Why all the lies? Here's what Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot soda really tastes like
Andi Berlin
The co-rulers of the gas station, Mountain Dew and Cheetos have officially united to create the ultimate spicy soda. Or so they said of the creation, which comes in a can decorated with a hellish scene of fireballs and caution tape.
After a brief testing period where the drink sold out in one day, it's now widely available online and in big box retailers across the country.
Before the rollout was unveiled, I was lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to score a can to review. It arrived at my house along with an oversized tie-die shirt sporting a Grim Reaper cartoon and the message, "Let's go down in flames together." The shirt is a partnership between Mountain Dew and the clothing brand Broken Promises, which has an entire line of Mountain Dew themed clothing products.
But enough about that, I know you only have one question on your mind.
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What does Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot taste like?
I poured the Mountain Dew into a stemless wine glass and I was struck by its screaming orange color. It's almost like they took orange soda and threw in a little grenadine to make it a touch darker.
The drink had that familiar Mountain Dew smell of cleaning products and artificial lime juice, but I detected no spicy notes to the nose.
On my first sip, I expected a pummel of red hot fire that would wreak havoc on my tastebuds. But my first thought? This tastes just like Mountain Dew.
There was a little tingle, an afterthought of burn. My first inclination was to look at the ingredients to see if there were any chiles at all in there. I am not a scientist, but I didn't see anything on the label that resembled a pepper. Although, to be fair, peppers aren't an ingredient in Flamin' Hot Cheetos either.
Unsurprisingly, the soda is mostly made up of carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and citric acid.
Quite surprisingly, I was disappointed in the drink's lack of heat. One online reviewer claims that the drink made them feel like they had a sore throat, and I tend to agree. It's almost like they threw some Tajin in a ginger ale and called it a day.
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Nutrition facts
A 16-ounce can of Mountain Dew Flamin' Hot has 220 calories and 58 grams of added sugars, which is 117% of the recommended daily intake. It has 59 grams of carbohydrates, which is 22% of your daily value.
The drink contains 72 mg of caffeine, which is still much lower than your average cup of coffee.
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Reach reporter Andi Berlin at amberlin@azcentral.com or 602-444-8533. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin, Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.