North State IPA – Wildcard Brewing Co. – 92 Rating

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I came up with the recipe. Since we opened in 2012 our brew style had focused on specialty malts and robust beers; it was long overdue to release a West Coast style IPA.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer is that it has plenty of hop flavor, bitterness and aroma without being overwhelming.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Ironically we changed the name from it's original release and are much happier with the name "North State." It speaks better to our regional area. Initially we left it unnamed and only referred to it by style "West Coast." When folks started ordering it by that term over our bar we worried we would have a conflict with another beer by that name in the market and quickly came up with a more unique name.  

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Yes, if you told me that I could have a can of North State IPA everyday, I would be a happy man.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
A balance of grapefruit and tangerine with the right amount of bitterness.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We had been bottling our flagship North State IPA for about 6 months when my wife and I packed up another brewery's IPA to take with us paddle boarding near Lake Shasta. It was a wake up call that we are surrounded by beautiful outdoors and if we were going to enjoy our beers doing activities we love, we better put one in a can. Less than 60 days later we were canning and distributing our IPA!

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Being in California we have an array of great Mexican food. I love a Carne Asada tacos to go with this beer. The spiciness of the steak goes great with the bitterness of the IPA.