Mountain Dew Fruit Quake

A surprise pickup last week from the grocery store was this bottle, yet another Mountain Dew flavor variation and makes me feel like this blog has nearly been taken over by Mountain Dew's varietal flavor releases. Trust me when I say, I'm planning to get back to other labels here quickly. This is another holiday themed creation, which by the name and label design I can assume is given flavors like that of a holiday fruit cake. I like the cranberry coloring of the drink itself. 

The scent is a little hard to place. It has notes of cherry and grape and something else sweet almost like a licorice but not licorice, maybe gummy bear-like. It's certainly an explosion of tastes. A quick swig has my taste buds all over the place. I do get a cherry-like flavor, a touch of lemon, and I'm picturing those white grape gummy candies in that order as it crosses my palate. No real taste of anything close to a bread, though these fruity/candy-like flavors start a little dark and heavy and become lighter as it finishes in the mouth. It's a perplexing flavor combination I'd recommend trying just for the novelty. 

Mountain Dew Gingerbread Snap'd

I'm always in the mood for ginger sweets and this release from Mountain Dew seems apt for a holiday evening. I really like that strong ginger aroma it has. Feels like walking into one of those Christmas themed home décor shops. No notes on changing the amount of carbonation, but what I get from swigging this is an upfront gingerbread taste, which is nice. Unfortunately, it's followed up with a slight citrus flavor reminiscent of, what else, Mountain Dew. I'd have liked this as a straight gingerbread soda without the Mountain Dew. So it's a miss for me, disappointingly so since I had high hopes for it. Good thing I can make a great ginger snap cookie. 

Dragon Tail Energy Lightning Cola with Tea

I'm not a fan of energy drinks, but there exists this blurry line where sodas and carbonated energy drinks mix that sometimes leads me to picking up a bottle to try. Dragon Tail is apparently another drink coming from the folks at Orca Beverages, in Washington state, that we've mentioned in several previous posts. While it contains cane sugar over high-fructose corn syrup or other alternative sugars, it also contains high levels of caffeine and guarana, both commonly found in a wide variety of "energy" drinks on the market. 

The scent of tea is the first thing you get when opening this bottle, along with a hint of something close to cinnamon. The color is a rich brown you expect from cola and it has adequate but not strong carbonation. How do I describe this flavor? There is a touch of cola in it, that's true. But you also pick up a taste of green tea as well as earthy tones like you get when smelling the inside of an old antique furniture shop or opening an old Chinese armoire. It's an interesting flavor, but definitely not something I'd personally consider sitting around sipping on, let alone ever enjoying with a meal.