The beans for this bar come from Freddy Salazar’s estate near the coast of northern Ecuador. Eric, our Origin Lead for Costa Esmeraldas, has spent time at the farm and was impressed by the close attention Freddy and his team pay to every step of cultivation and production — from pruning trees and managing disease in the field, to efficient harvesting practices, and careful loading of the fermentation boxes to ensure a clean facility. Freddy has built one of the most sophisticated processes we’ve seen, and it shows in the flavor of his beans.

To improve the 2022 harvest’s acidity, Freddy extended its fermentation and drying. Eric enhances the beans’ rich, chocolatey notes with a longer conche time, creating this winning flavor profile.