This coffee was sourced through Peregrine’s relationship with Emily Smith and the team at Mercon Specialty, who connected us to Finca El Cachimbon in the Lempira region of western Honduras. The farm is owned by Porfilio “Lito” Lopez, a respected community leader and advocate for sustainable coffee production.
Finca El Cachimbon spans 17 hectares, with 15 under cultivation. It is located in the municipality of San Andrés, a coffee-growing area with a population of around 15,000, where agriculture forms the backbone of daily life. The farm sits at 1,700 meters above sea level with an average temperature of 71°F, an ideal climate for slow cherry development.
Lito grows primarily Lempira and Ihcafe 90, two Honduran-developed varieties bred for resilience against leaf rust and coffee berry borer while maintaining strong cup quality. His farm participates in Mercon’s LIFT program, a five-year sustainability initiative designed to improve yield and quality at the producer level.
During harvest, only ripe red cherries are picked, floated for quality, and carefully processed on-site. This microlot is a natural process, meaning the whole cherries are sun-dried to enhance sweetness and produce vibrant fruit-forward flavors. At peak harvest, Lito employs up to 50 local pickers, many of whom return year after year — a consistency that supports both quality control and community livelihood.
Profile
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Roast: Light-Medium
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Region: San Andrés, Lempira, Honduras
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Farm: Finca El Cachimbon
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Producer: Porfilio “Lito” Lopez
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Process: Natural
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Elevation: 1,700m
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Varieties: Lempira, Ihcafe 90
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Cup: Cherry Jolly Rancher, Milk Chocolate, Candied Grapefruit
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