The Absolute Best Mountain Dew We’ve Ever Tried

Over the years, a lot of Mountain Dew flavors have passed across the Sporked desk. Like, a looooot of them. So it’s safe to say that there are opinions, people! Those opinions haven’t ceased, either: Since our Mountain Dew flavor ranking back at the end of 2024, we’ve continued to try out the new options that have come our way, rounding out 2025 with another ranked list and taking detours to taste test the likes of Mountain Dew Dirty Dew.

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But of all of the ones we’ve tried and rated (subjectively, I hasten to add!), one has stood above them all: Mountain Dew Purple Thunder. The leader of the pack. The crème de la crème. The top dog. And why did we reach that conclusion? Let’s discuss.

And The Winner Is…

Mountain Dew Purple Thunder received a rare 10/10 rating in Sporked’s 2024 taste test of its product line, just ahead of the original Mtn Dew (which also got a 10/10, just FYI). This flavor dropped in 2022 as a Circle K exclusive, and a few years later, it made its way to Kroger. 

Purple Thunder is ostensibly a blackberry plum flavor, but to be honest, those specific flavor notes are a little hard to discern. What isn’t hard to discern, though, is that it rocks. “Whatever the actual flavor, it’s so good. It’s sweet, for sure, but it has enough acidity to balance out the sugar, which is often lacking in Mountain Dew flavors,” we said back in 2024. As for the color, its vivid violet hue might cause a bit of a double-take, but it’s a visual delight. 

And It’s Still Available, Right?

Yes, it’s still available – but increasingly hard to find. Purple Thunder was officially discontinued at the start of 2026 in its packaged varieties, but you might be able to find it at Circle K and Holiday gas stations, from their Polar Pop fountains. As of a couple of weeks ago, a Redditor shouted out Purple Thunder and mentioned that it’s still at stores in the Northeast. And they also said that it’s excellent, so we’re not the only ones out to bat for it. 

So, there we have it. Mountain Dew Purple Thunder: You’re not new to this, you’re true to this. If this doesn’t convince PepsiCo to start selling it in bottles again, we don’t know what will.