Question - first syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up?

[Tom M]

Question - my first pint ever - syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up? It's not bad, real sweet, but not the amber, maple flavor I was expecting. Did I not boil it down enough?
Any coaching is appreciated,
Thanks

[psparr]

Early syrup is usually lighter and less pronounced flavor.

[PerryW]

Question - my first pint ever - syrup looks like honey and tastes like butterscotch - what's up? It's not bad, real sweet, but not the amber, maple flavor I was expecting. Did I not boil it down enough?
Any coaching is appreciated,
Thanks

I notice my first syrup was extremely light and not your typical "maple" taste. Probably the lightest color I have ever made! After 29 gallons, it's gotton a little darker and more mapley but still exceptionally light and well above the Fancy Test Cup! I suspect things will darken and the traditional maple taste will resume.

I may do some blending for my first few drums to bring the color and taste that my fancy customers expect. Or blend it with some Dark Amber to make a nice Medium blend!

[TreeTapper2]

My first batch from my Sugar and Red maples were exactly the way you described. The second batch from these trees has a maple flavor and is a little darker in color. Now I just finished my first batch from my Silver maples and guess what? Butterscotch flavor and looks like honey. Can't wait for the second batch if ya know what I mean. By the way how much syrup can one eat and still be considered in control?

[WI Sugarpop]

We tap all sugars and our first batch was super light and has a smooth hint of butterscotch flavor. We blend different batches together to give our syrup the full spectrum of flavor. That is what our customers like about our syrup.

[lpakiz]

I have experienced the butterscotch taste also. Usually on the first batch. I also think that it has a very smooth, silky feel on the tongue.
Now, for you folks who have this butterscotch taste, does it stay in the syrup forever? I ask because it seems that after several weeks, the butterscotch taste is not nearly so pronounced.

[motowbrowne]

I made the lightest syrup I have ever seen the other day. Looked just like honey. I cooked mine on my woodstove, because it was just the first five gallons of sap of the season and it hasn't run since. Hope the weather warms up a little bit for us, we're ten degrees below average right now, when all I want is some average days. Personally I like the B grade much better.

[Run Forest Run!]

The butterscotch flavour in my light syrup did, in fact, stay in the syrup. Well, until I ate it.;)

[SevenCreeksSap]

Thats the stuff we bottle for ourselves. love it.

[Galena]

LOL cool to read that Wisconsians/Wisconsonites? are also getting *honey*-coloured syrup... provided I have actually done things right this time, the following link should take you to my Maple Gallery and show you similar batches of honey-toned syrup.

http://www.dpchallenge.com/portfolio.php?USER_ID=59029&collection_id=41009

If you read the area below the photos in the Photographer's Comments, you can read a descrip of what you are seeing as in some pics there are several lookalike bottles from different years.

As to taste...hmmm taste of mine is milder than usual full-out expected maple flavour, but I don't really pick up any butterscotch overtones. Generally I get my honey-coloured syrup mid-run, normally my first few batches are light to medium amber.

Hope this helps and hope my linky works this time, if not please PM me! Thanks!

[Jonnyp390]

It's funny that you bring this up. Same thing for me with the first boil of the year. Super light color and my wife said she can really taste the butter that I threw in to keep it from boiling over. I used a 1/4" x 1/4" chunk of butter in a half gallon of syrup, so I thought there was no way the butter flavor would overpower the maple. I even went out and bought some real defoamer to keep on hand for next time. Sounds like I have the same tasting syrup as you all. Wish I would have thought to blend it before I had it all bottled.

[Galena]

My mentors use milk as a defoamer, I don't use anything. I like living on the edge :-)

[peckfarm]

We often have fancy syrup that tastes like vanilla cotton candy. That is the fine stuff...don't sell it, just enjoy it.

[mike z]

"Vanilla cotton candy" that's a good way to describe it. Sometimes people ask if we add butter to our syrup. Nope. The butter flavor is only present in the first few batches, then the stronger maple flavor takes over as the season progresses and the syrup darkens.

[Tom M]

Well, the second batch hit a home run. Darker, rich maple flavor -WOW! First time I made a full quart. This is nectar of the Gods.

[Run Forest Run!]

Congratulations on your sweet success Tom M.