Colombian coffee (No. 1 Common Sense) and Brazilian coffee (No. 6 Hegemony) are both medium roast and both 8 for a 12 oz bag, but they get there differently: Common Sense is washed, from the Andes at 1,300 to 1,500 m, and tastes of cocoa and red apple with a brighter edge. Hegemony is pulped natural, grown lower at 750 to 1,050 m in Parana and Sao Paulo, and comes out smoother and heavier, cocoa without the fruit. Buy the Colombian for a brighter, slightly more distinct cup. Buy the Brazilian if you want something rounder and very hard to get wrong.
Where they come from
| No. 1 Common Sense | No. 6 Hegemony | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia | Parana and Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Altitude | 1,300 to 1,500 m | 750 to 1,050 m |
| Process | Fully washed, solar dried | Pulped natural, sun dried |
| Varietal | Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, Typica | Catuai, Mundo Novo |
| Roast | Medium | Medium |
| Notes | Cocoa, red apple, brown sugar | Cocoa, smooth |
| Price | 8 | 8 |
Both are grown at what counts as moderate altitude for their countries, and both are medium roast, so the biggest difference between them comes from process rather than roast or elevation.
Process is doing most of the work
Fully washed coffee has the fruit removed from the bean before drying, usually after a short ferment in water, which tends to give a cleaner cup that lets a coffee's fruit and acidity show through. Pulped natural removes most of the outer fruit but leaves a thin layer of mucilage on the bean during drying, which adds body and sweetness while rounding off brightness. That is the short version of why Common Sense reads as cocoa with red apple, a fruit note coming through a washed process, while Hegemony reads as cocoa and smooth, with less fruit and more weight in the cup.
Taste, side by side
Common Sense is the more expressive of the two, chocolate and brown sugar with a red apple brightness that keeps it from tasting flat. Hegemony leans the other way: cocoa without much else standing out, low acidity, and a body heavy enough that the label describes it as very hard to ruin. Neither is more caffeinated or roasted darker than the other. The difference is texture and brightness, not strength.
How to brew each one
| No. 1 Common Sense | No. 6 Hegemony | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Drip or French press | Drip, or cold brew |
| Ratio | 60 g per liter | 60 g per liter hot, 1 to 8 for cold brew |
| Grind | Medium | Medium for drip, coarse for cold brew |
| Water | Just off the boil | Just off the boil for hot brewing |
| Note | Takes milk without falling apart | Low acidity and heavy body, forgiving of an imperfect brew |
Our pick, if you have to choose one
No. 1 Common Sense
Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia · 1,300 to 1,500 m · Fully washed, solar dried · Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, Typica · Medium roast
Balanced with just enough brightness to be interesting, and forgiving enough for an everyday cup, which makes it the safer first bag between the two.
Who should buy which
Choose Common Sense if you want a coffee with a little more fruit and brightness, or if you are not sure which style you prefer and want the more expressive of the two. Choose Hegemony if you drink coffee mostly with milk, want the smoothest, lowest-acid cup in the lineup, or plan to make cold brew, since a heavy-bodied, low-acid coffee tends to come through best after a long cold steep. Price is not a factor here, both bags are 8 with free shipping in the US.
See both, and the other eight, on the coffee collection page. If you want more Colombian comparisons, we also covered it against a natural Ethiopian and a washed Kenyan. The subscription works with either bag, 11 percent off, skip or cancel in one click.
Pick for brightness versus body. Both are honest, easy cups, just built for different mornings.
Questions people ask
Is Colombian coffee stronger than Brazilian coffee?
Not in caffeine, but Colombian coffee tends to taste brighter. No. 1 Common Sense, a washed Colombian, reads as cocoa and red apple, while No. 6 Hegemony, a pulped natural Brazilian, reads as cocoa and smooth, with a heavier body and lower acidity.
What is the difference between washed and pulped natural coffee?
Washed coffee has the fruit removed before drying, which tends to give a cleaner, brighter cup. Pulped natural removes most of the fruit but leaves a thin layer of mucilage on during drying, which usually adds body and rounds off acidity. That difference is a big part of why Common Sense and Hegemony taste the way they do.
Which is better for cold brew, Colombian or Brazilian coffee?
Brazilian, generally, since a lower-acid, heavier-bodied coffee tends to come through smoother after a long cold steep. No. 6 Hegemony is well suited to cold brew at a 1 to 8 ratio overnight.
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