Oh man, "bitter charcoal" takes me back. My buddy Steve did that once, got impatient with his brisket and cranked the heat way up. He was using hickory chunks and the thick white smoke just coated the meat. Tasted like licking an ashtray, we had to toss the whole thing.
Licking an ashtray" is kind of dramatic, honestly some of the best BBQ I ever had was from a guy who always had thick white smoke rolling and it was the most tender, smoky meat you could imagine. Maybe the problem isn't the smoke itself but the wood type or how fresh it is.