dfk41 is outstanding, or is it more that the coffee itself is outstanding and he just nailed this one.
dfk41 How much of this is down to the beans they are using. How much is the equipment and how much the roaster?
Coffee that has been better cared for at the farm will have more potential, that may be degraded by poor harvesting & processing, long before it gets to the roaster. Higher labour costs, more specialised lots, higher market demand mean a higher price.
If there is an origin that you know you have a low preference for (personally that’d be Ethiopia, Guatemala, Costa Rica & Brazil), be aware that if you are tempted by the notes, no one twisted your arm…you had an inkling that you wouldn’t like it and you ignored that inkling. Give yourself the best chance of success.
Then you have roasting and it’s a question of finding a roaster who roasts to your preference and is relatively consistent (everyone produces a duff roast from time to time). So long as you can communicate with them, develop an understanding, all is good. I tend to be put off by roasters who immediately want to refund & wash their hands of you, in the event of an issue.
A truly outstanding cup would be nice, but I like to temper with reasonable expectation, so long as most are well above ‘neither like/dislike’ they feel like value for money. I do buy cheaper beans every now & then, I don’t expect them to be bad/unlikable because I like coffee generally, but I equally don’t expect to be blown away (also works in reverse with very rare, or expensive lots too…I don’t expect to get 6 stars out of 5).