Do you really know the difference between commercial, low-grade coffee and fine, high-quality specialty coffee? Project Alpha is our attempt to set the record straight. We brought in a commercial lot from Uganda called Alpha R-400 to give you the full experience.

It's extremely rare to see this grade sold in smaller volumes—large-scale roasters typically procure it in containers of 37,500 lb—and consumers only get to see it as its end product: roasted, ground coffee to be packaged in instant packets or capsules. Not only does this coffee highlight how much the labor behind picking and sorting affects your final cup, but also how "good" and "bad" coffee often come from the same place.