A big thank you to my cousins in Georgia who kindly played along and shipped up a bottle of Mello Yello for us to evaluate.
It’s been a long time since Mello Yello was available in the Northeast and while their logo has changed through the years, I think they had it perfect with the first one. I’d say the same goes for Mountain Dew. I don’t know about Mello Yello, but from my observations, Mt. Dew is mostly popular with males who are under 30 years old. I’m not sure what it is: the intense sweetness, the elevated caffeine, the vibrant yellow #5?
I also thought it was kind of interesting that Mountain Dew’s angle for a while was “Do the Dew!” which included skateboarding, mountain climbing and riding sharks. In comparison, Mello Yello does indeed seem more mellow as the commercials I found are uncomfortable situations between males and females asking “How would you stay smooth?”.
Ethan and I tasted this and then I brought the rest of the Mello Yello bottle into work to be tasted by our resident everyday Mt. Dew drinker, (who is a 24 year old male) Brendan.
Mello Yello:
We were out of our usual plastic tasting cups so we used wine glasses. It’s kind of funny how this almost looks like chardonnay (or pee).
The color was a little brighter yellow than how the picture came out. Ethan and I felt this was extremely sweet and syrupy. Brendan’s notes on this were the same, he felt it was okay but also said it was more syrupy than Mountain Dew and that dominated the flavor. I thought it tasted a lot like sprite and wondered if that is the base for this soda.
Mountain Dew:
This was very similar to Mello Yello, almost undetectably different but it does has a very lemony flavor that I felt tasted like those free lollipops you get at the bank.
Ethan said this was very citrusy but didn’t really see why he used to like it so much in college. I guess its worth noting that both drinks have orange juice in them too which probably helps add to the strong similarities between them.
Wrap up:
We really didn’t notice much difference between the two and I can see why in some areas of the country only one of them is offered. I will say that Brendan, being a hard core “Dewer” prefered Dew and felt Mello Yello was sweeter but he didn’t say he would never drink it again, if offered. In fact, he finished the rest of the bottle. I’d be interested to know which is more popular in areas where both of these are sold, which as the Coca-Cola distribution rep told me, is only in the south.
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I started drinking Mello Yello when it came in a predominantly Yellow can! I’ve noticed about 3 label design changes since then, as I recall.
For those who can differentiate between the tastes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola, I suggest the difference between Mello Yello and Mountain Dew is very similar. To me, Pepsi is sweeter, Coke seems more carbonated. Mountain Dew is sweeter, Mello Yello seems more carbonated. I personally prefer Coca Cola and Mello Yello.
While vacationing in Minnesota a few years back, I even noticed billboards advertising both Mello Yello and Diet Mello Yello, with availability of both high. That’s the only place I’ve ever seen Diet Mello Yello.
Here in Arkansas, Mello Yello was available until Surge was introduced several years ago. The bottler in Oklahoma that serves our area discontinued Mello Yello in favor of Surge. The only Mello Yello available here since then is in 20oz bottles at some central Arkansas convenience stores, and in a very few isolated restaurants via fountain, one being Krystal Burgers in Springdale.
There are a number of store-brand similar soft drinks, but check the ingredients. Mello Yello and Mountain Dew both include “concentrated orange juice”. The imitators do not.
I typically drink my Mello Yello with orange juice mixed in. Try it, you’ll like it, but it can become habit forming!
Mello Yello is a nearly perfect morning drink, too. It has (1) Orange Juice for breakfast, it has (2) Caffeine for a little kick, and it has (3) bubbles to tickle your nose and help awaken you in good humor! What more could one ask?
I neglected to mention that I drive to Missouri to buy Mello Yello.
Well I’m an 18 year old female from the north who literally drinks nothing but Mountain Dew. It is my life force. I’ve been drinking it since before I can remember.
I had actually completely forgotten about Mello Yello until I stumbled across this, and it reminded me that, before my downward spiral into Mountain Dew addiction, my favorite soda was Mello Yello.
If they still sold it around here, who knows, perhaps I would be drinking it instead.
i’m from north carolina, and we sell both mountain dew, and mello yello. (and mountain lightning, you know, the store brand.) i enjoy both drinks. mountain dew is my favourite, but if i can’t get it where i’m at, i’ll get mello yello.
all in all, they taste pretty much the same to me. mello yello has more of the fruity-citrus-taste to me. but mountain dew has more kick from caffeine, anyways, i love them both.
I prefer Mountain Dew slightly over Mello Yellow, because it’s a bit more carbonated. But here’s an interesting thing: as a waitress for 6 years, I have discovered that Mountain Dew drinkers, by far, order the most refills. ?
I’m what one may call a Mello Yello addict of sorts (I usually return home from visiting family in KY with a trunk full after buying out all their local Krogers)
M.Y. isn’t available in Central New York except for the local Chuck E Cheese where it is on tap.
I’ve looked into this a bit, and from what I can tell, it’s just the way Pepsi and Coke are set up as companies. Pepsi seems to have a national production schedule, the company seems to advertise at a national level for all their brands they push.
Coke pushes more of just a “branding” scheme- (if you drink Sprite, you know it’s a coke product, tho some may not know who makes Sierra Mist for example) In that spirit, local Coke bottlers are in control of what they feel their area “needs” according to demand. Just to sell “Coke Products”. This is why Mt. Dew is everywhere, but Mello Yello isn’t. It makes me want to take a case down to them and let them see what they’re missing… haha
well ive had both mellow yellow and mountain dew my top favrite soda is mountain dew
im from the south and we get mostley coka cola up here in memphis tennesse and well any way im a pepsi guy my top 3 favorites in order are mountain dew sierra mist cranberry splash and pepsi any way ive had all of the flavors of mountain dew made so far except amp energy ive have had voltage its pretty good there are for flavors of mellow yellow ive only had regular well just thought i would let you know all that and to end im a dew drinker for the rest of my life thank you
there is also sun drop dr pepper/7 up version of mountain dew thought you might like to know
Mello Yello is the best! I’m from Nashville, TN now living in CO and I miss it SO much! Mt. Dew just can’t compare. Coca-cola needs to stop advertising Vault (yuck) and get to the good stuff!
I drink Mello Yello all the time, I can drink Mountain Dew if I must, but there really isn’t anything greater than Mello Yello.
I grew up in South Carolina, drinking Mello Yello. After moving to Texas (where they don’t have Mello Yello), I, for the most part, stopped drinking citrus soda. Mtn. Dew is, in my opinion, too strong. Every once in a while, when a member of my family goes to the southern east coast, that member brings back a twelve pack of Mello Yello, and we gorge ourselves.
In conclusion, I
i work for coke in n.c. and i have heard that mellow yellow is coming back in early 2010. i cant wait i love it in the morn. it really helps me get going .vault cant hang with mellow yellow.i ll keep you posted .
Mountain Dew is way better. Mello Yello is like a much flatter version of it. Also, I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life and we have Mello Yello here – Everywhere. Can’t even get a Mountain Dew on most school campuses because Coke dominates them =(
i am a normal dew drinker, but lately have switched to mello yello and after awhile, when you drink mello yello, dew seems TOTALLY FLAT. i cant go back :\
KRIS LIKE DRINAK MELLO YELLO FROM JORDAN LARSEN
mnt dew rules
i wished mello yello was easier to find i love mellow yellow but never see it no more
moutain dew kind of like an old man drink if you really think about it is.Older people seem to like it better mello yello is better because it has a very very fun taste to it. Mt dew is alright not better then mello yellow though . IM a big big soda lover. Pce Pce ducez Swagalicious
here in South Dakota we have both Dew and Mello Yello, in my days as a yong child i liked mello yello better, but at about age 6 i switched to Dew, now i will drink and enjoy both but given the choice ill take Dew almost everytime. My girlfriend on the other hand is a mello yello fan and if thirsty will drink Dew, but wont pick it ove mellow yellow ever.
I grew up in Ohio and had limited availability on Mello Yello. We used to buy bottles of it when we visited North Carolina. At times it becomes available for a period of time (like right now it’s everywhere!), but usually you have to hunt for it (it was only on tap at a Burger King and Subway for a time).
Mello Yello has a stronger citrus (acidic) taste to it and Mountain Dew has a bit of lemon to it. I had also enjoyed 50/50 (cotton club) which is a citrus based soda. Vault is much stronger in taste as compared to Mello Yello (you should do a taste test of all three) and I will only drink it becuase I know it’s basically a rebranded and slightly different formula of Mello Yello. Working third shift I always relied on Mountain Dew, but I prefer the citrus flavor of Mello Yello (I’ve always been a Coke person, except for the great taste of Dr. Pepper!).
i live in Freakin Kentucky baby? and Mellow Yellow is the best!
without a doubt. in fact imdrinking it right know! lol
Oh man Mello Yello for sure. Mello Yello was pretty much my first experience with a high caffeine drink which might be one of the reasons I love it so much. Though, bias aside, I think the real reason I like Mello Yello better is because, in my opinion, it has a sweeter more defined flavor. Mountain Dew’s okay, but it tastes like a watered down Mello Yello. Unfortunately Mello Yello’s a little hard to find in Central VA, but if you go out to the more southern rural towns, you’ll find it.
Go ahead,say Mtn.Dew is horrible. At least Pepsico decided to make more versions of the drink instead of stopping at diet. Among those versions are: Mtn.Dew Code Red,Mtn.Dew Baja Blast,Mtn.Dew Gamefuel,Mtn.Dew Voltage,and Caffeine Free Dew,which in my opinion is very stupid. You just can’t take a high caffeine soda that many people love and take out the caffeine. Stupid imbeciles. ?
Usually, I reach for Mountain Dew, but I love Mellow Yellow as well. I’m thankful that it’s still readily available in my part of Wisconsin.
I do wonder, though-because I’ve read that both Pepsi and Coca-Cola have been taking more control over it’s bottlers by buying back stocks and such- if that’s going to kill off some of the more obscure sodas for good? I hope not.
i have tried both alot overe the years and i prefer mountain dew but if mello yello is all they have ill drink that.
I used to drink Mountain Dew a lot, until I bought a bottle of Mello Yello by mistake. After the mistake, I have never bought a bottle of Mountain Dew since. Mello Yello is a lot better in my opinion, with less sugar, and it’s a mistake I’m glad I made.
I equate the difference of Mello Yello and Mountain Dew to Barq’s Rootbeer and Mug Rootbeer. Barq’s has that “bite” to the flavor where Mug is a little smoother. I love Mello Yello soooooo much better than Mountain Dew, especially in a can. I don’t know what it is but any pop/soda tastes better coming out of a can.
Love them both. MY was more available in Hawaii and is harder to find in California.
Maybe it’s always been there but I just started noticing Mello Yello in my local store. I had to buy it. Wasn’t really wanting to buy a soda at that time, just water, but had to buy it. I never see it. Maybe it was the retro label. I began to remember the good ol’days, when I was a 70s child with cornrows and short shorts.
I live in MN, I have lived in Louisiana, Hawaii, and Texas. The one thing I have to say is Mountain Dew is the only way to go. Mellow Yellow isn’t as strong hence the name. I’m 16 and I like strong drinks I may end up switching when I’m older when I lose my need for the sugar but for now I’m sticking with the Mountain Dew
Have you noticed that there are some new Mountain Dew flavors? They are: Typhoon, Distortion, and White-Out. White Out is on its own, Distortion has a lime blast, maybe another Glad There’s Only One Of, and Typhoon might be comparible to Code Red.
i bought a bottle of mello yello at the target near me in new jersey today and i think it is defiantly better than mtn dew
Yeah Baby! For some reason growing up on the upperwest side of manhattan(NY,NY) We had both but in our community Mello Yello was the winner. I think the caucation community tended to drink Mountan dew while the rest of the melting pot veered towards mello yello, which makes sense if you think about it. Mello Yello complimented the spicey and flavorfull foods, while Mountain dew was more in your face with its flavor. BTW does one have more caffeine than the other?
Yeah Baby! For some reason growing up on the upperwest side of manhattan(NY,NY) We had both but in our community Mello Yello was the winner. I think the caucation community tended to drink Mountan dew while the rest of the melting pot veered towards mello yello, which makes sense if you think about it. Mello Yello complimented the spicey and flavorfull foods, while Mountain dew was more in your face with its flavor. BTW does one have more caffeine than the other? Too bad they stopped selling it in NYC in the 80’s. or do you have a connect? and how about Jupina soda what append to that?
Mello Yello is my favorite. Always stocked up while away on road trips. But now they just started selling it again in the New York City and Long Island area after 20+ years!!! I too agree with an earlier comment, PepsiCo’s marketing is much better then Cokes. Its easier to find a wide range of Pepsi made products just about everywhere, where as Coke really just pushes Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite. With those three choices, I’ll have a Dr. Pepper. Coke needs to take some hints from Pepsi’s marketing dept.
Mello Yello is currently in a relaunch which includes retro logo and bringing it back to places that haven’t had it (Like the Northeast) in a while. Some places have also picked it up (Such as the Philadelphia Coke distributor). I like all Pepsi and Coke citrus products that I have tried and to finally get some here is nice.
currently living in PA. currently have several bottles of mello yello laying around.. soo… yeah they definately sell it here… don’t know what you’re all talking about.
those 2 taste nothing alike i dont think. LOVE my hate md.
mello ftw!
I gotta admit, can be hard to tell. I would like to point out the fact that i’m guessing your mellow yellow was flat.
It’s like coke vs. pepsi. MD gets massive adverts, gets wildly popular because of its enormous caffeine content, and it’s sold in more places. However, when compared mountain dew just tastes like sugar water, mellow yellow has actual flavor to it.
As i originally stated, coke and pepsi follow the same lines. Coke was a favorite for a long time, it was ‘the original’. But pepsi actually has flavor to it, coke’s flavor is nothing more than syrup.
All that aside, i’ll agree with most posters that sundrop is better than both MD and MY put together.
They have Mello Yello in Vermont. They have it at Subways & some convenience stores. Personally I prefer the Dew, but like Ethan won’t pass up the Yello if its the only option.
Mello Yello is by far superior! It’s so smooth and doesn’t leave that after taste that mountain dew does! Get yourself a cold MY today and support the cause!
I live in Alabama and I love Mello Yello. Mello Yello ftw.
Hola! A mi me gusta Mello Yello porque es fantastico! Mountain Dew is muy horrible, muy pupitre!!! MELLO YELLO es delicioso, mi favorita! Adios, mis amigas….voy a las senoritas calientes!!! ?
Aloha brilliant web page
Does someone use a cheaper SMS message marketing service for shops at California than 12stores.com? They only cost 9 dollars per thirty days, nonetheless my neighbour Ryder told me there is, but he couldn’t recall its name. I basically start to get suspicion that he remembered wrongly. :-d
In MN they have had both for as long as I can remeber and I have to say, I would never drink Mello Yellow if Mountain Dew was available ex. Mc donalds only holds coke products. i think that MY does not have as much flavor as MD I just don’t see the appeal the MY is getting from all the comments its like a watered down citrus drink with very little carbonation (well seeing as I never buy it by bottle or can and only if it’s the only available product.)
mellow yellow sucks. mountain dew FOREVER
I notice that some comments about Mello Yello/Mountain Dew contradict each other, not just in this forum, but on youtube videos as well (EX: Mello Yello is sweeter… Mountain Dew is sweeter; Mello Yello is more citrusy… Mountain Dew is more citrusy). I personally like Mello Yello way better than Mountain Dew. I think Mello Yello is sweeter, and Mountain Dew is more citrusy.
(Most Favorite -> Least Favorite): Mello Yello -> Mountain Dew -> Sun Drop -> Squirt
Never had Vault.
i like melloyello better then md
I have not only tried Mountain Dew, Mellow Yellow, Mountain Lightning, but also Hillbilly Juice which was similar but contained apple juice instead of orange juice. I now drink Diet Mountain Dew and Caffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew.
They have both in the midwest/plains states. I preffer M.Y. over MtnD. Mello Yello is definately smoother and Mtn Dew has a bite to it almost like its pure sugar your drinking.