Sorry I missed this until just now, Owl. I'll give it a bump...Pecan is also one of my favorites, for all the reasons you gave, plus it is abundant in my part of the state. But for me, IMHO you can't beat hickory. Good for any kind of meat, always available in quantity, I love the flavor it gives to food. What I like to do is mix some fruit wood, usually apple or cherry, with hickory.