Why is St. Helena Coffee also called Napoleon Coffee? What are the coffee varieties of St. Helena Coffee?

Saint Helena Island: The Napoleon Island

Saint Helena coffee is the finest coffee in our shop. Saint Helena Island lies 1,900 kilometers off the west coast of Africa. Portuguese navigators discovered it in May 1502; the Dutch occupied it from 1645 to 1651, and the British East India Company subsequently took possession and colonized it in 1651.

In the early days, most of the island's enslaved people were abducted from Africa. In 1810, a number of laborers were lured from Guangdong, China to work the land, and by 1836 all slaves had been emancipated. In 1815 Napoleon was exiled to the island, where he died in 1821. Before the Suez Canal opened in 1869, Saint Helena was a very important ship-docking base in the Atlantic. In 1933, ownership of the island passed to the British Crown.

Coffee cultivation only began to reach a significant scale in the 1980s. The coffee grows at altitudes above 1,000 meters in nutrient-rich volcanic soil. This natural environment produces coffee with special flavors, a pure and precious quality, and rich variation in taste. Japan monopolizes the highest grade of Saint Helena coffee.

Its remote geographical location has allowed Saint Helena Island to preserve a pristine ecosystem. Volcanic geology provides exceptionally fertile soil, and combined with organic cultivation and a commitment to preserving the original small-bean varieties, it gives Saint Helena coffee its unique characteristics.

Saint Helena Coffee Varieties

Green Tipped Bourbon Arabica, a Bourbon variety.

This bean variety is extremely delicate and fragile. In cultivation, harvesting, washed processing, and roasting alike, it demands the most careful attention to create a wonderful cup of coffee. Green Tipped Bourbon Arabica is a coffee tree species from the Yemen region. At the time it was carried on a ship called the "Houghton" sailing from Yemen's Mocha port, under a captain named Philips.

Once the seeds were brought to Saint Helena Island, they were taken to various different points on the island for planting. These locations proved so suitable that, even after long periods of neglect, the coffee trees there have all grown vigorously.

According to legend, when Napoleon was on his deathbed, he desperately begged to drink Saint Helena coffee!

The attending servant said, "No! This will affect your health!" Napoleon looked out the window at the distant sky and said softly:

"I hope that in the last moment of my life, I can taste one more sip of 'Saint Helena coffee'!" The once-mighty and invincible Emperor Napoleon was actually captivated by its charm. This is the charm and the legend of Saint Helena coffee!

Today, Saint Helena coffee still insists on cultivating only the coffee tree species planted in 1733. GW Alexander Estate has also been reorganized and continues to cultivate the batch of coffee trees that were submitted for review 150 years ago. In the past decade, Saint Helena coffee has once again become renowned in the global coffee community for its unique flavor characteristics and high quality.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Saint Helena is a rare, island-grown washed coffee prized for its purity and balance, and FrontStreet Coffee carries washed single origins in that same classic tradition. Our FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 is another island coffee processed with the washed method, delivering the hazelnut, cream, chocolate, and caramel notes and the even, well-rounded body that define this style. If you prefer a cleaner, brighter washed cup, try the FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gudingding Cooperative, a medium-light roast with jasmine florals, bright citrus acidity, green tea, and honey that shines as pour-over or cold brew. For a juicier, fruit-driven washed profile, the FrontStreet Kenya Little Tomato is double washed for an intense fruit character, with cherry tomato, dark plum, snow pear, and brown sugar. Whichever you choose, each lot is roasted to highlight the clarity that washed processing is known for.