![\"Mountain](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Mountain-Dew-Kickstart-Black-Cherry-and-Limeade.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In an increasingly health conscious market full of zero-calorie sweeteners and unpalatably low-fat Chobani yogurt, PepsiCo decided to throw a proverbial middle finger in the face of personal trainers and inclined-treadmill-users everywhere when they released the first two flavors of Mountain Dew Kickstart back in 2013.<\/p>\n
For those of you who don\u2019t know, Mountain Dew Kickstart\u2019s first flavors, Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch, are literally<\/i> soda for breakfast. Like something out of a cartoon-binge induced dream of a seven-year-old, these two caffeinated flavors promised to give your humdrum morning that \u201ckick\u201d it so desperately needs.<\/p>\n
Yet, amid skeptics (myself included), this year Mountain Dew Kickstart was ready to expand its caffeinated scissor-kick not just to our boring and mundane mornings, but to our boring and mundane evenings as well. Now available in (the rather unimaginatively named) Limeade and Black Cherry, the energy that these nighttime themed Mountain Dew Kickstarts provide can help you complete the important junk in your life, like applying for a job or finally getting around to completing that custody paperwork for your daughter. I was intrigued. <\/p>\n
Because seeing a Mountain Dew product marketed as a breakfast beverage is not something one easily forgets, I knew exactly the retailer that would be carrying its nighttime themed companions. Looks like I was taking a little field trip to my local Walmart.<\/p>\n
Amid familiar blue aisles of ridiculously low-priced goods and boxes of $5 movies containing twelve copies of Shrek the Third<\/i> and an 80s Val Kilmer action flick, I found both new flavors of Mountain Dew Kickstart displayed humbly, at room temperature, on a rack near the checkout. Much like the Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch varieties, the first thing I noticed is that both the Limeade and Black Cherry flavors look suspiciously similar to their energy drink competition. I could not help but think that the familiarly shaped tall 16-ounce cans, colored pull-tabs, and generic labeling were channeling the style of both Monster and Rockstar.<\/p>\n
Yet, what these Mountain Dew Kickstarts lack in originality, they certainly make up for in taste, which is surprising considering the executives over at Mountain Dew HQ decided to go with the uninspiring ubiquitous choice of Limeade and Black Cherry. However, I have nothing against these two flavors and I was excited to see how Mountain Dew (now famous for making a variety of beverages that actually have nothing to do with the original Mountain Dew itself) handled each one.<\/p>\n
![\"Mountain](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Mountain-Dew-Kickstart-Black-Cherry-and-Limeade-Closeup.jpeg?resize=648%2C486&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
I have always been skeptical of flavors labeled \u201climeade\u201d. Deep down I really want to believe, really, it\u2019s just that anything labeled \u201climeade\u201d usually just tastes suspiciously similar to lemon-lime, or just plain lemon for that matter. \u00a0Yet, despite my general feelings towards the marketing maneuver of all things \u201climeade\u201d, this Mountain Dew Kickstart incarnation is fantastic. If Mountain Dew can do nothing else, it\u2019s create an exemplary citrus drink. The flavor itself tastes (unsurprisingly) similar to the original Mountain Dew, but totally in a good way. Compared to other energy drinks, Mountain Dew Kickstart Limeade is a refreshing deviation from the guarana fueled, syrupy norm. In fact, if you didn\u2019t tell me this was an energy drink, I would be hard pressed to tell it was anything other than just a new flavor of Mountain Dew.<\/p>\n
However, as surprisingly good the Limeade flavor was, I enjoyed the Black Cherry variety even more. I have to admit that yes, I am a bit biased. Of my specifically colored fruits, I\u2019d have to say black cherry trumps blue raspberry any day (get at me Jolly Ranchers!). With this in mind, I was happy to find this Mountain Dew Kickstart version did my beloved black cherry justice. But seriously, this was one of the best black cherry flavors I have ever had. It\u2019s sweet and pleasant, but, like its Limeade companion, not overwhelmingly sugary or \u201cchemical\u201d.<\/p>\n
Even though both Limeade and Black Cherry Kickstart may not offer the most original first impression, their fantastic flavors are proof that Mountain Dew absolutely knows what it\u2019s doing in the beverage game. Although, I wouldn\u2019t mind if Mountain Dew tried to pave some completely new path in the world of carbonated beverages.<\/p>\n
I kinda want Mountain Dew to get freaky.<\/p>\n
(Nutrition Facts – 16 ounces – Limeade<\/b> – 80 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein. Black Cherry<\/b> – 80 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n
Item:<\/b> Mountain Dew Kickstart (Limeade and Black Cherry)
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $1.49 each
\nSize:<\/b> 16 fl oz.
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Walmart
\nRating:<\/b> 7 out of 10 (Limeade)
\nRating:<\/b> 9 out of 10 (Black Cherry)
\nPros:<\/b> Exemplary flavor. Barely tastes like an energy drink. Great flavor execution.
\nCons:<\/b> Lackluster packaging. Kinda boring flavor names. The fact that Walmart employees are incredibly underpaid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In an increasingly health conscious market full of zero-calorie sweeteners and unpalatably low-fat Chobani yogurt, PepsiCo decided to throw a proverbial middle finger in the face of personal trainers and inclined-treadmill-users everywhere when they released the first two flavors of Mountain Dew Kickstart back in 2013. For those of you who don\u2019t know, Mountain Dew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1722,1543,1488],"class_list":["post-16377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-mountain-dew","tag-mtn-dew","tag-soda"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19571,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/01\/22\/coming-soon-new-2016-mountain-dew-kickstart-flavors\/","url_meta":{"origin":16377,"position":0},"title":"COMING SOON: New 2016 Mountain Dew Kickstart Flavors","author":"Marvo","date":"January 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Mountain Dew Kickstart made its debut in 2013 with two flavors -- Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch. Back then some clueless dude said, \"To be honest, I\u2019m not sure who\u2019s going to regularly buy Mountain Dew Kickstart.\" Here we are three years later and I have to eat those words\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Coming Soon"","block_context":{"text":"Coming Soon","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/coming-soon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"New Mountain Dew Kickstart Flavors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/New-Mountain-Dew-Kickstart-Flavors.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/New-Mountain-Dew-Kickstart-Flavors.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/New-Mountain-Dew-Kickstart-Flavors.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19726,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/03\/01\/review-mountain-dew-midnight-grape-kickstart\/","url_meta":{"origin":16377,"position":1},"title":"REVIEW: Mountain Dew Midnight Grape Kickstart","author":"Marvo","date":"March 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I'd like to apologize to Mountain Dew Midnight Grape Kickstart. On several occasions, on this blog, out in public, and in a mirror, I\u2019ve said the grape-flavored Mountain Dew Pitch Black is the best Mountain Dew flavor. 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An energy drink with some kind of hallucinogen in it? WOOHOO! Well, at least that\u2019s what the commercial led me to believe, but I was intent on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mountain Dew Kickstart Hydrating Boost","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8593\/16462580849_d1e88691b7_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14481,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2013\/02\/25\/review-mountain-dew-kickstart-fruit-punch-and-orange-citrus\/","url_meta":{"origin":16377,"position":3},"title":"REVIEW: Mountain Dew Kickstart (Fruit Punch and Orange Citrus)","author":"Marvo","date":"February 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Wise men once said in the late-1980s, and more recently in a Kia commercial, \"Ooh, are you ready girls? Ooh, are you ready now? Ooh, yeah! Kickstart my heart, give it a start! Ooh, yeah, baby! Ooh, yeah! Kickstart my heart, hope it never stops! Ooh, yeah, baby!\" During my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mountain Dew Kickstart","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8515\/8503912385_7dc972fa56.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27394,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/02\/review-mtn-dew-kickstart-energizing-original-dew\/","url_meta":{"origin":16377,"position":4},"title":"REVIEW: Mtn Dew Kickstart Energizing Original Dew","author":"Marvo","date":"March 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Mtn Dew Kickstart Energizing Original Dew is giving us a possible taste of the future\u2026 \u2026a dystopian future. Oh, wait. I mean DEWstopian DEWture. 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