Natural Flavors & Grades

We are working with Cornell University on ways to identify syrups in different regions of the Northeast by flavors rather than strictly by traditional color grading standards.  It is thought that different soil types and range of climates produce a variety of flavors similar to grapes and wine. In addition different types of containers and where they are stored can also produce different flavors.  For long term storage we use stainless steel barrels.  For packaging we reheat and filter the maple syrup from the barrels into glass and plastic containers.  For maintaining the original flavors, maple syrup should be refrigerated and/or frozen after opening and used within one year. 

Culinary experts are trained and can distinctively detect flavors when sampling maple syrup. According to Centre Acer’s flavor wheel, maple syrup can have the following flavors:

Maple

Maple

Confectionery

Light (white sugar)

Medium (corn syrup, light brown sugar)

Strong (dark brown sugar, molasses, sponge toffee

Empyreumatic

Light (golden sugar, chicory, toast)

Medium (cooked sugar-caramelized, burnt wood, ground brown coffee, brown coffee bean, chocolate

Strong (burnt sugar, ground black coffee, black coffee bean, smoked)

Vanilla

Marshmallow and Vanilla pod

Milky

Fresh (butter, cream, milk)

Heated (butter, milk)

Floral

Flowers, Honey

Fruity

Nuts (Bitter almond, hazelnut, nuts)

Spicy

Cloves, Cinnamon, Anise (black liquorice)

click here to continue to: Maple Syrup Color Grading & Use