The limited-edition Baja Leo promises to spice up Mountain Dew. Does it deliver?

If there’s one thing Snackology knows, it’s Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. You don’t find yourself in a situation where you have eight different flavors of the low-calorie variety of Mountain Dew in your home ready to be ranked without learning a thing or two along the way.

I was thrilled when a can of Mountain Dew Baja Leo Zero Sugar showed up at home on Monday ahead of its release later this week. I carefully put this precious cargo into my fridge so it would be perfectly chilled for a review after our daughter went to bed.

You’re probably thinking, Bill, what is Mountain Dew Baja Leo Zero Sugar? Good question. I was wondering that exact same thing when I first saw this new Baja variant pop up on social media.

It turns out Mountain Dew Baja Blast — the iconic Dew flavor that began its life as a Taco Bell exclusive before escaping to stores and even pies — has a birthday. That birthday is July 29, 2004. Which makes Baja Blast a Leo.

“Baja Leo is a limited-edition, zodiac-inspired release wrapped in collectible cosmic artwork and featuring a flavor that brings Leo’s signature traits to life,” read Mountain Dew’s announcement of Baja Leo. “Its flavor combination is bold, dramatic spiced mango up front with a chili-lime kick and a hint of black pepper on the finish.”

Yes, a spicy Mountain Dew.

Or so I was told ...

What it costs

I don’t have a price for Mountain Dew Baja Leo Zero Sugar. That’s because I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to buy this soda by itself. Instead, you’re going to have to chase the Baja Blast Birthday Bundle — a 12-pack of Baja Blast with a single can of Baja Leo — when it goes live on the TikTok Shop on Aug. 12 at 12 p.m. ET.

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My thoughts

In addition to being no stranger to the many varieties of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, I’ve also eaten my fair share of spicy food for Snackology. I’ve snacked on spicy Skittles, spicy Trolli Crawlers, spicy Taco Bell, spicy noodles, even spicy beer — but this would be the first time I’ve tried a spicy soda for the newsletter.