Dark syrup is dark syrup is dark syrup??

[Swingpure]

You can kind of think of "flavor" in maple as being notes or chords on a stringed instrument or piano. Like in music these individual flavors are also referred to as "notes". There are 6-10 dominant notes in maple, but lots of minor notes. Also like in music, these flavor notes have a strength or intensity associated with them.

The true "maple" notes are generally found primarily in lighter syrups. Darker syrups characteristically have far less of the true "maple" notes, and far more and far more intense "confectionary" "burnt sugar", "coffee", "nutty" and "woody/herbaceous" notes.

Some of these notes are derived from molecules in the sap itself, but some are derived from the decomposition productions caused by microbes in the sap, and the types and level of microbes themselves can influence the flavor. Then you get things like sap temperature, storage conditions, processing, etc. superimposed on top of the whole thing and it becomes very complex very quickly, making it really difficult to tease out the specific influences on flavor.

I find this post interesting and maybe daunting. This was my first year making syrup and I have been told by several people that it was the best syrup they have ever tasted. The latest comment I received yesterday was flattering: “ “Good morning , tell Gary I love his maple syrup , the best I ever tasted and I have tasted a lot of them , enjoying very much thank you 😊”.

Somehow I lucked into the right notes.

Next season instead of five steam pans, I will have a divided pan and I will be using the RO. It will be like playing a different instrument. It will be interesting to see how next year’s syrup will taste and look like.

I think you just do the best job you can and how the different flavour notes come out, will be a matter of chance.

[MajorWoodchuck]

Glad I read this post. I was feeling my syrup was a little inferior because it came out dark to very dark in color but the flavor was "good". I am touring "Syrup country" now with my wife in VT, NH, and ME to admire the fall colors and stopped at several syrup producers to see their operations and got to sample some golden-delecate, amber-rich, and dark-robust...and I believe the flavor of my syrup is closest to the rich in taste and not the robust. Maybe once I get off of hotel pans that sit down in the fire that caramelize/ burn on the sides, and filter better from my new filter press (currently using the settling method) my color will get lighter and my flavor stay the same, to be more inline with the grading charts?

[Darrel Wright]

Somehow I lucked into the right notes.

I've gotten this comment too over the years, INVARIABLY on long boil "batch" runs where I'm basically doing the opposite of what commercial operations are set up to do. It's mostly about carmelization I think. Maybe a whif of the wood fire gets in there too. Also regardless of color I get the best comments on midseason batches I think, like 20-30 growing degree days. Overall one thing I'm really convinced of is that on the whole people prefer deeper flavored syrup, and that the market (that values lightness in color and flavor) is kind of upside down. And maybe to a large extent a hangover from ye olden days when maple aimed to be a neutral sweeter that could be substituted for beet and or cane?

[TheNamelessPoet]

That is how most winners do it. But always be sure to taste it again before submitting it. Sometimes the flavor isn't exactly how we remember it.

Bingo! I submitted last year and WON 1st place in a local fair.

[TheNamelessPoet]

I've gotten this comment too over the years, INVARIABLY on long boil "batch" runs where I'm basically doing the opposite of what commercial operations are set up to do. It's mostly about carmelization I think. Maybe a whif of the wood fire gets in there too. Also regardless of color I get the best comments on midseason batches I think, like 20-30 growing degree days. Overall one thing I'm really convinced of is that on the whole people prefer deeper flavored syrup, and that the market (that values lightness in color and flavor) is kind of upside down. And maybe to a large extent a hangover from ye olden days when maple aimed to be a neutral sweeter that could be substituted for beet and or cane?

I agree ESPECIALLY in plastic containers people are just looking for flavor.

[blissville maples]

I think the 'people like darker syrup ' is kind of a folklore fun to tell story like yea the light is good but everyone likes the dark. I don't find that the case. Alot of people don't care for the dark and want the light due to it's finer flavors, for coffee sweetener the dark takes away from the coffee whereas the light does not. think many haven't been able to produce the light so they knock it. But as far as flavor the lighter syrup has a more fine flavor, like sipping syrup, the top shelf vanilla flavored stuff.

Dark is good too but usually accompanied by other flavors. For a split second in the season you make a nice buttery dark, but then quickly changes to the toffee coffee flavor which isn't ideal compared to the fine vanilla notes of the golden.

[DrTimPerkins]

Flavor preferences are very individualistic. Some people like light, but sweet. Some like a little more flavor, but not a kick you in the mouth syrup. Others like strong syrup with a bite. Others prefer REAL dark stuff. No point trying to convince people or arguing about it...just sell folks what they like.

[BAP]

Many producers work hard to convince themselves and others that consumers only want the grades of syrup that they make. Particularly, the producers that run high Brix RO sap into their evaporator and make light syrup. They are the ones who are most convinced that everyone wants light syrup. In reality, most average consumers will buy medium or dark syrup in the stores because that’s what they are used to. Plus, the average consumer will buy on price point.

[DrTimPerkins]

Many producers work hard to convince themselves and others that consumers only want the grades of syrup that they make. Particularly, the producers that run high Brix RO sap into their evaporator and make light syrup. They are the ones who are most convinced that everyone wants light syrup.

The flavor preferences ran the full gamut. In the mass market (supermarkets, chain stores, etc.), the majority of syrup sold tends to be in the mid-range, trending towards dark. This may not be exactly what they want, but most consumers are not terribly well educated about maple or able to distinguish the difference. One of the reasons the mass-market trends towards dark syrup is that it is always possible to blend syrup to make it darker, but darn difficult to blend to make it lighter. That's why historically lighter syrup commanded a higher price, and packers were always searching for light syrup. You can take a real dark syrup (maybe with a bit of off-flavor) and blend it with some light syrup to make some palatable. You can't take a dark syrup and make it light (at least not legally).