I don't consider Spring Creek to be barbecue to begin with...@mb227 since you gave me the WTF, I think this is true because I have seen brisket at Cousin's in Fort Worth and at ....shudder...Spring Creek, with nice smoke rings but flavorless and dry.
Too often, when I see something with no smoke ring, it tells me it was not a 'low and slow' cook. I also often see it with something other than mesquite, and perhaps it is me being a big fan of mesquite that enters the equation...
I would also add that, save for Pinkertons, I generally try to avoid chain brisket. I used to get Rudy's extra moist but then they started putting in literal chunks of fat which inflated the weight. As the chain expanded, they ALSO lost their consistency in product...