Yankees seemingly apply the term "Carolina BBQ" to any pork slathered with a vinegar based sauce. Those living within the Tarheel state will tell you that there are actually two very distinct styles of NC "Q". Fans of both types vehemently defend their style of "Q" and declare it the truest form of North Carolina BBQ.

"Eastern" style BBQ typically features whole hogs smoked over hickory and seasoned simply with salt, pepper and vinegar. "Western" or "Lexington" style BBQ uses only the pork shoulder. Their sauce is also vinegar based, but is typically accented with ketchup or Worcestershire sauce. East meets west in the state's Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill).

Being located in the middle of the debate, Bart's Old North State (Chapel Hill) is a North Carolina BBQ company blending the best of both worlds. Bart's is a restaurant, caterer and competition team that started in 2002. Their restaurant and catering company have garnered rave reviews on social networks like Yelp and Foursquare  while the competition team has won numerous contests including the last two North Carolina BBQ Sauce Championships.

Photo courtesy of www.bartsoldnorthstate.com

I never got the opportunity to enjoy their "Q" while living in North Carolina, but Bart's did send me a bottle of their award winning sauce to review. I've had my eye on their sauce for quite some time so I was really looking forward to testing it out. They market their sauce as the "Perfect Blend of Eastern and Western N.C. Sauces".

Bart's Old North State is, of course, a vinegar based sauce. What sets this sauce apart are accent ingredients used to enhance the sauce's flavor. Ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, molasses and assorted spices make Bart's a much more complex blend. The thin sauce is sweeter than most Carolina sauces. For me, that's a welcome change. It also in no way diminishes the requisite vinegar tang that traditionalists expect from NC "Q".

Any good Carolina sauce needs to be paired with smoked pork. I poured half the bottle over a pile of smokey pulled pork shoulder. The flavors couldn't have complimented the meat any better. I loved the balance of vinegar tang and sweet brown sugar. Their was even a slight spicy element. I later tossed shredded roast beef in the sauce with similar success. In fact, I found that I liked Bart's as a dip for just about everything.

Bart's take on Carolina "Q" is a pleasant addition to the genre. Though I have a feeling traditionalists may scream about the inclusion of some the ingredients, I think they've created an delicious, innovative flavor that still pays homage to their Carolina roots.

Learn more about Bart's and purchase their Carolina sauce for yourself at www.bartsoldnorthstate.com .  You can also check them out on Facebook.

Congratulations to the winners of this week's Wild n Mild sauce and rub giveaway! The 12 people listed below have until 5 p.m. on Friday to claim their prizes. Send an email to Derek@the-q-review.com with your mailing address to have the prizes shipped directly from Wild n Mild.

Thanks to all who participated! Special thanks to Wild n Mild for providing the great prizes.

The "Q" Review is proud to bring you another great giveaway. This time Wild n Mild is offering up sauce and rub bundles to 12 lucky winners. Entering couldn't be easier. Don't miss out on this opportunity to grab some free BBQ products!

How To Enter: You may enter via either of the two methods below.

1. "Like" Wild n Mild's Facebook Page AND post a comment mentioning The "Q" Review so I can identify you.

Though Michigan hasn't seen much of a summer, I've still managed to find my way to the grill every now and then. Things have slowed since the move to the North, but there are still countless exceptional BBQ products on the market just waiting to be reviewed. Fortunately, they still arrive at my doorstep from time to time.

Recently, I've had an influx of new products that I'm really excited about. The eclectic bunch of products is highlighted by a one of a kind grilling sauce / BBQ sauce / marinade called Wild n Mild. This small, Mississippi based company was started by a couple college buddies who shared a love of good times and good food. Though rooted in family tradition, the duo tinkered with the flavor (and the name) until they settled on their signature "Wild" grilling sauce.

Both the "Wild" and "Mild" versions of the grilling sauce are essentially the same recipe. The obvious difference is the additional spice factor found in the "Wild" version. Both sauces are packaged in 16 oz. plastic bottles (Mild also available in 1/2 gallon) and slapped either black or white labels. The packaging is simple, but the added color from the logo works as an attention grabber.

The sauce is completely unique to the BBQ world making it difficult to describe. It doesn't fit into any standard BBQ sauce category. The sauce is a dark, caramel color similar to cola. Finely ground spices, pepper in particular, can be seen floating throughout. It's on the thin side and pours pretty quickly. Thankfully, the mouth of the bottle is tapered like a soda bottle slowing the flow.

Wild n Mild has strong, tangy aroma. The vinegar was the first ingredient that really stuck out. It smelled somewhat like Italian salad dressing. The flavor, while strong, is very balanced. It's equal parts sweet and tangy thanks to loads of sugar and vinegar. The aforementioned spices give depth to the sauce's finish. The pepper lingered on my tongue after tasting it.

There were several options for using this sauce, but I chose to use it as a marinade and grilling glaze for pork chops. I threw three thick cut chops in a plastic bag with about a cup of "Mild" sauce overnight. They hit a screaming hot charcoal grill the next evening. I basted the chops with some of the marinade while they cooked as well.

I was incredibly pleased (and a little surprised) with how much sauce penetrated into the chops. The meat was juicy and loaded with flavor. The sugars help the meat caramelize and char to perfection. The flavors were a little sweet, but also quite savory. The vinegar tang was neutralized, but everything balanced beautifully. These were definitely the best chops I've grilled to date.

Whether it's "Wild" or "Mild", this unique sauce imparts incredible flavor to meat. I highly recommend it as a marinade (steaks, chops or chicken) or grilling sauce. After reading the "How it all began" page of the website, I'm also looking forward to trying the sauce on smoked pork ribs.

Check out http://www.wildnmild.com/index.html for more about Wild n Mild. You can order your own directly from their site. Don't forget to check our "Product Reviews" page for the Wild n Mild star rating.