Fresh goat milk has a mild ‘goat flavour'. This flavour is due to the presence of short-chain fatty acids: capric, caprylic and caproic acid. Fresh, correctly-treated goat milk usually has a very neutral flavour.

A strong, penetrating goat flavour is caused by either the unhygienic milking of the goats, certain types of cattle feed, the poor processing and storage of the milk, or by spoilage. The flavour of goat milk also depends on the breed of goat; some breeds produce milk with a stronger flavour than other breeds.