Every aspect of specialty coffee has been painstakingly considered along the long journey from the ripe cherry at its origin country to the flavor profile created specifically for that coffee by your roaster. Typically, "specialty coffee" is roasted much lighter than a traditional coffee found in a large supermarket. This is done to showcase the flavors that are unique to that coffee, which can change from origin country down to specific lots within a coffee growing community. Those flavors are allowed to remain in your brewed cup because the roast level is carefully controlled to not over-roast and cloud those flavors by charred or burnt flavors from the roasting process. Specialty coffee does cost more, but it's important to consider all the steps involved. Most importantly, the farmers that start this process by hand-picking ripe coffee cherries and treating them with the care and respect needed to produce a cup of coffee that is exquisitely delicious and unique.