Dirty Mountain Dew

 

Product circa: spring 2026

Following the dirty soda trend, Pepsico decided to create its own bottled version.

I wish they hadn't.  Mimicking soda and cream was never going to work in a non-dairy shelf-stable version.  They simply added vanilla "cream soda" flavoring to their Dew, and they added too much.  In the end, the vanilla overpowers the rest of the product, and ultimately this tastes like cream soda, but more tangy and bitter.

Ironically, the zero sugar seems to have less vanilla, and veers further toward balance.  But the sweetener completely ruins the attempt.

Lay's Brazilian-Style Garlic Sauce

 

Product circa: summer 2026

One of several Lays products promoting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing Brazil.

With a possibly extra-salted bite, these start with easily the strongest and most realistic raw garlic flavor I've ever tasted in a snack.  Next, the various cheese powders in the ingredient list manifest as butter on the palate, very much like that of buttered popcorn.  In the end, there is a tanginess that doesn't taste like vinegar at all, and well mimics the lemon juice that is intended.

These are very tasty, but because of the fact that they make your mouth taste like garlic for 6+ hours after you eat them, I'll never buy them again.

Fritos Flavor Twists Spicy Dill Pickle

 

Product circa: Summer 2026

I guess "spicy dill pickle" is plenty zeitgeisty enough to be an "American" flavor as part of this US semiquincentennial promotion.

They really provided "the works" of flavor profiles here for this snack.  I've tried plenty of spicy pickle snacks recently, and this is different.  This seems to have a ranch flavor base, with dill flavor added, with salt & vinegar powder added, and also the "red hot" flavor on top.  They're not unpleasant, but they are very busy in an All Dressed kind of way.  More than anything, this snack highlights that the flavor twists form factor provides an impressive crunchy texture when using new-fangled flavors, and I wish Fritos experimented with them more.

Lay's Wavy French Onion Soup

 

Product circa: 2026

Evidently as part of a promotion for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, this product represents France.

Onion powder is immediately evident here, but it avoids the pitfall of being too sweet, which I have experienced on past Lay's onion products.  Along with the onion is a heavy maltodextrin/MSG like flavor that is hard to miss.  There is also a lot of brown meatiness to simulate the beef broth of French Onion Soup, and it does well and making sure that this snack isn't too sweet.  In the end, this is a very enjoyable chip.

Twix Snickerdoodle

 

This is a Presumptive Ephemeral Nom. 

Product circa: 2026

I'll keep it short.  This is a regular Twix bar with some cinnamon flavoring added to it.  It's the same type of cinnamon added to "apple cinnamon" flavored food products.  And... it doesn't pair well, here.  This is a miss. 

Diet Coke Lime (2025)

 

Product circa: autumn 2025 

Diet Coke with Lime was a fairly short-lived product from 2004, but it gained such a cult following (though not nearly as much as Diet Coke with Lemon from 2001), that I started to get annoyed hearing about it over the decades.

I'm glad that Coke revived it under this slightly different name, though I have a feeling that they would never bring it back permanently, even if the fan response warranted it.

And it's a shame, because this shit is good.  I wasn't a fan of the original in 2004, and it's impossible for me to say how accurate this stuff tastes to the original.  But the lime here (which isn't too unnatural tasting) totally compliments the Diet Coke, in a way that tastes smoother and better than Diet Coke.  If this were a permanent product, I would probably buy it somewhat regularly (and I never buy Diet Coke). 

Cap'n Crunch's Orange Creampop Crunch

 

Product circa: summer 2025

As soon as I learned of this product's existence, I was able to order some from Walmart's backstock in autumn 2025.  Have YOU ever had orange-flavored cereal before?  I rest my case.

The subtle-but-present orange flavor is there, and it's definitely a unique experience for cereal.  The typical "cereal vanilla" is what dominates most of the experience, but the vanilla and orange combine to get an almost banana-like flavor, which is very welcome.  In the end, this is a like a tropical-tasting cereal, and dare I say, even a refreshing experience.  I'd reach for a box of this once a year, if I had the chance.