Palate: Thin, bland, and grainy. Light solvent. Hint of coconut. I could have easy mistaken this for a $20 CVS bottle. Finish has decent length but no particular flavor. Just not good.
My guess (only a guess) is that Black Bull bought old, bad casks that had gone underproof and added higher octane grain to get it above 40%. Big names in this bottle. Why would Springbank give away 40 year old casks to mix with grain? Must be sucky casks that Black Bull bought cheap. Didn't work. Age isn't everything.
Pina Colada nose (pineapple and coconut) which I wish was present in the palate. Instead, the taste is entirely inoffensive, slightly fruity, and very drinkable. I think this likely accomplishes very well what it was designed to do. I like it, all things considered.
N: Buttery, nectary sweet, and some oak. P: They've vatted this very well, balanced out the heavy oak spice with equal amounts of sugars. F: The oak fades, leaving just the sugar. This is tasty and very drinkable, but I thought the 30 year had a lot more personality.
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