I've tried all different sorts of lump and briquettes and spent as little and as much money as you could want. The brand that's consistently been better for me is B&B Charcoal, which I find at my local Ace Hardware. Both my wife and I think it tastes better, I think it burns better than most brands that I've tried (burns equally, doesn't burn too hot, etc), and it's only a few dollars more than any brand you buy at Walmart. Ultimately, like motor oil (or anything else in life, really), it all comes down to opinion and preference. With that said, in my opinion, if you can find this brand of charcoal, it's well worth it.
In regards to different usage for long cooks versus short, I don't use different brands, just different types since I don't have a jack-of-all-trades like a Kamado Joe. I use B&B briquettes in my smoker most of the time which burn slower than lump*, and I use lump in my Weber Kettle, as it tends to burn hotter and gives a nice, good sear.
*I use their lump for pulled pork, as those cooks rarely last more than 7 hours. If I plan on keeping the smoker going for 8+ hours, I usually will just use the charcoal briquettes.