Vicente Norero meticulously labors over every step of the growing, fermenting and drying process to produce these fine flavor beans from his family farm. He uses hard earned farm know-how and modern science to coax both fruity and floral flavors from the farm's beans. Unlike Ecuador's well-known Arriba beans, these Abajo beans come from a unique downriver region that is historically known for producing one-of-a-kind, highly coveted fine flavor cacao.

This Arriba Nacional cacao is grown by Samuel von Rutte, a veteran of the cacao growing industry. This cacao was among the first to be awarded heirloom status by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation initiative, recognized for its unique flavor notes and overall exceptional balance. Superior genetics coupled with proprietary fermentation and drying processes and limited production make this a diamond in the cacao rough.

The Yaguachi Cooperative was founded in 1996 and consists of 85 families growing fine aroma Nacional cacao. They follow a strict three day fermentation process to produce top-quality raw material. Yaguachi is located in the Guayas province just outside of Guayaquil, in the heart of Ecuador's historic cacao growing districts.