Pondering...the flavor of charcoal.

The other day Suart finished a sentence that am copying here out of context, "...unless you like the flavor of charcoal".

Interesting, because Stuart may have hit on something that I've been wondering about for decades...does charcoal implant flavor of it's own?

Many books on Q tend to take a similar outlook about charcoal. They say, in essence, that charcoal adds no flavor of it's own...that the fat from the meat that's dripping on the coals adds the flavor.

Seems logical, but indirect cooking in a Weber would quickly add doubt to that supposition.

Then there are those who say that "pure" charcoal adds no flavor; only "impure" charcoal adds a flavor of it's own to the food being cooked.

Which leads me to this: Anyone here ever cooked in the CS with charcoal instead of wood? If so, what were your results? And, have you cooked the same food, using the same before cooking preparations, with two different brands of charcoal for comparison? How about lump instead of briquettes?

We're strictly guessing that charcoal does implant flavor. Don't know this for a fact, and don't know if that flavor would be positive or negative to the taste.

Your thoughts?

Regards, Mike