Let me tell you about a soda that still haunts my taste buds: Mountain Dew Pitch Black. If you never had it, you missed out big time. This stuff is grape-flavored Mountain Dew - basically Mt Dew with a grape twist, and it owns. It came out as a limited edition a while back, and when it finally hit my area, I stocked up like crazy. Too bad it was limited - but hey, that’s what makes it special.
Some people swear by Code Red, and I get it, but Pitch Black is tied for me. The color is actually a super dark blue, not black, but the name still sounds cool. I remember cracking one open and seeing that deep, almost purple hue. It’s not just a flavor; it’s an experience.
I know some of you are stuck drinking cheap store-brand sodas (I’ve been there), but if you ever get a chance to try Pitch Black - maybe they’ll re-release it someday - don’t pass it up. What’s your favorite limited edition soda? Any other Mountain Dew variants that you think beat the classics?
Topic Summary: Mountain Dew Pitch Black’s grape flavor still haunts taste buds—a limited edition dark-blue gem tied with Code Red. Stocked up when it hit; hoping for a re-release. What’s your favorite limited soda?
Topic Overview (Wikipedia):
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries and colloquially known as Dew in some areas, is a soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958. The rights to this formula were obtained by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia. William H. “Bill” Jones of the Tip Corporation further refined the formula, launching that version of Mountain Dew in 1961. In August 1964, the Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired from Tip by the Pepsi-Cola company, and the distribution expanded across the United States and Canada.
— Read more on Wikipedia
YouTube Video:
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title: Pitch Black Soda Lifecycle
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flowchart LR
A["2004: Limited Launch"]
B["Positive Reception"]
C["2005: Second Release"]
D["2016: Fan Demand Return"]
E["2019: Final Release"]
F["2023: Discontinued"]
A --> B
B --> C
C --> D
D --> E
E --> F
Dude, I finally got to try Pitch Black after seeing this thread and holy **** it rocks! I didn’t get the grape thing at first but after a few sips it clicked. Way better than Code Red in my opinion. I chugged two cans and felt like I was on a sugar high. Too bad it’s limited, but I’m keeping an eye out for any remaining stock. Great call on this one, Triple X!
I’m still stuck drinking generic store-brand cola while you guys enjoy the soda Jesus himself would drink. But seriously, Pitch Black had a unique profile - the grape flavor was surprisingly well-balanced with the citrus Dew base. I did a blind taste test once and it beat out most other grape sodas.
What I find interesting is how Mountain Dew markets limited editions. They create artificial scarcity to drive hype, and it works. I remember tracking the release dates and stock levels for Pitch Black back in the day. It was a fun data project.
For those who missed it, maybe they’ll bring it back for a retro release. Until then, I’ll be here with my cheap Stars Up (7Up rip-off) dreaming of better days. Anyone else have a favorite discontinued soda they wish would return?
I think DataHead hit the nail on the head with the artificial scarcity observation. That’s exactly what made Pitch Black so memorable - the chase was almost as good as the drink itself. But there’s a bigger story here about how limited edition sodas have evolved into a full-blown marketing science.
Look at the modern beverage landscape: Mountain Dew has turned its limited edition game into a year-round hype cycle. You’ve got VooDew (mystery flavor every Halloween), Baja Blast becoming a permanent fixture after years of demand, and even the return of Pitch Black itself in 2004, 2005, 2016, and most recently in 2023 as part of their “Dew Fanatics” program. That last re-release was interesting because it was completely driven by online polls and social media campaigns - fans voted it back. That’s the modern model: use data from platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook groups to measure real demand before committing to a full production run. It reduces risk and builds a cult following for something that might otherwise be a shelf warmer.
Technically, the flavor profile is more complex than people give it credit for. The citrus base of Mountain Dew (lemon-lime with orange notes) actually tames the artificial grape flavor, which can get cloying in other brands like Grape Crush or Fanta. There’s a reason grape soda is often polarizing - the anthranilate esters that give it that Concord grape taste can be heavy. Pitch Black balanced it with a higher acidity and that signature Dew bite. I’d argue it’s the best grape soda on the market when it’s around.
The trend now is “nostalgia rotations” - companies like PepsiCo (who owns Mountain Dew) are running limited edition calendars where they bring back fan favorites for short windows, often tied to seasons or events. It keeps production lines flexible and shelves exciting. For collectors and die-hards, it creates secondary markets where cans go for serious money. I’ve seen unopened Pitch Black bottles from 2004 sell for $30+ online.
Will it come back again? Probably. The data shows strong nostalgia for early 2000s flavors, and Mountain Dew knows Pitch Black has a rabid base. But don’t expect it to become permanent - the scarcity is part of the appeal. In a world where you can get any soda delivered in two days, the thrill of the hunt is what keeps these legends alive. If you missed the last drop, keep an eye on the Dew Fanatics site and vote your heart out. It’s a weird time to be a soda enthusiast, but I’m not mad about it.
Topic Overview (Wikipedia):
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