MUD\WTR Rise review: the best-tasting mushroom coffee we've tried
A full review of MUD\WTR Rise — the masala-chai-based mushroom coffee that most of our panel preferred on taste alone.
What we liked
- Best-tasting mushroom coffee we've tested — most panelists drank it straight
- Low caffeine (~35mg per serving) from black tea base
- Masala chai base (cacao, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom) is genuinely pleasant
- Fewer earthiness/dust issues than Ryze or Four Sigmatic
What we didn't
- Higher price per serving than most competitors
- Not actually coffee — flavor profile is chai-cacao, not coffee
- Requires a whisk or frother for best results (clumps in still water)
- Still contains caffeine (~35mg) — not appropriate for full elimination
We tested MUD\WTR Rise against three other mushroom coffees (Ryze, Four Sigmatic, Om) in a blind taste panel. MUD\WTR won on taste by a clear margin. It was also the only product six of eight panelists said they’d drink without sweetener.
The caveat: Rise is barely a “coffee” substitute. It’s more honest to call it a functional masala chai.
What it is
MUD\WTR Rise is a powdered beverage made from cacao, black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, ginger, sea salt, and four mushrooms (chaga, reishi, lion’s mane, cordyceps). It’s designed to be mixed with hot water (or milk) and whisked or frothed.
Caffeine content is approximately 35mg per serving — mostly from the black tea base, not from coffee. There is no coffee in Rise.
Taste
This is the part where MUD\WTR pulls ahead of its competitors. The masala chai spice blend (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger) is the dominant flavor, with cacao adding depth and the mushrooms providing background earthiness rather than front-line dustiness.
Our blind panel (8 people, 4 mushroom coffees) ranked MUD\WTR Rise first on:
- Overall taste (7 of 8 ranked it first)
- “Would drink straight without additions” (6 of 8)
- “Would serve to a friend” (8 of 8)
For comparison, Ryze ranked third or fourth on all three questions.
Flavor notes: warm spice, mild cacao bitterness, gentle earthiness from mushrooms, light tannic finish from black tea. Surprisingly balanced. Not coffee. Not really trying to be coffee.
The caffeine question
At ~35mg per serving, Rise sits on the low end of the mushroom coffee category. That’s:
- Lower than Ryze (48mg)
- Lower than Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane (50mg)
- Meaningfully lower than drip coffee (95mg)
- Higher than truly caffeine-free herbal coffees (0mg)
The caffeine source is black tea, not coffee, which means the delivery is smoother — tea caffeine is paired with L-theanine, which moderates jitter. Most of our caffeine-sensitive testers tolerated Rise better than equivalent coffee.
If your goal is substantial caffeine reduction without full elimination, this is the mushroom-coffee pick. If you want zero caffeine, see best herbal coffee.
The mushrooms
Rise contains chaga, reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps. Like most mushroom coffees, per-mushroom dosing isn’t fully disclosed, but the total mushroom content per serving is higher than Ryze’s, putting individual species in the likely 200–500mg range.
This is still below most clinical trial doses for specific cognitive or anti-inflammatory effects, but higher than many competitors. You’re getting more mushroom per dollar here than with most alternatives.
Pregnancy note: contains reishi and cordyceps, which are the two most commonly cautioned-against in pregnancy. Skip during pregnancy and lactation. See our pregnancy piece.
Practical considerations
Price. Roughly $40–45 per 30-serving tin on subscription, $50 one-time. That’s $1.35–1.70 per serving — the high end of the mushroom coffee market. Most subscribers drop to monthly auto-ship at the lower price.
Preparation. Rise clumps in still water. A milk frother or small whisk resolves this in 15 seconds. Most avid drinkers invest in a $15 handheld frother. Without one, you get a gritty experience.
Best with steamed milk. Although it works in water, Rise shines as a lazy-person’s chai latte — 1 tbsp Rise + 8 oz steamed oat milk + optional honey. Better than most café chai, for less money.
Who it’s for
Strong fit:
- People who’ve never loved coffee anyway and are drawn to chai-adjacent warmth
- Those cutting caffeine substantially but not fully
- Anyone who found other mushroom coffees too earthy or dusty
- People who drink steamed milk drinks at home (the milk pairing is perfect)
Weaker fit:
- Coffee devotees looking for a coffee-flavored replacement
- People who want a caffeine-free option (~35mg is still meaningful)
- Pregnant or breastfeeding people
- Anyone on a tight beverage budget
The verdict
4.0 / 5. The highest-scoring mushroom coffee in our testing on taste, and the one most of our panel would actually drink daily. The half-point shy of our highest marks reflects the price and the fact that it isn’t really a coffee substitute — it’s a functional chai-cacao drink. Judged on its actual merits rather than on what its name implies, it’s the best of the category.
For a full comparison with other mushroom coffees, see our best mushroom coffee roundup. For the “how does mushroom coffee compare to real coffee” breakdown, see mushroom vs regular coffee.
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