2018 Syrup crop quality

[PCFarms]

All,

We have been slowly working through our way selling off the 2018 crop. We have been inspecting the quality of our syrup and we have noticed that starting on April 11th, a slight buddy flavor is present. We boiled until April 28th.

The strange thing is that we have just noticed now. The buddy flavour is so minimal that no one noticed during the season, despite dozens of people coming through to taste in the Sugar Shack. We started making proper buddy syrup on the 25th of April.
My question is did anyone else notice this phenomenon? Others in our area did not, but I am wondering if they haven't re-tried their syrup? or for perhaps some reason it is only present now?

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Perhaps you tasted hot or warm syrup back then? Another possibility is confirmation bias, it's kind of like an accent - nobody can hear their own.

[buckeye gold]

I had some early season metabolism, but when flows picked up it went away and my syrup quality over all was some of the best I have ever had. I always chill some syrup to taste cold before I bottle. It definitely taste different cold than hot off the evaporator.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Try tasting it like they do Coffee. Take a small spoonful of hot syrup right off the evaporator and slurp it into your mouth quickly. Yup its hot but the sensation is worth it. then chew it around.

[fred]

there was no buddy syrup made that i heard of this year. it was however sour and fruitty from april 8th on.

[ennismaple]

I believe on April 11th we might have been still making Extra Light (Golden)! We last boiled on the 21st and while it was very dark-strong it was not buddy. Given what came out of the lines the days after our last boil looked like sour milk I'm sure it would have been buddy very quickly.

I do agree that hot syrup tastes different than cold. I'll make sure to check all ours as we empty more drums.