Dum Dums with Hawaiian Punch flavors

 

Product circa: 2023

A nice little cross-branding venture between two legendary brands.

While these are from 2023, there is evidence online of Hawaiian Punch joints going back as far as 2014.

Unfortunately, these things don’t hit quite like they used to when we were kids.  They are absent of any tang or interest; they are high on sugar, low on flavor.  The Polar Blast flavor is a simple blue raspberry that tastes lifeless.  The Fruit Juicy Red flavor is definitely on par with the drink flavor, but its vigor just doesn’t translate into hard candy.

Gatorade Lightning Blast & Midnight Ice

 

Note: These are Presumptive Ephemeral Noms.

Even though these are touted as "New Flavors", they are almost certainly available only for a limited time.

With names like these and the profuse blending of artificial flavors, it's often tough to discern the flavor components without looking online.  Lightning Blast is very melon-forward for me, with what seems like berry flavors following.  Midnight Ice undoubtedly has grape in it, with tropical flavors surrounding it.  Neither are especially good or interesting. 

Mountain Dew Baja Punch & Baja Flash

 

Product circa: summer 2021

As part of the 100 Days of Baja promotion, these 2 products were released alongside Baja Blast's 2021 summer release.

Baja Punch: Very light, and not syrupy.  Interestingly, I don't get the Dew base at all.  There's a tropical melon here, almost like a watermelon agua fresca.  A bit of Sweetart to prevent it from tasting too natural.  There's cherries on the label, but I don't get that at all.

Baja Flash: One of the greatest Dews I've ever tasted - in the Top 3.  A perfect pineapple coconut flavor that I'm not sure I could clock as a Dew.  As of this 2025 writing, I still have a few cans left, which I will cherish.

Mountain Dew Infinite Swirl

 

Product circa: Summer 2024

Supposedly a berry pineapple Dew, I would say that the berry here manages to support the pineapple, such that, to me, this is ultimately a pineapple Dew.  And that's good, because it's probably the best pineapple Dew I have tasted so far.

Sprite Remix Aruba Jam (Wendy's 2024)

 

Product circa: Summer 2024

In an unbelievable move, Sprite has revived their 20 year old product, and one of my favorites of all time.  Returning as a Coke Freestyle machine offering, I'm not one to complain.  It's hard to say if this stuff tastes like the original, but it's damn close, and it's damn good.  Sprite with a vivid lime and complementary strawberry.  The original was clear, but the color of this modern version has no bearing on anything.

The freestyle machines really offer Coke an amazing opportunity - to bring back discontinued flavors in a way much more cheaply than bottles or cans, which require them to (re)create marketing and packaging.

What a special experience to relive this product.  Thanks Coke, keep it up!

Doritos Baja Fiery Mango

Product circa: Spring 2024

This is part of the 20th Bajaversary, which is a joint celebration between Taco Bell and Mountain Dew.  I'm having trouble finding the significance of the year 2004 in this "anniversary".  Said to be part of this celebration is the permanent release of Mountain Dew Baja Blast products in stores, as well as Baja Laguna Lemonade & Baja Point Break Punch.

Anyway, these things are fascinating.  They start with a bright and tangy mango flavor that can't help me think of sugary breakfast cereal... maybe it's the sugar and corn crunch together that's giving that aura.  The heat then slowly shows itself, and this is some of the most impressive heat I've experienced on a Doritos product.  There's probably some savory elements in this snack as well, such as onion and garlic, but if so, they are very subdued.  Honestly, this tastes like spicy Doritos that have Kool-Aid Tropical Punch powder sprinkled over them.  Overall, a fun experiment, but not a snack that I would reach for unironically.

Pepsi Pineapple

 

Product circa: summer 2024

In a rare move, the pizza delivery company Little Caesar's has an exclusive soft drink variety (sold right in the cooler in their locations).

While this product does actually contain pineapple juice (which is commendable), it doesn't taste like it.  It tastes like Pepsi with the same artificial pineapple flavoring like something like a Life Saver candy might have.  In the end, the two don't pair very well.

Starburst Fruity Slushies and Sweet Fiesta

 

Products circa: the 2010s

There's not much to say about these.  They are very tasty, but not drastically more remarkable than the original flavors.  Though I do tend to think that the Starburst variations are always better than the original flavors, I never met a Starburst I didn't like.

Sprite Tropical Mix

 

While technically not a limited time product, as it seems to keep popping up every year at different times, Sprite Tropical Mix deserved a post.  Why?  Because Coca-cola needs to be commended for producing this stuff, and especially doing so regularly.  Luckily for us, Tropical Mix tastes almost exactly like Sprite Remix from 20 years ago - which Sprite Remix, I can't tell... maybe a mix of both?  Every time I see this in a cooler, I grab one and buy it.  It mixes pretty well with light rum, as well.

Mountain Dew Baja Laguna Lemonade & Baja Point Break Punch

 

Products circa: Spring 2024

Laguna Lemonade: Tasty enough, but with a fake-tasting mango flavoring that pales in comparison to the Mountain Dew Mango Gem released a few years ago.

Point Break Punch: A fruit punch that's decidedly more "tropical" in flavor than the other million fruit punch Dews that have been made.  But something is off with the balance of the sweetness... either there's too much sugar, or not enough acidic bite.  But a nice change, overall.

Mountain Dew Maui Burst

 

Product circa: 2020 and onward, only at Dollar General stores

My hype for this one didn't help.  Supposedly a pineapple Dew, the fruit flavoring here is so subtle that is tastes straight up bland.  I'll be on the lookout for more to make sure it wasn't just the can I bought.

Mountain Dew Baja: Caribbean Splash and Passionfruit Punch

 

Product circa: Summer 2023

Released along with Dew Baja Blast and Dew Baja Blast Zero Sugar as part of the "Summer of Baja Blast" promotion.  As of this posting, Baja Blast is now tentatively a permanent product that can be found it stores, instead of only being found at the fountain in Taco Bell locations.

Baja Caribbean Splash: I can't remember where my baseline for "guava" flavor comes from, but this is definitely guava, and it pairs very well with the original recipe.  Absolutely delicious and very tropical.

Baja Passionfruit Punch: Not bad at all, but overall has a generic fruity flavor that's hard to pinpoint.  It tastes nothing like passionfruit, and has none of the tang that passionfruit usually carries with it.

Mountain Dew Game Fuel Tropical Smash

It was summer of 2017 that Pepsico released yet another Game Fuel variation called Tropical Smash. This product was part of a promotion with the release of the video game Forza Motorsport 7.

Once again, Dew has added zero-calorie sweetener to a drink that already has almost 200 calories. I'm not sure how many dozens of calories are saved by adding Ace-K and sucralose, but I must be the only one who thinks that the taste of the product suffers because of it?

Anyway, the onset of Tropical Smash has a similar feel to the iconic smooth sweetness that normal Dew has, with little in the way of acidic bite to balance it. As the name suggests, bright tropical punch flavors dominate the palate; although official documentation says mango and pineapple, I get mango and banana. Regardless, it's quite tasty. Unfortunately it's punctuated with the sharp pinch of zero-calorie sweetener.  And minutes after drinking, the aftertaste is probably the worst I've ever experienced.

The 0-cal sweetener always takes these products' ratings down by 1 NOM, but this is the best one I've ever had, so welcome your first 3-NOM product with 0-cal sweetener!

Mountain Dew Game Fuel Tropical Smash:- Great

Original Mountain Dew(for comparison):- Great

Red Bull Summer Edition 2019

 

Product circa: summer 2019

For several years now Red Bull has issued summer editions of their product, and each year it's a different flavor.  This is totally in character at this point, because Red Bull now has well over a dozen variations of their original energy drink on the shelves, almost to a saturation point.

I don't often drink Red Bull products, but when I do, I regret it.  It's hard to say exactly what they were aiming for with this drink.

As the soda hits the tongue, the experience seems normal.  But after that, it's all downhill.  The short of it is that the main flavors of this drink seem to be a sort of floral coconut which, on paper, sound great to me.  But these two combine with the medicinal bubblegum taste of the original Red Bull to a result that tastes completely like sunscreen lotion.

That's the whole of it.  I feel like I'm drinking something that's not food.  Most Red Bull variations don't hew to the original's flavor, but in this case when it does, it's disastrous.  However, I'm going to give it 1 NOM, because I can somehow see that some folks might like this.


Red Bull Summer Edition 2019:- Passable
Original Red Bull (for comparison):- Passable

Pina Colada Oreo Thins

Product circa: spring 2018

This is the third product in the spring 2018 Oreo poll product segment.

I don't think I've said it before, but I absolutely love Oreo Thins.  I've always been of the school that the less Oreo creme, the better.  Double Stuf Oreo was never great to me, and you can read about my thoughts on Mega Stuf Oreo here, where I fantasized about an "Half Stuf" Oreo.

Well, Oreo Thin is here for good, and thank god.  The wafers are cracker-thin, and the creme is a light spread.  The cookies crumble in your mouth without needing to use teeth.  In my opinion, the balance is better.

Anyway, the smell of these things is decided buttery.  This may simply result from the butteriness of the coconut, but it's also possible that there is a bit of added butter flavor to the cookies.  On the bite, the coconut becomes immediately apparent, and it will take you a few chews to notice the pineapple.  These are pretty tasty, but they're much too sweet.  They're lacking a tanginess that would really elevate them into something unstoppable.

In the end, Oreo Thins Coconut is now a permanent product, and I would rather have those.

Pina Colada Oreo Thins:- Good
Original Golden Oreo Thins:- Great 

Mountain Dew Blasts of Summer

For quite a while now PepsiCo has been stocking coolers with summer variations of Mountain Dew, which they're really starting to do more and more each year.  One of them has a history, and the other is brand-spanking new.

The first is Mountain Dew Baja Blast.  This flavor has been available at the fountain of Taco Bell restaurants for over 15 years now; I remember filling my cup with the stuff as early as 1998.  I'm not sure why Pepsi took over a decade to decide the sell the stuff in bottles and cans.  It's possible that Taco Bell had a tight hold on the licensing of it.

After drinking the stuff for over half my life, it's still hard to pin down what exactly Baja Blast tastes like.  It's turquoise/teal color is much more memorable than the flavor, despite it being outstanding(see rating below).  At first taste what is perhaps most notable is that this stuff has more of a "green lollipop" lime note that just the regular Dew pan-citrus backbone.  But that's not all.  There are a few more subtle flavors in Baja Blast that I've spent years trying to pin down.  As of now, 2015, the only ones I'm comfortable mentioning are melon, and perhaps the slightest bit of coconut.  Regardless, it's grand stuff.  Pick up the stuff in stores while you still can, and if you can't, find your local Taco Bell.


Mountain Dew Baja Blast:- Outstanding
Original Mountain Dew(for comparison):- Great 

Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast has also been available on tap in Taco Bells for at least a year now, and it too has been issued in plastic and aluminum alongside Baja Blast for this summer, presumably.  Sangrita is traditionally a fruit juice accompaniment to be sipped alongside tequila.  It's a bit of a strange inspiration for a take on Mountain Dew, but it's creative, I must admit. (If you like reading about drinking liquor, check out my other blog.)

The first sip of Sangrita Blast will make clear that it's tart.  I haven't had a Dew this tart since Pitch Black II.  Oddly, there's just enough tartness in this mix to counter the sugar and make it seem "dry", like a dry red wine, perhaps.  It's really pleasant.  As for flavor, it's hard to discern, like many flavored Dews, but what I'm really getting is grenadine (the proper stuff, made from pomegranates).  The grenadine flavor more or less trounces the citrus, but not in a bad way.  This is one of the more classy Dews you'll find.


Mountain Dew Sangrita Blast:- Great

Ben & Jerry's Piña Colada

Ben & Jerry's is one of those brands that I really have to commend for keeping things fresh with their product's varieties.  Their stable of flavors is one of the biggest in the ice cream industry, those permanent flavors are always changing every few years, and they often send out "Limited Batches" of flavors to test on America's tongues.

This summery offering caught me off guard.  When I think of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, I think of them as rich and decadent.  Perhaps not as high in fat as something like Häagen-Dazs, but Ben & Jerry's original ice cream has always signified high quality ingredients and flavors that are full and assertive.

The first bite makes it clear that this stuff is not meant to be the rich and hedonistic mix that can soothe sorrows after a tough day or a bad breakup.  No, B&J have gone out of their way to make this Limited Batch light and refreshing.  The first ingredient in the product's Nutrition Facts is indeed cream, but the second is skim milk.  The result is that the mouth feel of this product is more like sherbet than ice cream.  In fact, it's not unlike the fabulous So Delicious coconut milk ice creams, though this product does not use coconut milk.

The "cream" is flavored with both coconut and pineapple that is very well balanced and instantly invokes the Piña Colada.  In addition, folded into the ice cream are small bits of dried coconut and dried pineapple.  Because these bits have sat in a tub of cream since its production in the factory, they end up being slightly rehydrated, and the resulting texture is nicely chewy.

A bowl of this stuff would hit the spot after mowing the lawn, for example.  But in the end, it doesn't quite reach the euphoric experience that defines ice cream as an indulgence.

Ben & Jerry's Piña Colada:- Good
Original Ben & Jerry's(Vanilla, for comparison):- Great

Vintage: Sprite Aruba Jam Remix

I know what you're thinking, and the answer is "Yes! Occasionally I'll get my hands on Ephemeral Noms from the past!"  Such noms shall be marked as "vintage" whenever they appear on this site.

This is one of my favorite Ephemeral Noms of all time.  In the early 2000s Coca-Cola began releasing a new line of Sprite-related drinks called Sprite Remix.  Each flavor was released individually and stayed in production for about 6 months before the next one.  Wikipedia tells me that Sprite Remixes are still available in Canada, Barbados, and Turks & Caicos... is this true?? Anyway, aware of its ephemeralness, I nabbed a few 12-packs of Sprite Aruba Jam Remix before its production stopped.  I've kept them for 6+ years, and as I drink my last few cans for this review, they're almost as good as the day I bought them.

Similar in flavor to the first Sprite Remix iteration, Aruba Jam was the third, and my favorite of the three.  The nose of the stuff is similar to normal Sprite but has a hint of pineapple.  The taste initially seems simple, and it takes a lot of effort to pick out its components.  One of the most prominent flavors is the aforementioned pineapple, which really gives it that overall "tropical" feel.  I can also swear that I'm getting a bit of coconut here.  A strained attempt picks out some orange as well.  My favorite part of this stuff is the aftertaste, which is of strawberry, but it combines with the Sprite's lemon-lime flavor to somehow make it taste like real strawberry, and not the fake strawberry that you'll find it most soda or candy.  This stuff is overall sweeter than original Sprite.

Sprite Aruba Jam Remix is one of the most complex and tasty sodas that I've ever seen sold.  It's a damn shame that Coca-Cola feels that it, much less the whole Sprite Remix line, is not worth having as a permanent product.  As these last cans of mine dwindle, I can only try to savor these last sips as best I can.

Rest In Peace.

Sprite Aruba Jam Remix: - (Outstanding)
Original Sprite(for comparison): - (Good)