Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup

[Jbablak]

Saw some of this in a store today and read some reviews on line. Looks interesting. They say they age the syrup in the barrels for several months. Does anyone have any more specific information on how to make this? Do you need to store the syrup in the refrigerator while it is aging? I would think you would need to reheat prior to bottling. Any thoughts on this would be great.

[psparr]

I've heard of stainless barrel aged syrup before.:lol:

[mountainvan]

From what I've seen some staves from a bourbon barrel are cut up and put in the syrup. I think it was tastes like cough medicine.

[Ausable]

Saw some of this in a store today and read some reviews on line. Looks interesting. They say they age the syrup in the barrels for several months. Does anyone have any more specific information on how to make this? Do you need to store the syrup in the refrigerator while it is aging? I would think you would need to reheat prior to bottling. Any thoughts on this would be great.

What would be the point? Pure Maple Syrup is a unique product. I would be cautious about storing maple syrup in a used bourbon whiskey barrel made from white oak and charred on the inside which has stored a vodka like alcohol and aged for at least four years to make whiskey.....Better to get the product into containers and sealed to protect our high sugar product from airborne wild yeast and spores - which like to work on sugar products and turn them into something else. Hey! If You want to experiment - have at it and let us know how it turns out.

[maple maniac65]

saw some of this for sale in Waterbury VT at Cold Hollow Cider Mill Stamped with VT State of approval.

[sapman]

I was selling alongside this product at a farmers market last month. The seller was an employee and did not really know the process. But his understanding was taking syrup aging in bourbon barrels for several months and rebottling just like the original poster said. Funny thing is the product I saw was aged in New York with Vermont maple syrup.
I kinda feel like it's adulteration , but as long as it's labeled properly I suppose no harm done.

[Tor Haxson]

You can buy used Bourbon barrels in Kentucky from a number of folks. I got one for $100, I do not use it for maple syrup, I make perry, (fermented pear juice) and aged last years run in the barrel.

The Barrels for bourbon are beyond the "toasted" barrels for wine, they are "charred" a layer of charcoal char on the inside. I think Bourbon rules require one use, but the market for them is pretty hot, they are not free. I think the Scottish whiskey makers purchase them, and the craft beer makers like them as well.

If you get them fresh they still have a few cups of bourbon in them so you could consider them close to sterile. That bourbon is going to give whatever you put in there some flavor. I do not see it adding much to maple syrup, but the market for novelty items that are purchased once and given as a gift or something is probably the market for this product.

I suspect the first run of barrel aged maple syrup would have a strong bourbon flavor, if the barrel was well rinsed then perhaps just a slight oak character. After a few runs the barrel would be neutral and would not add much flavor to the syrup.

I do not think I would like the taste myself.

If you could add a small amount of smokey flavor without the sharp bourbon or the funky oak, then I think I would like it, but I doubt a bourbon barrel gives you that.

--
Tor

[Amber Gold]

I got a bottle for Christmas, and I don't drink bourbon, but I did like the flavor of the syrup. It's not something I'd put on pancakes, but I thought it tasted good. It did have a slight bourbon taste to it, not overpowering.

[mailman44094]

Here are 2 links for the Bourbon flavored syrup.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204590524916614&set=a.1051986993450.9760.1639046793&type=1
http://www.cleveland.com/food/index.ssf/2014/11/ashtabula_maple_sugaring_famil.html

[peckfarm]

I like it in coffee or mixed in with real whipped cream. Agree with the comment that it does not go well on pancakes or other breakfast foods. Made some candy with it, not worth the effort. Oddly enough I found that the fancy aged syrup was much better than the dark syrup. I would not "age" it like some cheep wines, that is just throwing chips or staves into a stainless barrel. Gotta be the real deal, and the better the barrel, the better the flavor.