Mountain Dew Holiday Brew Tier List Update (November 2017)

Alright, here we go. Here was the previous Tier List of active Dew flavors as of October 2017 and the release of the Game Fuel flavors:

Baja Blast and DEW-S-A hold strong in S tier and the new Game Fuel flavors for Middle Earth: Shadow of War make a strong showing at the bottom of tier 1 and the middle of tier 2 for Arctic Blast and Tropical Smash respectively. I never got to write a full review of either, so I'll start with those and try to explain their placement on the tier list.




Arctic Blast: This blue colored Game Fuel is reminiscent of Voltage in both color and taste, but I give Voltage the slight edge. I've long since given up classifying any blue beverages as a particular fruit flavor, but the Arctic Blast seems like a blueberry to Voltage's blue raspberry. Both are more subtle and less sweet than the other fruit flavors which is why I'm a fan of both, but overall, Voltage strikes a better balance between the less pronounced flavors and aftertaste characteristic in blue sodas while also giving the signature Mountain Dew punch, whereas with the Arctic Burst I was kind of waiting for that same distinct Dew aftertaste. This is still a great flavor though, and it comes in just after Pitch Black, who has fallen from Tier 1 to Tier 2, and deservedly so after its shameful, corrupt election victory over Baja Blast.

Tropical Smash: The yellow-orange color of this was initially sort of off putting but the flavor was spot on in the "tropical" department. The carbonation seemed less pronounced than in regular Dew, and it complemented the very strong, fruity flavors well to give it a refreshing feeling not matched in many other flavors. It recalled a very Pineapple Fanta-esque feeling in me, which is a slight docking of points, as I count on Dew to be completely non-derivative, but if you're looking for a sweet fruit based flavor, I'd take this over Code Red or Livewire any day of the week.

And finally, the updated list for December: 

The new Christmas flavor, Mountain Dew Holiday Brew comes in at a disappointing 4th place in tier 3. The new flavor is a mix between regular Mountain Dew (great) and Code Red (less great). Straight from purchase, the color of the flavor is a very slightly more pale red, and you can immediately tell it comes from Code Red or a similar flavor. The taste is an overpowering Code Red flavor with very little refreshing kick that I expect from a drink at least partly made from regular Dew. This really just tastes like the Code Red at the bottom of a glass of ice when it has mixed with the melted ice to create a diluted, unpleasant flavor. This was a big missed opportunity for a holiday flavor, as something like a cranberry flavor that hasn't been done before would be a welcome addition to the active flavors.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you're looking forward to the release of Mountain Dew Ice in early 2018 as much as I am.