Free Form Amino Acids - the forgotten post-workout protein supplement??

In today’s whey-crazed arena for marketing the ideal protein source, does anyone still use ‘high-quality’ amino’s as the ideal protein supplement following an intense workout? Training recently with an eastern block ‘natural’ bodybuilder, it’s been explain ed that free-form amino tablets (ground up) or capsules (emptied) are absorbed almost immediately into the bloodstream/muscles, whereas peptide bonded (protein powder) need first to be broken down into free-form first, which takes 2-3 hours and additional enery which is pretty depleted from the workout. Any comments from either T-writers or readers?