13 Organic Milk Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

I've always been a lover of dairy. While it's not uncommon to see a child drink milk with a meal, I've never grown out of the habit — even though there comes a time when people start to look at you strangely when you pour yourself a cold glass. Trust me, I have received my fair share of shocked looks at a table full of people with iced coffee, soda, or water when I pull out a tall glass of moo juice.

To this day, I go through about a gallon of milk a week. Honestly, if cereal has a particularly popular week in our home, then we may well end up buying a second gallon before the week is over. But despite my absolute obsession with this white ambrosia, I've never actually bought organic milk.

I've tried almond, soy, cashew, and oat milk, but somehow never ventured into organic territory. My experience with, passion for, and love of milk did little to make picking apart the small differences between the brands any easier — but after three days of extensive tasting, comparing, and ranking, here are 13 organic offerings, ranked.

First on our list is the value-conscious brand, Walmart's Great Value. While Walmart has astounded me several times in the past with the quality of its Great Value brand products, this was not one of those times. I may have found Great Value ice cream to be surprisingly satisfying, but the milk on its own just couldn't hold a candle to any of the other brands I tried.

Don't get me wrong — the milk was good. However, compared to the others on this list, it lacked richness and had very little weight. While it had enough fat content to make it clear I hadn't accidentally bought a ½-gallon of 2% milk, its thin texture wasn't particularly satisfying alongside a cookie or in a bowl of cereal.

When compared to the others, it wasn't flavor that brought this one to the bottom of our ranking. Instead, it was that thin texture. It was undeniably more watery, less creamy, and blander than the other brands' organic offerings.

Tasting this milk side by side with Great Value's organic milk displayed a noticeable textural difference. The flavor wasn't a drastic step up, but there was a creamier quality to Nature's Promise's milk that was lacking in the Great Value carton.

This organic milk was, overall, very mild. It didn't have much noticeable sweetness and was creamy, but didn't feel rich. Despite the thicker mouthfeel compared to Great Value's milk, this glass was still on the thinner side compared to many of the better organic varieties. What mattered most was the actual flavor, which wasn't strong, but was clear enough to enjoy.

There's a certain distinct flavor to milk that's hard to describe, but you immediately know it when you taste it. More than in the Great Value milk, this flavor was clear with each sip and pleasant, if not particularly strong.

While I'm not one to buy my milk by the quart, it was great that Whole Foods' 365 brand offered it. Of all the milk brands I tried for this tasting, this was one of only two that came in a size smaller than 59 to 64 ounces. In fact, if I didn't already have 5 gallons of milk in the fridge, I'd have happily purchased a larger amount. 

I may not have found this the best milk in the batch, but don't let that make anyone think I didn't enjoy it. This was the turning point in the tasting, where the milks started taking on a thicker and more satiny texture. From this point forward, each brand's delicate and creamy texture would be more impactful. 

That's also why 365 didn't rank higher on this list. While it had a more distinct richness of flavor and fat, it wasn't quite as rich as others. The milk's flavor was good, but mellow and indistinct. This milk is good for cereal and refreshing to drink, but lacks the quality and flavor of many other organic options.

O Organics is a private-label brand by Albertsons. I'd never heard of the brand or Albertsons before, but I soon recognized several of the markets they owned. Even though O Organics didn't sound familiar, I was happy to see another private-label option available to compare.

I wondered if store-brand products would compete on an equal footing. Unfortunately for O Organics, many of the name-brand milks stood out more clearly. That being said, O Organics was a small but honest step up from 365's organic offering. 

This milk was still on the more watery side compared to those at the top of the list, but it had a clearer dairy flavor. There was a very delicate, silky texture that made the milk feel creamy despite being thinner than some of the others, and it was hard not to appreciate it. That doesn't mean this brand was enough to convince me to spend $5 on half of what I could buy at that price when it comes to non-organic options.

As my first A2 protein milk, I had to make sure I even knew what I was getting myself into. I was surprised to find that different cows produce different protein structures. A2 milk is milk that only contains A2 beta-casein protein instead of A1 and A2, and different people may find it easier on their stomach as a result. With that in mind, I was excited to see if there was any difference in flavor or quality.

While I can't say it definitively made a difference in the flavor or quality, I can say that the Trader Joe's brand — which adds extra vitamin D to the mix — had a delightfully heavy texture, a smooth, chiffon-like finish, and a nice sweetness. The flavor was mild, but still clearly that of my favorite bovine-derived beverage. I could picture this milk being great with cereal or for dunking cookies.

I will admit, though, that as I drank, there was a slight thickness left behind in my mouth that lessened the experience a bit. It may not have left any fattiness or film behind, but I don't know that this would be as satisfying a milk to drink by the glass. For most, that may not matter, but for me — a prolific milk drinker — it definitely does.

I was as surprised as you to learn that among 13 different varieties of milk, there can be so many differences. It's true that the differences at the top and bottom of the ranking are more obvious than those in the middle of our list. It's also true that I legitimately had a hard time picking between the Good & Gather milk from Target and the A2 milk from Trader Joe's, as the differences were so minimal.

I went back and forth, sip by sip, between the two, deciding which was better. Both milks were better than average and truly enjoyable. Target's store brand hasn't always impressed me, but this was a good carton of milk.

The biggest difference lay in the flavor. Unlike Trader Joe's, the Good & Gather milk had a little less sweetness. As a result, the subtle savory notes in the milk managed to come through more clearly. The lower level of sweetness meant that I could taste notes in the milk that are often lost.

As we exit the world of store-brand options, there was a small but clear increase in quality. Only one store-brand option managed to make it to the top half of this list. (Don't worry, we'll get to that one soon.)

First, let's talk about Organic Valley's classic organic whole milk. When it came to creaminess, richness, and flavor, there was an almost visual leap forward from our bottom four competitors. When pouring the Organic Valley milk, you could actually see how much denser and fattier this one was. The watery milks at the bottom of our ranking poured quickly and without pause.

This one, however, poured differently — in a good way. The milk left the carton in a manner that looked almost like paint. Dense, full-bodied, and almost sticking to itself, the delicate creaminess both coated my mouth and, at the same time, left cleanly with no lingering film. This milk was the first to remind me of melted ice cream, just without the sugar. I was ready to proclaim it a winner on my first taste, though clearly it was bested by others.

As our highest ranking store-brand milk, Whole Foods' A2 organic milk was a larger step up from its 365 offering than I expected. In some ways, especially given my glowing review of the Organic Valley milk above, this was a surprise contender on our list. After watching the other store-brands stack up at the bottom of the list, it was nice to see one of them compete more successfully with the name brands.

Although lighter on the tongue than Organic Valley, this carton was creamy and dense while still feeling crisp and wet. I'm not sure what made this milk so different from the brand's usual organic milk, but the texture was assuredly better. Much like its regular variety, the A2 milk had a noticeable sweetness, but it didn't mask the rest of the flavor.

This milk's strong dairy flavor was a match for Organic Valley, and the slightly thinner texture didn't feel like it was followed up with a less creamy product. The two milks were very close in overall satisfaction. Ultimately, the contest between the two came down to flavor, and the A2 milk from Whole Foods just plain tasted better.

Stonyfield's organic milk was closer in taste and texture to Organic Valley than to Whole Foods' A2 milk. It was also the first to have a more noticeable off-white color. Having spent years cooking (and developing an obsession with cream-based sauces), I usually think of that slight yellow hue as a characteristic of cream.

Beta-carotene, a natural coloring found in the fat of cow's milk, is the same reason why butter is yellow. It's also, to me, a sign that milk has a higher fat content. Upon looking, I found the same 8 grams of fat that almost every other brand listed per serving. But despite the amount of fat being nutritionally identical, there was a noticeably richer texture that glided across my taste buds and disappeared without leaving even a hint of fattiness.

My only bone of contention (which was strong at this point, due to all that calcium) was a very slight chalky flavor lurking in the background. It wasn't enough to ruin the flavor, but just noticeable enough to keep it from rising higher in the ranking. I enjoyed this milk regardless, and even found myself appreciating the slightly dry-to-the-palate texture that the chalkiness seemed to bring.

I can't even begin to tell you how surprised I was with the subtle, yet undeniable, difference in flavor the milk from a grass-fed cow has compared to other milks. I'll be honest, I have no idea what cows that aren't grass-fed eat. I assume it's a combination of hay and corn, but that's mostly a guess (and frankly, I am afraid to look it up). However, it turns out that it's not quite the same thing as a pasture-fed cow.

Of all the milk I tried, this was the only non-homogenized version. Thankfully, all that means is that the cream settles on top of milk rather than remaining evenly mixed in. A quick shake or stir, and you wouldn't know the difference — aside from the insanely rich mouthfeel. From the moment this milk touched my tongue, I felt like I'd committed a sin I'd happily repeat again and again. I wonder if grass-fed butter tastes even better, too.

No other milk I tried was as noticeably creamy as this one. I was astounded by the thick texture that resembled melted ice cream or even a very thin unsweetened custard. Add to that a clean and strong milk flavor that boasted just the tiniest hint of an almost grass-like green quality. The only downside was a momentary feeling of film left behind after each sip. The milk was the most delicious, but it had an almost imperceptible way of sticking to the mouth for a moment too long after swallowing.

Horizon's was actually the first of the grass-fed milks that I tasted for this piece. It was also my first real introduction to the style in general. While I can't bring myself to shell out for grass-fed milk over regular milk on a permanent basis, this was the carton that made me wish I could. 

Opening with a hint of sweetness that quickly faded, Horizon's grass-fed milk had a crisp mouthfeel and washed away immediately upon swallowing. I found that especially impressive considering just how rich the milk was in the first place. Somehow, this milk was almost as creamy as its predecessor, but didn't leave that slight weight behind.

The flavor of this milk was just a bit less strong than the glass of Family Farmstead milk, but the feeling on my tongue was noticeably more enjoyable. There was also an almost imperceptible dryness left behind after each sip that made my mouth feel fresh. The fact that two more milks outperformed this one still amazes me. Believe me, it was a close race.

Maple Hill makes the second-best grass-fed milk I've ever had, which makes perfect sense considering it made it to the second-highest spot in the rankings. So, what exactly made this milk stand out among the others below it? The answer is pure dairy flavor.

As we've worked our way up this ranking, each brand's milk has improved in flavor or texture, and sometimes in both. None before managed to jump up as clearly in both areas as Maple Hill. It wasn't as overly sweet as some of the lower-ranking milks, like 365, but that's a point in the brand's favor. While still providing a strong flavor and fantastic mouthfeel, there was still a pleasant sweetness that rounded out the texture and added to the lightly vegetal flavor from the grass. Combined with the aftertaste, which was crisp and simple while still highlighting the savory notes for which dairy is famous, this glass of milk was one I could drink daily if I had a much bigger grocery budget.

Coming in at number one on our list is Organic Valley's Grassmilk. Like the previous three competitors, this organic milk is made from 100% grass-fed cows. That means it had the same grassy, vegetable-like flavor notes, which helped highlight milk's typical dairy flavor and mild umami.

When it came to the taste, texture, and richness, I couldn't think of anything to complain about. By the end of my efforts, I was taking a sip of this milk between each of the others to check if it really was as good as I thought. No matter how many glasses of milk it competed with, it managed to come out on top every single time. Slightly dry on the palate with only the lightest sweetness, a creamy texture that still provided enough water to feel refreshing, and a complete lack of film or pastiness after drinking, this milk was on par with every other milk in each aspect I considered.

No, it wasn't the creamiest. It wasn't the sweetest. But what it had going for it was perfect balance. Any category it seemed to lack was made up for by other aspects of the milk. This was a great find for a dairy lover, and a milk I could imagine buying as a special treat when I want to make a particularly good custard or milk-heavy recipe.

As a man passionate about milk, I did my best to create a clear and balanced method of judgment. Smell, taste, texture, flavor, and richness all came into play as I judged each organic milk variety. All of these factors were judged individually and as a whole while I tasted each milk. 

To begin, I numbered a total of 13 cups, then had my husband pour milk into each and write down which number corresponded to which milk. This allowed me to try each milk without allowing bias toward brand or advertising to influence my judgment. From there, I tasted each milk one by one and put them in a general ranking based on my first impressions. 

To verify my rankings, I paired each milk with its closest match to create a bracket system. From there, each pair was tried and compared by the original criteria to decide which had better quality, flavor, and texture. The loser of a bracket competed against the winner of the bracket below until all 13 milks had been compared to at least 3 others directly, as well as to each other as a whole during the tasting process.