What's so special about 'craft' roasted coffee?

The point of craft roasting coffee is to bring out the very best from the specific character of that bean you are roasting. Unlike salmon that I love, most coffee beans do not have the flexibility of being roasted to different temperatures and have enjoyable results.

Some coffees are subtle and blasting them with a lot of smoke would decimate the subtleties beyond comprehension. On the other hand, some beans with caramelization of the sugars and a touch of smoke do quite well when roasted darker.

The fact is, you are using the roast to 'add to' the character of the original coffee bean. Think of it like smoked salmon; not much smoke and you taste more of the original salmon, too much smoke and it is hard to distinguish the smoke flavor from what actually it is in. The goal is to find the balance where the roast of coffee bean compliments the character of the coffee.