Are you feeling the festive cheer yet? Our friends at Cedar certainly seem to be; this year-end offers many reasons to celebrate Cedar, including the brand's third birthday! Our friends at Cedar have certainly made an impact on the industry in just three years, and a big part of that is simply because they continue to consistently source and roast exceptional coffees. They have not been afraid to do things their own way, and that still serves them, and us, well.

Right now, many of us are preparing to celebrate the festive season, and what more do we need for a bit of holiday cheer than a brand new special blend from our favourite roasting duo from Woodstock? Keep in mind, most blends are not put together with festivity in mind; they're built to be balanced; they're crafted to be comforting. This one however is a blend designed to create a bit of a party for your palate. It may just be exactly what you need to jump-start those festive feelings. So go on; have some fun.

This year’s Cedar Festive Blend, the sixth instalment of its kind, feels like the perfect accompaniment for the holiday season. With bright and colourful notes, this blend’s exciting mix of high-end coffees makes for a wonderful gift for that coffee-obsessed friend or relative, or just for yourself!

Phaedon's tasting notes

A blend that's comprised of the two most respected origins on the African continent?! It's sheer genius, really. I love this latest Festive Blend, and what I love about it is that it clearly demonstrates the characteristics that people love in Kenyan coffee and in Ethiopian coffee. It's fruity. It's sweet. It has a nice, bright acidity, and it offers some enticing floral aromas. You could call it the best of both African worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed it as both a pour-over and a siphon brew.

Cedar's notes

• Cup profile: Apricot, Dried Mango, Red Grape, Surf Joy Sucker

“We are almost at the end of this year which means it's that time of the month when we release our annual Festive blend to get you in the mood. As we usually do on this blend; we change up our blending approach and mix a few experimental coffees to bring out something unique.

This makes quite the filter expect heavy stone fruit notes, specifically Apricots and Dried Mango with this red grape finish. Through our espresso that fresh apricot carried through but when combining this with milk we got quite a light milk drink. The note we went with is a Surf Joy sucker perfect for the summer ahead.”

Coffee details

• Process: Washed and Natural
• Altitude: 1850 - 2450 masl
• Blend components: Kenya, Ethiopia

You can find more coffees from Cedar here.