Listen folks, this ain't rocket science.
We're talkin bout Royal Oak lump charcoal, not briquettes or anything else. Not in any other color bag or made anywhere else but the USA.
The made in the USA Royal Oak lump charcoal comes in a red bag and it says that it is "Made In The USA" right on the back of the bag under the yellow patch in black ink on red and in fairly bold letters. You will not need your reading glasses to see it.
You have to stuff that comes in a red bag, one that says that it is 100% Natual Wood Charcoal in a few places on the bag both front and back and also has "Made In The USA" printed on the bag and the brand again is Royal Oak.
This is the good stuff, the only good stuff and the stuff that eveyone is talking about. Find it, buy it and stock up if you have to. It's the real deal and worth it.
I don't care what else you may have, what color the bag is, where you are or who may have made it, it is not the stuff that we are talking about unless it meets all the critera above.
If you have Royal Oak briquettes, the word briquettes will appear on the bag regardless of color. If it does, put it back on the shelf cause it ain't the stuff we're talkin bout.
Here it is again. Now repeat after me.
1. Royal Oak,
2. Red Bag,
3. 100% Natural Wood Charcoal (their term for what we call lump)
4. Made In The USA
Now that wasn't really all that hard, now was it?
From what the web site says, their lump in other color bags is made in other countries out of other kinds of wood species that is available in those countries. As such it does not have the same flavor etc. as the hardwoods found here.
My guess is that the lumps are probably also smaller due to the extra shipping and handling involved from the longer transportation distances involved.