Here in Canada we don't get those sales like you do in the US. My options are this as far as briquettes are concerned. Maple Leaf briquettes. Basically Maple leaf charcoal ground up and pressed into briquette form usin only wheat starch as a binder. Maple Leaf charcoal is a mix of Sugar maple, Beech & Birch. Otherwise I have the option of buying Kingsford which is basically a mix of crap wood, coal dust, limestone dust, some shit binder, but it looks sort of pretty when it ashes over, or Royal Oak, which is pretty much the same as Kingsford. Here Kingsford & Royal Oak is more expensive than Maple Leaf.Given that, and my trials with any briquettes available, including som private label brands, I ve come to this simple conclusion... I would not use Kingsford or Royal Oak briquettes even if they paid me. Hell, I would become a vegetarian before I would use that crap. Maple leaf Briquettes smell great, burn good and I would use those at times, but the amount of ash pisses me off.
Now, if you want to talk lump charcoal. The best is Basques. Pure Sugar Maple, beyond that, Maple Leaf charcoal is good as is Royal Oak lump. I actually liked Kingsford Charwood as well.
That's just my opinion.