Well, I slowly chewed some of my imported stuff right after chewing the walmart stuff. They taste the same. Definitely not chalk. There is something in there. Both are generics, though.
Years ago I was prescribed a liquid propecia. It required a prescription but was purchased online back in 2003. Who knows how legit it was since online, but it shipped from the states and was cheap, which is why I got it. I can't say I recall the taste, but I vaguely remember it tasted like this.
So, I guess this stuff is real. I've kept my hair with imports from like 2003 until 2011. Then I stopped using finasteride for a few years for blood donations, which was a big mistake. I lost a lot of hair as a result. I'm back on it now. My grafts used to be the thin area. Now they are a semi thick area in front of a thinner area behind which is thick again. So I have to keep it short. At least I can vouch that the imports do work. Whether they are full strength is another question. I could swear some of the pills tasted stronger than others from lot to lot in the same order, but time has passed, so who knows.