When we were narrowing down the brands to include in our lineup, we focused on the following criteria:
We looked for nationally available maple syrups. We want most people in the US to be able to easily find our picks at major grocery chains or online. Of course, that ruled out the majority of small producers and regional white-label brands (though we highly recommend visiting small, family-run sugar shacks in person).
We excluded pancake syrups or flavored maple syrups. We tested only 100% pure maple syrups, and we skipped “pancake syrup” made from corn syrups that are sometimes flavored with fenugreek. We also skipped bourbon barrel-aged syrups and those flavored with peppers, smoke, vanilla, cinnamon, and so on. However, similar to wine, unflavored syrups can still have natural flavor nuances like caramel, burnt sugar, vanilla, and cognac.
We tested only Grade A maple syrup. Though, really, that’s the only grade you can buy from the store these days. (Before 2015, grades were labeled differently; “Grade B” is now “Grade A Dark,” and “Fancy” is now “Grade A Golden.”)
The USDA sets strict standards for Grade A syrup to hit a specific concentration of dissolved sugar in the liquid (between 66.0% and 68.9% Brix, the industry term for that concentration). However, Vermont and New Hampshire have slightly higher minimum standards than the USDA’s. Outside of that range, fermentation, mold, or sugar crystals can form.
The USDA also requires maple syrup to have an intensity of maple flavor that’s indicative of its color class (the darker the color, the more robust the flavor should be). The color of the syrup is required to be uniform, without any cloudiness, sediment, off flavors, or odors.
Syrups that don’t meet Grade A standards are often called “processing syrups,” and they tend to have a slightly off flavor, similar to a chocolate Tootsie Roll or hints of orange. Rather than being sold in stores, these syrups are often used as an ingredient for other food products, including maple-flavored sausage.
We primarily tested amber and dark varieties of maple syrup. Within the Grade A classification, there are four color classes; they are determined after the evaporation process, based on how much light is transmitted through the finished syrup. One class is not better in quality than another; they each just have a different flavor, and people have different preferences. The color classes are as follows:
- Golden syrups have a very light color and a delicate, mild maple flavor.
- Amber syrups have a medium amber color and a rich maple flavor.
- Dark syrups have a dark amber color and a robust maple flavor.
- Very dark syrups have the darkest color and the strongest maple flavor.
Amber and dark syrups are the most common ones in grocery stores, and they’re the most plentifully produced each year, according to Louis Turenne, vice president and general manager of Lantic, one of the largest co-packers of maple syrup in the world. He told us that the smaller amount of golden maple syrup his company receives becomes darker when it’s heat-packed for bottling, so the color class often changes from golden to amber.
Amber and dark syrups are also the most popular color classes among consumers, though that factor might be driven by their availability. We tested mostly amber and dark varieties, but we did try a few golden syrups and one very dark option.
We tested organic and conventional maple syrups. Several of our picks are certified organic. And though maple syrup production has not historically applied the use of chemicals during production, Mark Isselhardt, University of Vermont Extension maple specialist, explained that more producers in recent years are taking steps to meet USDA Organic certification requirements.
For maple syrup, these requirements include the following: having a diverse set of species beyond sugar maples in the forest; limits on the size of the trees that may be tapped and the number of allowable taps per tree; using organic defoamer during the evaporation process; and no use of chemical applications in the forest.
How we tested
We tasted 26 maple syrups over several days, and to avoid any bias, we used brand-concealed samples in our testing.
I was joined by a panel of editors and writers from our kitchen team, including Marilyn Ong, Lesley Stockton, Ciara Murray Jordan, Abigail Bailey, and Maki Yazawa.
We sampled the maple syrup plain, but we also prepared pancakes for testers who wanted to try the samples with food. After our initial round of testing, we stirred the finalists into yogurt to see how they worked as sweeteners.
Our testers evaluated each maple syrup based on several factors:
- Color consistency: We looked at the color of each syrup to see that it matched its designated color classification.
- Clarity: We held the samples up to the light to check for any cloudiness and sediment, which are flaws that don’t meet the USDA’s standards for Grade A maple syrup.
- Mouthfeel: We noted whether syrups were too watery or too thick, or if they coated our mouths in an unpleasant way.
- Flavor: We compared the intensity of the maple flavor in correlation to the color class indicated on the label. We also evaluated how sweet each syrup was, as well as various nuances of flavor, like notes of vanilla, prune, cognac, or spice.
