Matagalpa is Nicaragua's second most populated department and a major cacao producer in addition to its reputation for high-quality coffee. The region's highland forests create a distinctive cacao profile with earthy, floral, and fruity character. Local producers pay close attention to fermentation and drying, resulting in beans recognized internationally for quality. Matagalpa cacao has earned recognition at the Good Food Awards and Northwest Chocolate Festival.

Started by two cacao enthusiasts on February 29, 2012 in the Central Highlands of Nicaragua (bisiesto is Spanish for ‘leap year’), Cacao Bisiesto is best described as a socially-conscious fermentary. Co-founders Giff Laube and Jose Enrique Herrera had realized that the cacao the local farmers were growing had the potential to be fine flavor beans, so they built a fermentation and drying facility on their farm and began reaching out to local farmers. Their goal was to get them to sell their wet beans to Cacao Bisiesto for a higher price than they’d ever get in nearby markets, while also eliminating the work it takes for the farmers to process their own cacao. Cacao Bisiesto is now sourcing cacao from many farmers in the Matagalpa region, fermenting and drying the beans with precision to bring out a consistently smooth and earthy flavor.