It just doesnt make sense why AW's are so much better. Nobody has given me a better answer than because theyre better.
Perhaps a couple of insights will help? First off, AW is "Andy Wong", a battery
broker. It's not a brand in the usual sense, he doesn't make them but buys them to spec and has QA such that defects are basically zero. There are no 'rebranded AWs' out there.
IMR is a chemistry. Many battery brands use it, some use others (like the more common Li-ion). AW versions, however, are optimized for flat out power output. This is done by very pure components with large mass for their capacity. Notice how the mAh capacity is often less than 'better' brands? In fact, the 1600 mAh version of the AW 18650 will outperform (in terms of heat delivered) their 2000 mAh version for that reason, more 'flat out power' but for a
shorter time. The key specification is "internal resistance", a spec generally not published. The lower it is, the more power the battery can deliver 'in a pinch' and the cooler it stays doing so.
Here's an interesting and useful set of charts on the matter, notice the bottom two? The 1600 mah AW IMR is literally 'off the chart' in power delivered:
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650Summary UK.html
OF