Vermont’s Maple Grading System

• What do the maple syrup grades mean?

  • Maple syrup is graded on color. There are 3 table grades in order from light to dark: Grade A Golden Delicate, Grade A Amber Rich, and Grade A Dark Robust. 

  • The darker the grade, the stronger the maple flavor. 

• How do you make the different grades?

  • We can’t change our process to make a certain grade of syrup, we always process the sap in the exact same way. The sap dictates what grade we make and is influenced by temperature and time of the season.

  • There are differences in taste between the grades, and lighter syrup can taste sweeter because it has less maple flavor. While this can be deceiving, we always boil our syrup to the same density/sugar content, which is regulated by the State of Vermont.

• Which grade should I choose?

  • All of our syrup tastes great because we taste and carefully select each barrel that we package and sell. It comes down to your own personal preference.

  • If you plan to use the syrup for cooking or baking, we recommend the dark robust so the maple flavor can shine through.

  • Can't decide? We recommend trying both, that way you can test, compare, and determine your favorite!