Táche Pistachio Milk Review

EV’s Take: A Meh Milk

Did I go into this expecting too much? Maybe. But after reading a glowing review on Bon Appétit–which went as far as to suggest avoiding this milk if you’re averse to an intense pistachio flavor–I expected big, bold pistachios. And frankly, I was excited for my tongue to bathe in the flavor of pistachios. Instead, my taste buds were met with a bland yet sour, pistachio-adjacent flavor that didn’t taste like much of anything. 

The Vanillin Villain

I knew the vanilla-flavored Táche would be bad when I didn’t see pure vanilla in the ingredients, and boy, was I right. As a rule, I typically avoid vanilla-flavored anything unless pure vanilla extract is listed in the ingredients because I just don’t vibe with fake vanillin, regardless of whether it’s derived from natural or lab-produced ingredients. 

As expected, the “natural vanilla” flavoring left an unpleasant aftertaste. To be clear, Táche using a proprietary blend of natural flavors instead of 100% pure vanilla extract is not that unusual. Pure vanilla is expensive, and many milk brands will use a blend of chemicals–some natural and some lab-produced–to recreate the iconic vanilla taste. Not all, though. Some brands, like MALK, do use pure vanilla extract made from vanilla beans, and it’s listed very clearly in their ingredients.

With Táche, I just can’t shake that imitation vanilla taste, which ruins the whole milk-drinking experience for me.

I put on my cutest investigative journalist hat, and I reached out to Táche for clarification because the last thing I want to do is misrepresent their product in this review. Perhaps I am completely wrong, and they do use pure vanilla extract. Their social media person was friendly but would only confirm that they use natural flavors, and I could not get them to confirm if these natural flavors include 100% pure vanilla extract. I would assume it is not genuine vanilla based on the taste and the response I received from them. As I mentioned, when brands use real vanilla, they put it loud and proud on the packaging because it is a premium ingredient, which makes a premium price easier to stomach.

My opinion? I am not a fan of the artificial-tasting vanilla, and at their price point, I would expect pure vanilla extract instead of “natural flavoring.” Maybe this is just a personal sticky point for me, but maybe others agree. 

What is Táche milk made from?

The short answer is pistachios. The long answer is pistachios and a few other things to–basically–make it creamy. I’ll get more into the stabilizers and emulsifiers below, but overall, their ingredient list feels nice to look at. It’s simple, “easy-to-pronounce” ingredients that you can feel pretty good about consuming. 

Here is the full ingredient list:

Filtered water, pistachios, cane sugar, less than 2% of gum acacia, gellan gum, dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt.

Acacia, gellan gum, dipotassium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate are likely used to stabilize, emulsify, boost nutrition, and act as a bit of preservative in some combination. Interestingly, tricalcium phosphate is actually what gives plant-based milk a similar opacity to dairy milk. It also helps boost the calcium in plant-based milk (and in any animal or plant-based dairy product, really). How about that! 

How does pistachio milk compare to oat milk?

Táche does contain a touch of cane sugar, about 1 gram less per serving than Oatly Original Oatmilk. From a layperson, their nutrition profiles seem fairly similar. Oatly has 5 grams more carbohydrates, 1 gram more protein, 1 gram more dietary fiber, and 1.5 grams more fat per serving. Oatly does contain .5 grams of saturated fat. Their caloric profile differs because Oatly Original Oatmilk contains 120 calories while Táche contains 80 per 1 cup (240 mL) serving.

For many people, a big selling point of Táche is that, unlike oat milk, it does not contain oil. Truthfully, I did not know this was even a “problem” with my oat milk until recently. However, many non-dairy milk brands use sunflower oil or rapeseed oil–commonly known as canola oil–as an emulsifier to bind the oats and water together for a creamy mouthfeel. 

Because I am not a dietitian, doctor, or scientist, I will not tell you whether you need to avoid this; that would be a better conversation between you and your doctor. If you prefer to avoid canola oil altogether, Táche has you covered. They use natural stabilizers like gum acacia and a plant-based gelatin substitute called gellan gum, which results in a plant-based milk that becomes extra creamy when frothed.

How to Use Táche Pistachio Milk

Like almost any plant-based milk, you can use Táche for just about anything at a 1:1 ratio to dairy or your favorite non-dairy milk. Just don’t expect a big pistachio flavor to shine through.

Here’s how I used Táche milk during my review:

• Solo: I enjoy an evening snack every night and look forward to it every day. I cut up an apple, drizzle it with sunflower butter, and sprinkle blueberries and dark chocolate chips on top. I always have it with a glass of cold oat milk on the side. I decided to swap the oat milk for Táche Unsweetened Original Blend, and it was fine. It’s not my favorite milk, so it reduced my snack enjoyment by a few degrees.

• Coffee: I am not a barista, so I did my best to foam the milk on my little Breville Bambino. It did foam very nicely and tasted quite good at first. Unfortunately, it quickly separated into something unholy I couldn’t stomach drinking. I tried this several times, and the separation occurred every single time. While I am not a barista, I can say this is not something that ever happens with oat milk.

• Overnight oats: This is where the Táche Unsweetened Vanilla Blend performed the best, but likely because maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, and cinnamon cover up the artificial undertones of the milk. I mixed together 1 cup of Táche Unsweetened Vanilla Blend, 2 cups of rolled oats, ¼ cup chia seeds, ¼ cup vegan honey, ⅓ cup chopped walnuts, a few healthy shakes of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Unsurprisingly, Táche performed as well as Oatly in this recipe. Because other flavors overpowered it, I didn’t get that artificial vanilla flavor as much. Though, I don’t consider this a glowing product endorsement.

Where Can I Buy Táche Pistachio Milk?

You can buy Táche directly from their website. I just ordered their Pistachio Milk Lattes to test next, and they arrived very quickly! Rather buy in person? I found Táche at my local organic market, and you can use Táche’s store locator to find a retailer near you.

What do you think?

Have you tried Táche Pistachio Milk? Is it the alt-milk of your dreams? Or do you think it’s a meh milk, too? Do you have another alt-milk that you love? Tell us in the comments; we’d love ideas for what to review next.