-90 days when held under refrigeration, but only until the product is opened. Once an Ultra-Pasteurized product is opened it may become contaminated with spoilage bacteria. Thus, after opening, Ultra-Pasteurized milk should be kept well refrigerated (34-38°F) and consumed within 7-10 days for best quality and taste."

When the pandemic made milk in stores unavailable, I couldn't find lactose free milk, and I am not only lactose intolerant but I've discovered that lactose free milk lasts longer once opened. We had discovered Natrel milk here at Amazon when we were looking for shelf stable milk, and after an order of regular milk, they got Natrel Lactose Free 1% Milk in stock.Natrel and any other shelf stable milk doesn't taste exactly like the cold milk you get in the dairy section, but this Lactose Free 1% comes as close as I've tasted so far. It works well in recipes (I've used it in bread, brownies and cake), is fine in protein drinks, and isn't bad when you just want a glass of cold milk - not quite as good as my favorites, but it's not bad at all.Yes, it's pricier than buying cold milk at the store, but so are most of the shelf stable milks, and some of the others have a weird, bitter taste - this one doesn't have that. I like it better than powdered milk mixed into cold water. And you can't beat the convenience - when you're running low on milk, just get a warm carton out of the box and stick it in the fridge. Our local store still has only a little lactose-free low fat, so I'm so glad we can get the Natrel so we don't have to do without milk.

It's got a taste. Not bad, yet not like real milk, it's just like milk that's been microwaved or something.On its own it's a little, well, weird. It's REALLY good in pretty much anything else - smoothies / protein drinks / etc are where it shines. And you get all those milky benefits :-)The seller has replied in the Q&As that these cases come with (I think it said) 6+ months of shelf life. Mine came with approx four weeks until the "best before" date.Not cool, seller.Thankfully Amazon refunded me in full (not returnable b/c it's food, I guess). Still usable @ two weeks after the "best before" but I'm not sure how much longer I'm gonna risk it.This stuff is available at the dollar stores - will probably just buy there going forward.YMMV.All in all - it's good for what it's for, but it's not really a long term prepper thing - get powdered for that, IMHO.

Received spoiled and leaking rushed all 12 to trash. Just awful

As someone who can't get to the store regularly, and, therefore, who needs his milk to have long shelf life, this is the solution.I really appreciate the seller's packaging efforts, as product arrived in tact, without damage or leaks.

This tastes fine. I couldn't afford to drink this every day, but I already buy the pricey organic skim milks at the grocery. I drink a lot of milk and have a hot cocoa every morning. I got tired of discovering someone had left me milkless in the AM. This solves that problem. The expiration dates are usually far enough into the future that I can just stick them in the cupboard and take them out when I need them. It is a convenience thing for me. When they are approaching expiration I will often have 4 or 5 left and we drink them exclusively. No one in my family has seemed to notice.

I keep a case in the pantry for emergencies especially during hurricane season. Keep for months and taste just as good as fresh milk.

The batch of Natrel I got had a little over 3 months of shelf life. I don't know if that's normal, but we had bought this for a test, so used it up. Normally, I would want a LOT more shelf life. This filled the need for milk without having to run to the store. That said, it's flavor when drunk alone has an aftertaste. It did work well in coffee, recipes, and drinks with a lot of spice. We wouldn't want to drink it plain, though.