Enjoying a Sip from Ugly Mug Coffee

Ugly Mug Coffee is a sustainable company striving to make coffee both convenient and environmentally friendly. Since Keurig flooded the coffee market, countless homes and offices embraced the ease of enjoying single serve coffee. You need that caffeine fix and Kathy in HR wants decaf? No problem! No need to brew two pots, you can just make one little cup, each serving its own particular purpose.

The convenience is great. The waste is not—the amount of k-cups that have been trashed in landfills could wrap around the planet 10 times. That's pretty terrifying, and there's no denying that k-cups are making a horrendous impact on the environment. Sure, they're great for in the office or when you're in a hurry to get out of the house, but landfills are overflowing everywhere and single serve coffee pod adds to this problem every time you need a caffeine fix.

That's what makes Ugly Mug Coffee so special—they developed the first completely recyclable coffee pod that will still work with all Keurig machines. No mess, no fuss, no problem. Personally, I'm constantly switching between my home machine and my office's machine, so this is really exciting for me. You can enjoy Ugly Mug Coffee without creating any unnecessary waste.

Their mission is awesome. But of course, we still have that one very important question... what about the taste?

Getting a Sip of Hardy Passion

I had the opportunity to try two different flavors since I simply couldn't choose which one sounded the most delicious. You should see how long I'll stand in the coffee aisle at the grocery store, debating coffee flavors like I'm deciding between the red blue or blue pill in The Matrix.

The first one I tried is Ugly Mug Coffee's Hardy Passion. It's described as having tones of dark chocolate and a bold, full body flavor. Let me tell you, it does not disappoint.

One of the greatest trials for coffee aficionados who need k-cups when they’re on the go is that a Keurig (or any type of pod coffee maker) is not going to have the same brew and temperature control as a French Press or any other artisanal brewing method.

Despite that, Hardy Passion has a smooth, comforting flavor. It’s not too bitter, which is a blessing and a half when it comes to coffee from a k-cup, (unless you're into that burned coffee taste). As you can probably taste already, it's between a medium and dark roast, and these organic beans handle that level of roasting wonderfully.

The taste has a nice, bold flavor, but it isn’t bitter or overwhelming. I drink my coffee black, sometimes with a bit of sugar, so I can fully enjoy the taste without the interference of any milk products. If you're constantly fighting between the desire for coffee vs. chocolate, this coffee has your back with both.

Staring up at the Butter Moon

Silly, the moon isn't made of cheese, it's made of butter! Butter Moon, described as "An Original," has hints of sweet caramel and roasted nut. Leave that dull, boring hazelnut k-cup in the closet; the interaction of flavors in Butter Moon is as advertised, exciting and new.

As you finish your sip, there's a lovely tone that comes through at the end that tastes like it could be fresh caramel.

Let me tell you too, the scent that came from this flavor when I was brewing it was phenomenal. It put my entire office on high alert, everyone started looking around and muttering that something smelled good. It's a very aromatic coffee, which is fun if you're like me and like to take a deep breath of the warm steam rising gently from your cup.

The caramel taste is delightfully potent. I did add a bit of sugar to this one to bring out the caramel flavor even more, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one for that taste. Since the aroma was so strong, my colleagues ended up lining up behind me to be the next person to try this delicious coffee.

I usually have at least two cups of coffee per day, and I love sweeter varieties like Butter Moon. If you have more than two cups, never fear—did you know that coffee has benefits for skin?

Helping the Environment One Cup at a Time

If the fact that this coffee is organic and legitimately delicious wasn't enough for you, Ugly Mug Coffee's Kups are truly and completely recyclable. Every part of the container can be recycled. You'll find that the exterior is a bit softer than your typical k-cup, but that's no reason to worry; these coffee pods will work in any Keurig brewing system. They're eco-friendly and still fully compatible.

For me, I always feel this terrible sense of being wasteful when I have regular k-cups. I'm a very green person, I go out of my way to always recycle, I nag my friends who aren't recycling yet, and I have a very economical car. All in all, I consider myself a pretty eco-friendly person. I try, at least.

I'm really happy with my purchase from The Ugly Mug Coffee because I do care about supporting companies that are committed to sustainability. Being able to have convenient, delicious, and eco-friendly coffee is a dream come true for a caffeine junkie like me.

If you're curious, Ugly Mug Coffee is based out of Memphis, TN. Whether you want to make the perfect camp coffee, office coffee, or just a delicious cup at home, Ugly Mug has a wonderful variety of unique flavors that are delicious, and as good for you as they are for the planet.