Like a passionate and meticulous Chef who sets out in their kitchen to cook, create and taste new dishes, knowing what protein to use, what cooking techniques to apply, how much spices to add, how intense the sweetness, saltiness and sourness need to be to create a harmony and adding that little extra to gives the oomph - our roasting team are always excited to push boundaries in creating delicious coffees, be it single origins or espresso blends. They started the pursuit of developing a unique festive blend since 2014 and each year, carefully sourced and selected coffees are roasted and blended to not only highlight the deliciousness of each origin but also to show case the skills and techniques of the roasting team in the creation process.

Through this journey, The Nutcracker, our Christmas blend, was conceived and celebrated its 8th edition in December 2021. We also successfully planned, R&D and launched limited edition blends in the likes of Katapult and Anniversary, exciting the audience with each new launch. Even with three signature house blends now and another three special editions, it seems there is still a gap to be filled, as though something else was missing in the big piece of jigsaw puzzle!

With four major ethnic celebration in Singapore and only one signature blend created for celebrating Christmas, they knew what was suppose to be done. After much deliberation, the team gathered, brainstormed and agreed that there should be a new espresso blend with each major festive celebrations and give glad tidings for the likes of Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali. A coffee to be enjoyed by the coffee loving people of multi-races and languages Singapore. The team working on a new blend for the city that loves to (make it themselves and) drink it.

We named it Festive. A signature espresso blend to accompany you in all of major public holidays in Singapore; in celebrating everything that are joyous and colourful.

 

This first Festive blend launch in February 2022 is to celebrate Chinese New Year and it takes inspiration from the traditional flavours associated with this festival. This blend combines two great microlot coffees, a Latin American-based blend with a delicious finish of a sweet naturals from the continent of Africa. Together reminding one of flavours of everything Huat (it means 'To prosper' in Hokkien, a chinese dialect. A phrase commonly used to welcome prosperity) with sprinkles of white flower, nectar and sweet cereal in milk, and young pineapple, blood orange and golden kiwi as an espresso.

Chasing the desired flavour profile to create this blend was all about expertly knowing which coffees from our green inventory to use; from browsing through the cupping profile in our Cropster sensorial report to ensuring the harmony of how each coffee processing method will define the flavour that we are after! With Ethiopian naturals harvest 2021/2022 all tasting generally cleaner, brighter and exhibiting big citrus and floral notes, we went out to taste and secure about 5 bags (300kg) of a classic tasting, berries loaded and delicious Ethiopia Guji Shakiso naturals, a coffee not new to us, which compliments all the clean, citrus fruits and high acidity of Peru Flor Del Norte to create new flavours that is sweet, fruits loaded yet smooth and balanced.

Truly a blend to savour with your loved ones this festive season! From Dutch Colony to you, Xīn Nián Kuài Lè, Wàn Shì Rù Yì. Gōng Xî Fā Cài. Huat Ah!! 🧧🐯🧨