Wholesale Hacienda El Castillo Ecuador | 70% Cacao Bar

Notes: Tropical fruits, citrus, mango, light florals, medium acidity, structured finish Country of Origin: Ecuador Region: Cerecita Valley, Santa Elena, Ecuador Farm: Hacienda El Castillo Producer: Benjamin, Benjamin Jr, Jacinto Variety: Amazonico Trinitario The Farm Story: Hacienda El Castillo West of Guayaquil, where the land transitions toward Ecuador’s Pacific coast, the Cerecita Valley forms an unusual environment for cacao. Marine air pushes inland and upward from the ocean, while the climate remains relatively dry. Cacao grows here through careful irrigation rather than rainfall. This dryness reduces fungal pressure common in tropical cacao regions, allowing for natural tree health without additional inputs. Hacienda El Castillo was established through the diligent work of Don Benjamin, whose long stewardship shaped the farm’s direction before passing daily management to the next generation. Today, Benjamin Jr. and Jacinto continue this work, maintaining the farm as a family operated estate focused on quality, ecological farming, and long term sustainability. The land itself was once arid and partially deforested. Through ecological farming practices, the farm has been restored into a mixed agricultural system where native trees stand alongside productive cacao. Amazonico Trinitario trees grow among mango, papaya, banana, and citrus groves. This polyculture environment contributes deep character to the final cacao seeds, while supporting ecological balance. The work extends beyond agriculture. The farm supports local employment through fair labor practices and eco tourism initiatives that create additional income for the surrounding community. Recognition followed with national distinction, including the 2024 Ecuador Pepa de Oro cacao award. This origin reflects another dimension of the Numinous sourcing approach. Each cacao expresses and offers the spirit of its growing environment. El Castillo offers a liquid adaptability held in integrity, and deep rejuvenation. Exquisite cacao grown not in dense rainforest but in a coastal dry zone shaped by structured irrigation, intentional regeneration, and careful land stewardship. The result is a complex profile with clarity, tropical lift, and rounded balance. Ingredients: 70% single farm cacao, 30% organic & regenerative cane sugar A Note on Allergens and Additives: We stone grind our traceable cacao in machines also making delicious things from tree nuts. Apart from that, we do not use emulsifiers like lecithins, or other additives like vanilla. When we add sugar, it is intentional. We only use traceable, raw, organically and regeneratively grown cane sugar. We add sugar for the purpose of attenuating the innate power of cacao to meet our limited palates, increasing our receptivity to the delight in every morsel.