{"id":20736,"date":"2016-10-20T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=20736"},"modified":"2023-08-12T14:16:16","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T00:16:16","slug":"review-mtn-dew-mango-heat-game-fuel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/10\/20\/review-mtn-dew-mango-heat-game-fuel\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Mtn Dew Mango Heat Game Fuel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theimpulsivebuy\/30444713565\" title=\"View 'Mtn Dew Mango Heat' on Flickr.com\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"640\" style=\"display:block; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5343\/30444713565_861026d745_z.jpg?resize=255%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat\" width=\"255\" title=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you asked me to write down the flavors that remind me of October, I assure you that \u201cmango\u201d and \u201cspicy heat\u201d would both fall pretty low on that list, right there near the bottom with \u201covercooked pork chop,\u201d \u201caccidentally ingested Reese\u2019s wrapper,\u201d and \u201cneighborhood bully knuckle sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s really no logical reason for Mountain Dew\u2019s new Mango Heat Game Fuel to debut <em>after<\/em> summer, unless the titular flavors are meant to symbolize global warming and all the unsold overstock from Trader Joe\u2019s recent mango mania. I understand that Mango Heat doesn\u2019t need to make sense, since it\u2019s only meant to tie-in with the upcoming video game <em>Titanfall 2<\/em>, but as a meticulous Halloween fanatic, I want everything I consume this month to taste appropriately spooktacular.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s why every steak I eat in October oozes blood, every pizza is extra saucy, and every PB&#038;J has enough J to create an impressive splash zone around me when I bite into it.<\/p>\n<p>So Mountain Dew should\u2019ve just tied this drink to the new Resident Evil zombie game and called it \u201cBlood Orange Game Fuel.\u201d Because as I quickly found out, that\u2019s what it tastes like, too.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theimpulsivebuy\/30358223371\" title=\"View 'Mtn Dew Mango Heat 2' on Flickr.com\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"456\" style=\"display:block; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5526\/30358223371_83e3e6d36e_z.jpg?resize=550%2C456&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat 2\" width=\"550\" title=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat 2\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Amidst the wails of my Spooky Sounds cassette tape and the annoyed groans of my upstairs neighbors, the fine carbonated hiss of my Dew became a welcome part of the spooky symphony. But nothing about my first sip screamed \u201cmango!\u201d to me. Instead, it tasted like a carbonated Hi-C Ecto-Cooler.<\/p>\n<p>More specifically, it tasted like Mountain Dew took a carbonated Ecto Cooler, added a splash of Sunny D, tossed in a dash of black pepper, and mixed it all together\u2014by using a Mango Dum-Dum sucker as the swizzle stick. In layman\u2019s tastes, this means Mango Heat\u2019s predominate flavor is \u201csugary artificial orange,\u201d with a mildly biting tang and an even milder tropical fruitiness.<\/p>\n<p>While its lack of mango is already lame enough to make an ordinary man go nuts, this Dew\u2019s peppery heat is the disappointing icing on an already sad birthday cake\u2014the kind of cake that misspells my name as \u201cDon.\u201d The promised heat isn\u2019t spicy or burning: it\u2019s just kind of annoying. After every sip, a tingling, unflavored aftertaste tickled the back of my throat like one of those sneezes that teases but never comes.<\/p>\n<p>I tried swishing the Mango Heat around in my mouth to test for deeper flavor complexities, but this merely spread the Dew\u2019s unpleasant slimy corn syrupiness around my mouth and made my dentist shudder in his sleep without knowing why.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theimpulsivebuy\/29813613554\" title=\"View 'Mtn Dew Mango Heat 3' on Flickr.com\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"507\" style=\"display:block; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5490\/29813613554_c0f88651eb_z.jpg?resize=550%2C507&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat 3\" width=\"550\" title=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat 3\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong, there\u2019s nothing wrong with this Dew\u2019s angsty tangerine juice box flavor. Its \u201cliquefied Velma Scooby-Doo fruit snacks\u201d taste is perfectly pleasant when sipped in isolation. Yet I can\u2019t but help compare Mango Heat to its similar-tasting Game Fuel brother: Citrus Cherry. Since Citrus Cherry is also back in stores, I wish Mountain Dew had been more experimental with this new Game Fuel flavor.<\/p>\n<p>With a color as atomically orange as Mango Heat\u2019s, Mountain Dew could\u2019ve made a vanilla-tinged Orange Creamsicle Dew or a BuzzFeed-breaking Pumpkin Spice Dew. Heck, I would\u2019ve even accepted a nationwide release of 2014\u2019s legendary, nacho cheese-flavored \u201c<a href=http:\/\/time.com\/3573045\/doritos-flavored-mountain-dew-is-first-sign-of-impending-apocalypse><\/a>Dewritos&#8221; soda. It\u2019s the most deviant time of year, yet Mountain Dew tried to play it a little too safe.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theimpulsivebuy\/29813613454\" title=\"View 'Mtn Dew Mango Heat 4' on Flickr.com\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"474\" style=\"display:block; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5473\/29813613454_c409f5f9b1_z.jpg?resize=550%2C474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat 4\" width=\"550\" title=\"Mtn Dew Mango Heat 4\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you really like Hi-C\u2019s Ecto-Cooler or Orange Lavaburst, Mtn Dew Mango Heat might still tickle your fancy as much as it does your trachea. The rest of us are better off using it as a glowing Halloween mood talisman.<\/p>\n<p><small>(Nutrition Facts &#8211; 1 bottle \u2013 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 100 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 46 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein..)<\/small><\/p>\n<p><b>Purchased Price:<\/b> $1.69<br \/>\n<b>Size:<\/b> 20 fl oz bottle<br \/>\n<b>Purchased at:<\/b> Kroger<br \/>\n<b>Rating:<\/b> 5 out of 10<br \/>\n<b>Pros:<\/b> A stinging high-five between an Orange Starburst and a pissed-off glass of Sunny D. A soda the color of melted jack-o-lanterns. Using carbonation for atmospheric effect. Ordering an \u201cextra large, extra bloody\u201d pizza from Papa John\u2019s. Never having the chance to masochistically taste \u201cDewritos.\u201d<br \/>\n<b>Cons:<\/b> Mango flavor that\u2019s as faded as my summer memories. A heated aftertaste that\u2019s as irritating as YouTube\u2019s Annoying Orange. A palette-swapped Citrus Cherry doppelg\u00e4nger. PB&#038;J stains on my best white shirt. Unknowingly eating the brown wrapper on every Reese\u2019s Cup until I was six (seriously).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you asked me to write down the flavors that remind me of October, I assure you that \u201cmango\u201d and \u201cspicy heat\u201d would both fall pretty low on that list, right there near the bottom with \u201covercooked pork chop,\u201d \u201caccidentally ingested Reese\u2019s wrapper,\u201d and \u201cneighborhood bully knuckle sandwich.\u201d There\u2019s really no logical reason for Mountain [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1722,1543,1488],"class_list":["post-20736","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":69969,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2025\/05\/14\/little-caesars-mtn-dew-mango-rush-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":20736,"position":0},"title":"REVIEW: Little Caesars Mtn Dew Mango Rush","author":"Marvo","date":"May 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"IT BURNS! 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I'm going to get wasted on that someday!\" But if you look closely at the poorly lit can, you'll see the word \"non-alcoholic.\" So if there isn't any alcohol, how is it spiked? Prickly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Coming Soon&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Coming Soon","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/coming-soon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mountain dew white green 885","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/mountain-dew-white-green-885.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/mountain-dew-white-green-885.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/mountain-dew-white-green-885.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51806,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2022\/06\/30\/mtn-dew-overdrive-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":20736,"position":5},"title":"REVIEW: Mtn Dew Overdrive","author":"Marvo","date":"June 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Mtn Dew Overdrive is a Casey's-exclusive flavor. 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