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7.0Fair
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MUD\WTR
Original (:rise) Coffee Alternative
Not coffee: cacao, masala chai and four mushrooms with 35 mg caffeine. A cozy chai-cocoa cup, but gritty and $1.67 a serving.
6.8
Fair
Coffee Reviews score
See the breakdown →
Community
—/10
- Format
- Powder mix
- Caffeine
- Half-caf
- Price per serving
- $1.67 / cup
- Cocoa Powder
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Earthy
USDA Organic
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Last reviewed October 17, 2026 by the Coffee Reviews editors · How we score
Not coffee: cacao, masala chai and four mushrooms with 35 mg caffeine. A cozy chai-cocoa cup, but gritty and $1.67 a serving.
MUD\WTR Original (formerly :rise) is a coffee alternative and contains no coffee. It is an organic powder of cacao, masala chai black tea, warming spices and four mushrooms (chaga, reishi, lion's mane and cordyceps, 2,240 mg per serving), made from fruiting bodies plus mycelium grown on oats or sorghum. Each serving has 35 mg of caffeine from the black tea, about a third of a typical cup of coffee. Testers compare it to a light chai or a 'grown-up hot chocolate'; the usual complaints are thin body and sediment. The product page links to a California Prop 65 notice for lead.
Best for
- Caffeine-sensitive people who like chai or hot cocoa
- Anyone stepping down from coffee who wants a warm morning ritual
- Latte-style drinks made with milk and a frother
What we like
- Only 35 mg of caffeine per serving, a gentle option for caffeine-sensitive drinkers
- Publishes the milligrams and origin of every main ingredient
- USDA Organic, with no added sugar (0 g sugars per serving)
- Tastes like a spiced cocoa or chai latte, especially with milk
Watch-outs
- Doesn't taste like coffee and won't replace a strong cup
- Gritty: the powder doesn't fully dissolve and leaves sediment
- $1.67 per serving bought once
- Page links to a California Prop 65 notice about lead exposure
Flavor profile
What it tastes like.
In the roaster’s words
“Rich cocoa melts into earthy masala chai, feels like hot cocoa and a chai latte had a baby”
- Cocoa Powder
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Earthy
- acidity
- body
- sweetness
- bitterness
How it scored
The breakdown.
6.8Fair
Cup score out of 10, weighted across five factors.
- Flavor & cup quality30%6.6
Pleasant chai-cocoa flavor to some ('grown-up hot chocolate'), watery and gritty to others; it is not a coffee substitute in taste.
- Quality & freshness20%7.2
All-organic ingredients and a published per-ingredient breakdown, but part of the mushroom content is mycelium grown on oats or sorghum, and it doesn't fully dissolve.
- Value20%6.5
$50 for 30 servings ($1.67) is at the top of the category; the subscription price of $1.34 is more reasonable.
- Sourcing & transparency15%7.3
Unusually transparent about ingredient origins and milligrams, but the page links to a Prop 65 lead notice and the '3rd Party Tested' claim has no published results.
- Community love15%6.8
A loyal following and long-term fans, but coffee reviewers and testers are often critical of the taste and the claimed benefits.
Creator video reviews
Watch it in action.
2 positive1 critical
Independent creators, verified with YouTube and TikTok. We don’t pay for reviews and creators don’t pay us.
What people are saying
From the forums.
Verbatim from Reddit, forums and long-term owner write-ups — linked so you can read the full thread.
“I would equate the taste and experience to a grown-up hot chocolate—deep, satisfying chocolate was the dominant flavor. I did not taste mushrooms at all.”
“The original flavor tastes like a slightly watered-down chai tea with a hint of cocoa … There is quite a lot of sediment that settles to the bottom, so you need to stir it periodically or even add more water to finish the last of it”
“The taste is very muted and earthy. I don't mind it as I don't have a sweet tooth, but it definitely doesn't have a strong taste (good or bad), and wouldn't be for everyone.”
“MUD/WTR offers a wellness-forward coffee alternative with adaptogens and a unique flavor, but it’s best suited for open-minded sippers who don’t mind some sediment—or a bold taste. It was also one of the most expensive blends we tested.”
Details
The particulars.
- Format
- Powder mix
- Caffeine
- Half-caf · ~35 mg per serving
- Functional ingredients
- Chaga, Reishi, Lion's mane, Cordyceps, Turmeric, Masala chai (black tea), Cacao
- Ingredients
- Organic Mushroom Blend (Chaga, Reishi, Lion's Mane and Cordyceps Mushrooms and Mycelium cultured on Organic Oats and/or Organic Sorghum), Organic Cacao, Organic Spice Blend (Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Organic Ginger, Organic Cardamom, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Cloves), Organic Black Tea Powder, Himalayan Pink Salt
- Nutrition (per serving)
- serving size: 1 Tbsp (6 g) · calories: 20 · total fat g: 0.5 · sodium mg: 10 · total carbs g: 4 · fiber g: 1 · total sugars g: 0 · potassium mg: 110 · iron mg: 0.4 · mushrooms mg: 2240 · caffeine mg: 35
- Best brewed as
- Just add water, Lattes & milk drinks, Iced / over ice
- Certifications
- USDA Organic
- Typical price
- $50.00 for 30-serving tin (30 × 6 g) (checked October 2026)
- Servings
- 30 servings of 1 Tbsp (6 g). Subscribe & save was $40 ($1.34 per serving) when checked.
Community
Member tasting notes & discussion.
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Discussion
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Own MUD\WTR Original (:rise) Coffee Alternative? Ask a question or share your recipe — you’ll be the first.
FAQ
Good questions.
Does MUD\WTR contain coffee?
No. The Original blend is a coffee alternative made from cacao, masala chai (black tea), spices and mushrooms. Its caffeine comes from the black tea, not coffee beans.
How much caffeine is in MUD\WTR Original?
The nutrition panel lists 35 mg of caffeine per 1 Tbsp (6 g) serving, roughly a third of a typical cup of brewed coffee. MUD\WTR also sells caffeine-free blends.
Why is there a Prop 65 warning?
The product page links to a California Prop 65 notice saying its products can expose you to chemicals including lead. MUD\WTR says lead occurs naturally at trace levels in foods and that its products comply with FDA requirements.
Does it dissolve well?
Not completely. Testers report grit and sediment at the bottom of the mug. Mixing the powder into a little hot water first and using a frother helps.
Sources (11)
- mudwtr.com/products/30-serving-tin
- mudwtr.com/products/30-serving-tin.json
- mudwtr.com/pages/prop-65-warning
- mudwtr.com/pages/about
- mudwtr.com/pages/terms
- scvibesmagazine.com/stories/fk-your-coffee
- amazon.com/dp/B09MJGMT4V
- thehealthy.com/food/i-drank-mud-wtr-every-day-for-a-week-heres-what-happened/
- garagegymreviews.com/mud-wtr-review
- illuminatelabs.org/blogs/health/mud-wtr-review
- tasteofhome.com/collection/mushroom-coffee-brands/
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