Mtn Dew is not only good at making caffeinated fruity sodas, but it’s also good at giving those caffeinated fruity flavored beverages unique names. Think of all the Dew varieties that have ever existed and their names. Beyond Pitch Black and Pitch Black II and the Game Fuel offerings, there haven’t been many that reuse monikers.
But the popular Baja Blast now has to share its first name with new varieties — Baja Flash and Baja Punch.
With it being a pineapple coconut-flavored Dew, I’m surprised Baja Flash wasn’t called Baja Colada. Because it didn’t, I wondered if Mtn Dew was hesitant to give the soda a boozy-sounding name, but then remembered that time it offered its Spiked Lemonade line, Dew Shine, and Johnson City Gold. Also, I would’ve preferred Baja Colada because Baja Flash sounds like it would be a better name for a dune buggy.
As I poured some into my glass, I could smell the sweet coconut more than the golden fruit. Also, the pineapple isn’t as prevalent as the coconut when it comes to taste, but its flavor seems to stick out more in the aftertaste. The coconut might turn off some folks, but I dug it.
Pineapple isn’t new to the DEWniverse. There’s the pineapple-flavored Maui Burst, which is one of my all-time favorite Dew varieties. This isn’t as great as Maui Burst, but it’s a fine tasting Dew.
One last thing. While drinking it, one adjective that came to mind was creamy. There’s nothing creamy texture-wise, it drinks like any other soda, but the coconut flavor has me thinking it. Maybe my mind is too occupied with building a dune buggy called Baja Flash to think straight.
While I have no alternative names for Baja Punch, there’s a possibility that its name is a new one for Mtn Dew Solar Flare, which was a 7-Eleven fountain exclusive way back in 2014. Or it could be another name for Mtn Dew Southern Shock, a Bojangles exclusive last year. Both also are described as Dew with a tropical punch flavor. Oddly, I didn’t try either one, but Baja Punch does taste familiar to me.
When I first opened it, I smelled mango. After pouring it into the glass, I smelled pineapple. But when I drink it, I get a bit of cherry and something citrusy that could be pineapple. It’s definitely tropical punch flavored. Again, it reminds me of another Dew flavor, but I’m not sure which one. It also tastes less sweet than Baja Flash, but again, my mind might be distracted by thoughts of dune buggies.
Overall, Baja Punch is tasty, but my taste buds prefer Baja Flash.
Purchased Price: More than anyone should pay on eBay
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Baja Flash), 7 out of 10 (Baja Punch)
Nutrition Facts: (12 fl oz) Baja Flash – 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 44 grams of sugar, 44 grams of added sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 55 milligrams of caffeine. Baja Punch – 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 44 grams of sugar, 44 grams of added sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 54 milligrams of caffeine.